2017

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Play Review: “Kathakaar”, a play by Prayogshala Theatre Group

By DU Beat August 29, 2017

The Prayogshala Theatre Group performed their first play Kathakaar in The Attic, Connaught Place. Their first project was a huge hit among the audience and garnered rave review. This play was a collaboration of alumnae and members of Natuve – Theatre society of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, Deshbandhu Dramatics Society, Memesis – Theatre society of Daulat Ram College, Manchtantra -Theatre society of SGGS and Anubhuti – Street–play society of JDMC.

The play Kathakaar presented the relationship between Kanhaiya and Rishi, and how they struggled with their respective homosexual identities. The character of Rishi struggles with his love for Kanhaiya and his homosexual identity. Kapil Sian as Rishi does an astounding job to bring out the perplexities of his character and leaves the audience wanting for more. The play quickly takes many interesting turns as the audience soon discover that Kanhaiya suffers from a split personality syndrome.The play manages to leave the audience intrigued in the backdrop of murder and dual personality of Kanhaiya. Akshat Chauhan pulls off the character of Kanhaiya or Krishna splendidly, and deserves appreciation for his portrayal.

The play is written and directed by Akshat Chauhan. The script is crisp and deals with the romantic homosexual relationship between Kanhaiya and Rishi quite delicately and maturely. Kathakaar; as an experimental and intimate theatrical play, does an exceptional job. The director utilised the performance space brilliantly and left no stone unturned in leaving a lasting impression on the minds of people.

There were only a handful people and both, the audience and the actors occupied the same space. A makeshift stage was set up and the ambiance was cosy, warm and relaxed. The dynamics between the audience and the actors was considerably different because of the form of the play. The audience was as involved as the actors in the performance.

Nimish Nanda, Anisha Baura, and Anshul Mahindru as supporting cast members revved up the energy up of the play with their exceptional acting and deep portrayal of their characters. The lights by Prashant Ved and sounds by Jyotish Dhanwani and Chavi Sagar left a mark.

Kathakaar tries to bring the issue of homosexuality to the forefront with the sensitiveness that it requires. The relationship dynamics between Kanhaiya and Rishi is explored wonderfully. The play was appreciate by the audience and had two successful shows one after another.

This effort definitely deserves praise as the chemistry between every member was palpable, and the dedication of every member to make this show a success could be seen in every scene of the play.

Feature Image credits:DU Beat

Anukriti Mishra

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In conversation with: Devdutt Pattanaik, eminent mythologist and leadership consultant

By Radhika Boruah August 29, 2017

“Mythology is a subjective truth. Every culture imagines life in a certain way.”- Devdutt Pattanaik

Mythology has always fascinated me. Indian art and culture has ever since been rich, but more and more people have now started indulging into our myths. My quest to learn more of mythology led me to interview Devdutt Pattanaik, a medical doctor by education, a leadership consultant by profession and a mythologist by passion. He has authored books like My Gita, the Leadership Sutra, Myth=Mithya and many more. Here are the snippets from the interview:

A doctor by education, but a mythologist by passion: so, when and how did this journey start?

It was just a hobby for weekends. But gradually my ideas turned into strong views. This led to articles eventually becoming lectures, and when it became financially viable in 2008, this became a full-time vocation. It was all organic. It was just hard work, maximum utilisation of opportunities, and a neat stroke of luck.

It takes a lot of effort to travel to different places of India collecting myths and stories; so how does this entire process work?

Most myths are in fact available on the internet, and before that in libraries. Tonnes of people have already researched on them but they write only for academics, not for common people. Or, their knowledge is restricted to a narrow field of study. I broadened the base and made it accessible for common people.

Have you considered visiting places in Southeast Asia like Cambodia, to find different versions of our Hindu myths? Angkor Wat has many stories, so does Sri Lanka.

One had to do that in the 19^th century, but not anymore. As I said, much information has already been gathered but is badly structured and presented, hence, not many understand the patterns. For example, Hinduism is present in Southeast Asia but you do not sense “bhakti”, or the essential power of devotional music, as the flow of ideas to the these regions was restricted before 1000 AD.

Presenting our myths in their foreign versions world be interesting, so why haven’t we tried that?

We may not like these versions. The Hanuman of Southeast Asia is not celibate or devotional. He is a wild and funny rake. You don’t feel the underlying principles of the Upanishads, which means Agama or the Puranas are not amalgamated with Nigama or the Vedas, as they are in India. So they are very yet very different.

In your book Shikhandi, you talk about the queer. How do you think the yesteryear’s myths can influence the present day Indian society?

In the past, people followed whatever was convenient . If you left India during those times and crossed the sea, you lost your caste and religion. Which means the migrants couldn’t call themselves Hindus. But, we don’t follow these old codes, do we? Likewise, in past, women were considered inferior to men, incapable of achieving spiritual wisdom. We don’t believe that anymore. In the past, we believed there were three genders: male, female and queer. But this idea faded away in British times. And now is being seen as a Western import.

Feature Image credits: Devdutt.in

Radhika Boruah

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Arts & Culture

Anuja Chauhan Visits Gargi, St. Stephen’s, and Miranda House for ‘Baaz’ Promotions

By Saumya Kalia August 28, 2017

The Indian writer Anuja Chauhan visited the University of Delhi campus to endorse her new publication, Baaz, on 25th August, 2017. Her three-tier book tour encompassed stops at Gargi College, St. Stephen’s College, and Miranda House.

The day started off from Gargi College at 12:30 p.m. She was welcomed enthusiastically at one of Gargi’s lecture halls by the English Department teachers and students. Ms. Chauhan was introduced as the renowned author of Those Pricey Thakur Sister, The House that BJ Built, and The Zoya Factor, and the winner of various accolades. Followed by the introduction, the author read an excerpt from her new book with all the rhetorical expressions and dramatics including on the Hindi dialogues. The author walked down the memory lane and reminisced of her school days, the fun of an army childhood, her Miranda House memories, and giving advertising a try as a job because it helped her to write which is what she always wanted to do. She confessed that she chose Economics for ‘keeping her options open’ as was the trend those days and being job-oriented unlike the ‘career-oriented’ kids these days.

Ms. Chauhan emphasised that she didn’t release her book, whose story revolves around an Air Force guy, at this time when there is a wave a nationalism in the country, but it usually takes a year or two for her to complete a book. This was followed by an interactive question-answer round where she expressed her dislike for Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice for the message it proffers. She commented that ‘creative artists should only create and not give their political opinions’ in lieu of her contemporaries. At the end of the discussion, she let her fans buy their copies and signed each one’s copy. Everybody left happy from the book discussion and she for her next destination, St. Stephen’s College.

Ms. Chauhan has incorporated the Stephanian persona in most of her characters like Ishaan from Baaz and Dylan in Those Pricey Thakur Girls. She spoke to the crowd about this, saying that most of her family members, including her husband and daughter, went to St. Stephen’s and this provided her with a familiar attribute that could be assimilated into her novels. She spoke of Baaz and explained how she related to the protagonist Ishaan in the Air India Force due to her much similar army childhood background. She also justified why she decided to kill off Ishaan (yikes!), saying “A happy ending doesn’t necessarily mean a glorious one and even if you do think it is necessary for a glorious ending, I think Ishaan had his fair share of glory. And it is also necessary for a light reading to have an undertone of dark narratives, similarly how the brightest lights also bear the darkest shadows.”

Like Baaz, she also mentioned that most of her other works were partially autobiographical because they were a product of much of the things she had experienced in life. There was a question and answer round that followed where she answered the queries of all the zealous fans, with witty and chuckle-some responses. This was followed by a round of photographs with the fans and an interview for the English Literary Society Journal. Next, she headed to her alma mater, Miranda House.

Chauhan’s experience at Miranda House was memorable. She walked around campus and took pictures with the iconic red brick walls. She happened to pass by the classrooms she sat in, and remembered the time when she flunked her Microeconomics paper back in the first year. Before heading to the venue for the talk, she stopped by the canteen and sampled the good ol’ samosas which she remembers gorging on during her days as a student. Her talk with the students was an interactive session where she answered questions about her life in Miranda House, her memories of North Campus, her career as an advertiser to an author, and her story characters that have been picked up from her life. She then went on to talking about how authors should not be labelled, as she has often been labelled as a ‘chick lit’ author. She went on to say that as an author, if one is labelled then they are not able to expand their writing genre, that is why Baaz was a masculine addition to the stories she wrote about women in Those Pricey Thakur Girls series and The Zoya Factor. Anuja Chauhan also placed great emphasis on the importance of strong female protagonists in all her books, each of them, being people whom she has encountered in her own life. The session went on with laughs, smiles, and candid secrets about her life. Everyone was completely enamoured by Anuja Chauhan’s exuding charm and grace (along with the very quirky outfit!). The session ended with a lot of chatter, book signings, and pictures. As she walked towards the gate to return, she again walked by those corridors and those lawns, which signify innumerable memories she created in those ‘red brick walls’.

Feature Image Credits: P.V. Purnima for DU Beat

Trishala Dutta

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Prachi Mehra

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Rashim Bagga

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Joyee Bhattacharya

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Arts & Culture

Revisiting the Roots with the People’s Club

By DU Beat August 28, 2017

The yokes of colonialism have still not left the hearts and consciousness of our people. As a consequence, the rising Indian middle class is quick to dismiss its roots and the practices associated with it. No more do we live the way our parents did, or their parents did. As a result, there is a discrepancy in who we want to be versus who we are. We don’t eat, work, or live like our ancestors did anymore. The idea that our ancient sciences were fiction and superstitions with little truth to them is a belief that a large part of the urban middle class firmly believes.

The People’s Club was founded by a few young students with the intention of creating a group where people could get together and talk about things that were relevant to them. The event was conducted on 18th August, propagating a vision to create a judgement-free space that would allow words and beliefs to come out freely. In a world where we are constantly scrutinised for our ideologies, where ignorance is looked down upon, this was a welcome change. The idea to create a platform that would allow young, budding minds to discuss, disagree, and de-stigmatise controversial topics through words seemed like a beautiful idea.

Ekta, one of the founders, recited a personal anecdote about why she chose to start the People’s Club. Her father went to go back to his roots, including Yoga and lifestyle changes after a health complication. The sheer amount of improvement he went through, led her to think long and hard about the significance of our cultural practices and the scientific accuracy of the same.

Last Friday, on a warm afternoon, as I walked into the sunny Raasta café, I saw a score of college students seated around a table introducing themselves while talking about the one thing that connected them to their roots. As people talked about the sambhar that reminds them of home and the lullabies that took them back to their childhood, I couldn’t help but notice how it comforted others. The knowledge that there were other people who missed certain aspects of their culture, which they could not connect with in the sprawling metropolitan cities that they now lived in, seemed comforting to most.

The moderator Prithvi Mahabeshwara and the experts Arushi Ralli and Manu Singh felicitated the flow of discussion and ensured that the conversation remained fruitful. Everything, ranging from a reference to the accurate distance of the Earth and the Sun in the line “Yuga Sahastra Yojan par Bhanu” in the Hanuman Chalisa to the science behind the idea of eating before the sunset, was extensively talked about. The logic behind eating using ones hands during meals, eating on banana leaves, avoiding alloy metals to cook, drinking water from earthen vessels were all discussed in detail. Spices were a strong enough incentive some five centuries ago, for some European men to venture out and sail on lone ships across dangerous seas to find our mysterious homeland. This fact in and of itself is enough to describes how renowned, famed, and ahead of their time our cultural practices were.

What made the People’s Club so special is the fact that they chose to think in a way that most people don’t. Most of us have collectively written-off our cultural heritage as superstition and blind-faith. We classify eating on banana leaves in the same group as believing in Sati or following the caste system. In our desire to rid ourselves of the undesirable aspects of our past, we have thrown off something extremely precious. Out of fear of seeming naïve and gullible, we have aggressively been shedding off what remains of our cultural past. But perhaps everything comes back to a full circle. Those who were once mesmerized enough to pursue a golden land laden with spices, have once again set out to embrace its cultural practices; be it in the form of yoga and dhyan or in the search of spirituality and peace. It is time we do the same. It is essential we reclaim what is a cultural gift from our ancestors to us. Perhaps then, we wouldn’t feel so lost in these concrete jungles that we have built around ourselves.

Image Credits: People’s Club Facebook Page

Kinjal Pandey
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News

Truth Behind ABVP Budget Image Made Viral by NSUI

By DU Beat August 28, 2017

Right before elections, a photo uploaded by the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) had started making rounds on the internet. The picture alleged the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) of spending Rs. 22 lakhs out of the assigned 26 lakhs for the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) budget on tea.

Soon, there was an outrage in the student community regarding the blatant misappropriation of expenses. NSUI officials claimed that Mr. Mohit Garid, the Joint Secretary of DUSU, provided the information as he has got access to all DUSU official records.

But when DU Beat reached out to ABVP, the other side of the story was unfolded. Mr. Amit Tanwar, president of DUSU, explained that the document making rounds is the budget of DUSU and not the expenditure. He further told DU Beat that many other events were conducted which didn’t fall in any of the other categories, hence, were included in miscellaneous sections.

Mr. Saket Bahugana, the national media convenor of ABVP, shared with us the original complete document, which clearly reflects the signature of Mr. Mohit Garid on the document.

img-20170822-wa0013 — Image Credits: DUSU office

Mr. Bahugana adds, “Why didn’t the Joint Secretary object to the budget while it was being proposed?” He also alleged that Mr. Garid had taken more than Rs. 5 lakhs from the DUSU fund but failed to utilise the money towards an event with the money.

Feature Image Credits: NSUI Twitter Handle

Sandeep Samal

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Arts & Culture

GoT Season 7 Finale: All That You Were Waiting For, Is Now Real

By Saumya Kalia August 28, 2017

It’s a Monday ritual to gloss over the dynamics of Westeros. After almost eight weeks, it’s time to put the ritual to a cold bed, for Winter is finally at our doorsteps and the wait for the long night begins.

The last two rounds of Game of Thrones weekly offerings certainly met with unscrupulous practices. Naturally, the release of the last batch of the episodes of Season 7 was shrouded in rumours of leaks and spoilers. Speculations and conjectures were being spread like wildfire, being subjected to all permutations and combinations. No theory (well, one), no foreboding (well, more than one), and no experience of watching 66 episodes could have prepared us for the aftermath of The Dragon and The Wolf. Here’s what the eventful episode proffered to its viewers, leaving us yearning for more.

Reunion at the Dragonpit

King’s Landing has been home to treason, lies, betrayals, and an underlying social injustice which seems to be plaguing that reality ever since the beginning. This episode saw the tremulous union of the two Queens, the King in the North, and their respective entourages in the historically rich Dragonpit. It was a convention of comedy plays to unify all characters on the stage when it neared its culmination, and one couldn’t help equating those happy, conflict-resolution reunions with one which only set the stage for tragedy and deceit. The negotiations at hand were aimed at driving a truce between Cersei and Daenerys, and Jaime Lannister’s poignant epiphany that “Maybe it is all cocks in the end” might not be reeling with verity. Besides Jon Snow’s first visit to King’s Landing, it was also the providential wight who entered the Westerosi realms for the first time and died in ‘combat’. The wight did manage to serve its purpose, breaking the wavering amorous chord between Jaime and Cersei and perhaps, fuelling Cersei’s malevolent tricks up a notch. Tyrion’s brutal parley with his sister at the forefront presented an idealistic picture – with the Lannister bannermen fighting alongside Jon and Daenerys’ armies against the Army of the Dead. It is later we realise that all’s not simple with Cersei, and the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms’ word reeked of deceit and uninhibited, fearsome ambitions.

Revenge finally reaches Winterfell

Littlefinger’s sharp voice is fresh in our ears as he begged for mercy. So is the vision of Arya’s Needle fatally poking him with blood soiling the wet snow. Lord Baelish’s fate was long time coming, and in a series of events which would serve just for this connoisseur of manipulation. Fear lingered as we saw Sansa saunter towards the Hall after giving instructions to bring her sister, one of the Faceless Men. Maybe the former Master of Coin’s schemes had borne fruit to fallacious assumptions in Lady Stark’s mind? However, when Sansa turns her head and calls Lord Baelish to respond to the charges of murder and accusation, a pleasurable smile collectively dawns our faces. Every ounce of dirt spewed by Littlefinger was brought to an accentuated spotlight, and the murders of Lord Eddard Stark, Lord Arryn, Lysa Arryn, and the rivalry between the Starks and Lannisters were masterfully avenged with satiation. The raw power of sisterhood, a scheme which was brewing around the walls of Winterfell, granted validity to Sansa’s words in the end, “When the snow falls and the white wind blows, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives.” Sansa is a slow learner, but the lesson we’ll remember is that she learnt.

The History and Ancestry Unveil

The theory which we all knew of and prized has at last unravelled itself gloriously. All those fandom articles alluding to R+L=J have finally found merit in this beautiful unveiling of history.

Samwell Tarly arrives at Winterfell to aid his Nightwatch associate in the war which has managed to unsettle every ruler. The heir of the Tarly House rendezvous with Bran Stark, who pulls the aesthetic covers on the lineage truth which possess the power to change claims to the disputed Iron Throne. Bran narrates how Jon is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, and bears the last name of ‘Sand’ instead of ‘Snow’ as it is the rightful nomenclature for a Dornish bastard. The words ‘Robert’s rebellion was built on a lie’ manage to grant velocity to a truth that was already raved about; Rhaegar and Lyanna were in love, and the war which brought the Baratheon house to power was based on the allegation that Rhaegar had kidnapped and raped Lyanna. Jon’s parentage is elucidated upon fully as Bran hears Jon’s real name. Thus, the rightful heir to the Iron Throne stands to be Aegon Targaryen (since Season 1 known as Jon Snow). It is interesting to note that Aegon the Conqueror was the first ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, and to bestow the honour of that name on Jon is bound to prove its legitimacy. The irony here rings in the backdrop, as Bran’s narration is complemented with the love-making of Jon and Daenerys – a relationship the netizens have been cheering on since their fates intertwined. The contention which thus presents itself is simple yet increasingly knotted: Jon’s claim to the Iron Throne has been authenticated by his parentage and would overpower Daenerys’ vision of ruling the Seven Kingdoms. Also, the love which is brewing between the last-surviving Targaryens oozes of a political and personal incestuous relationship, doesn’t it?

Knock, knock on the Wall?

While we recover from the ancestral snippets of Jon’s parentage, Bran’s vision foresees the great threat to the Westerosi mankind and the arrival of the storm which had been the source of nightmares for them. The majestic Wall stands tall with its icy shields and magical ways. It’s a grand and beautiful sight to witness. And in seconds, the Army of the Dead comes propping from the trees and stands in anticipation in front of the Wall. The penultimate episode’s dreadful outcome emerges into a full-blown reality, with the Night King arriving on an undead Viserion and abolishing a part of the Wall. It’s a deeply tormenting thought that the Wall, which boasted of ensuring the safety of Westeros, now stands destroyed, and a dragon which was believed to be a remnant of the past spews unrestrained death.

Season 1 was embroiled in inching closer towards the truth but anticipating the deceitful ways at work. Seasons 2 to 4 removed all masquerades from noble intentions and honourable alliances. Season 5 witnessed struggle at every front, from the Dragon Queen advocating against slavery, Lannisters countering the High Sparrow, Baratheon endeavouring to be the Promised Prince, and the Starks waging their discovery of home and the distant truth. Season 6 unleashed cruelties at its peak and robbed Cersei of all fathomable inhibitions. Season 7 orchestrated the truth and discomfiture which lurked in anticipation in our minds, and has finally been conjured to a spine-chilling reality.

Perhaps, Jon Snow does know something. It is as the Wolf said, “There is only one war that matters – the Great War – and it is here.”

Feature Image Credits: Metro

Saumya Kalia
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Arts & Culture

Explore These Enriching Places of Interest in Delhi

By DU Beat August 28, 2017

College life is filled with fun and learning, but if you are hungry for more and wish to see, experience, and delve into untouched topics, we are suggesting the places to go. These institutions can be visited at any time (in the day, of course) and you’ll find something interesting to check out.
INDIA INTERNATIONAL CENTRE

india-international-center — Image Credits: iicdelhi.nic.in

It was officially inaugurated in the year 1962 and built upon the arrival of Japanese prince Akihito in 1960. It is generally referred to as Triveni, meaning ‘a structure of three’. It serves the ‘Intellectual Stream’ by organising seminars, meetings, discussions, debates as well as harbours a library of renowned published papers. For the ‘Cultural Stream’, it organises dance performances, plays, and film screenings. It also boasts of hostel and catering facilities to bring people together and give rise to brain-storming sessions.

Address – 40, Lodhi Gardens, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi

SIRI FORT AUDITORIUM

It is a premier multi-auditorium complex of the Government of India. It is the headquarters of Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It hosts musical concerts, film screenings, documentary screenings, plays, debates, seminars, and more.

Address – A-25, Balbir Saxena Marg, Siri Institutional Area, Siri Fort Institutional Area, Gulmohar Park, New Delhi

GOETHE INSTITUTE – MAX MUELLER BHAVAN

Max Mueller Bhavan is best known for its German language course and the international examinations held at the institute. It fosters international cultural cooperation and boasts of a huge collection of books, DVDs, etc.

Address- No.3, Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Near Connaught Place, New Delhi

INDIA HABITAT CENTRE

The India Habitat Centre was built in 1993 as an office building shared by workers of HUDCO and some non-profit organisations. It is now spread across nine acres, designed by Joseph Stein and provides facilities like conference venues, auditoriums, hospitality areas, library, resource centre, and art galleries. Penguin Random House has collaborated with the Centre to host their Annual Penguin Lecture which witnesses a huge number of turnout.

Address – Lodhi Road, Near Air force Bal Bharati School, New Delhi

ALLIANCE FRANCAISE DE DELHI

It is an association of the Indian Law and the Alliance Francaise de Paris. It is known for its French language courses and providing various levels in it. It hosts premiers of French movies, plays and also international contest. The Cine Club of the organisation is about to host a movie screening of Des Fommes et Des Hommes (Women and Men) whose entry is free to all. The institute is also about to hold an International Photography Contest with three prizes worth more than 12.000€.

Address – 72, KK Birla Ln, Lodhi Gardens, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi

Feature Image Credits: Touristt Turtle

Prachi Mehra

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DUB Speak

Ascertaining the Danger of the Blue Whale Challenge

By DU Beat August 28, 2017

The Blue Whale Game, also known as Blue Whale Challenge, is a lethal internet ‘suicide game’ that exists in many countries. The players allegedly carry out a list of tasks that are handed to them by the administrators over a period of fifty days, with the final task asking them to commit suicide.

The term ‘Blue Whale’ originates from the phenomenon of ‘beaching’ in which cetaceans (aquatic mammals that consists of whales, dolphins, and porpoises) strand themselves on beach. Beached whales often die due to dehydration. In many cases, some healthy whales and dolphins have stranded themselves which raises the question of self-harm or suicide, though the exact cause is unknown.

The players are allegedly supposed to complete one task in a day. These tasks include self-mutilation and self-torture. For instance, the player is asked to wake up in the middle of the night and watch horror films or carve designs on the hand. The game originates from Russia, where it has resulted in 130 cases of suicide. Philip Budeikin, the inventor of the game, referred to the victims as “biological waste” who did not hold any value and would only cause harm to the society, and thus aimed at cleaning the society by pushing them to commit suicide. He was arrested and plead guilty to “inciting at least sixteen teenage girls to commit suicide”.

In India, a few cases have been reported that have been linked to this game. In July 2017, a boy from Kerala committed suicide after playing the game. Two other cases have been reported in Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh resulting in action being taken by the authorities. The issue was raised in Rajya Sabha by BJP MP Amar Shankar Sable who asked for a provision to remove the game.

Aditi Pandey, a student of Lady Shri Ram College, says, “Such a detrimental phenomenon is much like getting into an offline bad company. It is essential to address the root causes of vulnerability of young adolescents and to fight against such harmful groups.” While Aishik Chakraborty from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, comments, “ It is like a cyber nightmare and the worst part is that it exists. A challenge like this can set disturbing images in the minds of the already vulnerable teenagers and the people around them too.”

Image credits: www.asiange.com
Anukriti Mishra

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DUSU Elections 2017

Ahead of DUSU Elections, ABVP Submits Memorandum to Election Officials, Forms Selection Committee

By DU Beat August 27, 2017

With the election fever catching up in the University, ABVP has also upped its efforts to reach out to students in the campus. In the recent developments, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad(ABVP) has submitted a memorandum to the Election Officials for the session 2017-18 to ensure a better election process. It has also formed a committee to select its candidates for the DUSU Elections 2017.

Submits memorandum to Election Officials for better Election Process

On August 26, 2017, a four member delegation of ABVP met the recently appointed DUSU-2017 Election Committee to raise some points of demands and give their suggestions for the smooth functioning of this year’s Delhi University’s Students’ Union (DUSU) polls.

Among various issues that the party highlighted, it requested for avoiding the ambiguity in the counting process of votes through proper numbered EVMs allotted to every college. They also asked the authorities to run an awareness campaign in order to increase the voting percentage and even asked for attendance benefit for the students who come to the college to vote on the election day.

They also took the issue of paper wastage with the authorities and demanded designated ‘Wall of Democracy’ in every college in order to reduce paper wastage.

Forms Committee to select official candidates

The party has constituted Committee to select the official candidates of ABVP for the polls. The committee comprises of Dr Avnish Mittal-State President of ABVP, Dr Manu Kataria-National Executive Council member, Monika Chaudhary-National Secretary, Bharat Khatana-State Secretary, Ajay Thakur-State Organizing Secretary, Abhishek Verma-State Joint Secretary and Amit Tanwar-the outgoing DUSU President.

The committee will select the candidates for the DUSU elections which is going to be held on September 12, said a press release which was issued Saket Bahuguna, the national media convener of ABVP.

Image Credits: ABVP

Oorja Tapan

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Aryabhatta College

Aryabhatta College to hold referendum for DUSU affiliation

By DU Beat August 27, 2017

In the light of the recent events pertaining to the upcoming elections of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), contrary to the anticipated scenario, Aryabhatta College has given out a notice seeking a referendum regarding its affiliation to the DUSU that will be held on the 1^st of September, within the college premises.

While the college was affiliated to the DUSU in the past, the excessive political inclination of the latter and the consequent amalgamation of campus violence and suppression in the recent years have garnered a lot of attention, questioning affiliation of other member colleges as well. Since both the Principal as well as the administration remained unavailable for any comments, we had a word with Yashank Bhutani who is also one of the presidential candidates this year. He informed us that a joint protest is going to be held on Monday, that is, on the 28

Yashak Bhutani, one of the presidential candidate for this year informed that a joint protest is going to be held on Monday, that is, on the 28^th of August regarding whether or not the institution should be affiliated. Amidst all of this, a pro-DUSU affiliation signature campaign was doing the rounds on Thursday. The referendum, as explained by Yashank, proposed against the centralization of power that otherwise is the case with party-affiliated student politics, wherein, the six-post system including the President, the Vice-President, the Joint Secretary, the General Secretary and two Central Councillors are vested with the sceptre of power, leaving out the other students in a subordinate position. He further goes on to add that the alternative way would include a two-post system with only the President and the General Secretary at the highest rung, with a division of power among the Class Representatives (CRs) and the respective department Presidents who will be responsible for keeping the powers of the two heads under check or “the parliamentary form of elections”, as he calls them.

Meanwhile, the principal and other college authorities were unavailable for comments.

While it has become quite clear from certain examples in the recent past that the triumph of party-affiliated politics nurtures nothing but only the mouthpiece of a particular ideology; it is, like Yashank states, “the leadership in a free environment is what we look for with every student having a say in the decision-making”.

Shrija Ganguly

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