May 2020

With the extended classes coming to an end soon and doubts over what next with respect to academics, DU has formed a 15-member working group to “oversee all examination related matters.”

In a notification posted on the official website, dated 6^thMay, DU has constituted a ‘working group’ to inspect and give suggestions on examination related matters. The working group has been put together to study the various examination related affairs, review the preparedness for conducting this session’s examinations and then take the appropriate measures.

The 15-member body is headed by Professor Vinay Gupta, Dean (Examinations), who is presiding over the committee as the Chairman, and comprises of members from different colleges and departments of DU. The notification also stated that “the working group may co-opt any expert, if required, with the prior approval of the competent authority.”

Dr. Uma Shankar Pandey, the Officer on Special Duty, School of Open Learning (SOL) and also a member of the committee, told Career 360,“There are chances of having both online and offline examination, but that would be too early to say anything as we are yet to have any meeting.”

He denied the question of the University not conducting the examination and stated that examinations will be held as per the schedule announced by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

He also said that any decision will be taken keeping the interests of students in mind. Although, concerns over conducting examination through online mode have been raised many times in the past few months, Dr. Pandey’s statement clearly indicates that the committee is considering all its options before coming to a conclusion. Today itself, the Working group posted an invitation for comments/suggestions from stakeholders on examinations. They have been asked to send them to the following email ID of the Working Group- [email protected].

However, questions have been raised on the committee’s composition. As reported by The Hindu, University executive council members, Rajesh Jha and JL Gupta, censured the committee, calling it “arbitrary and undemocratic”; and in a letter to the Vice Chancellor, they raised their concerns over the formation of the committee and inclusion of certain “nominated members” and some other aspects.

In parallel, Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA), also wrote to the Vice Chancellor about the absence of the statutory bodies of the University –the Executive and Academic Council, from the Working Group. They also expanded their argument to highlight the inclusion of elected representatives of teachers in the committee and the students’ as well as DUTA’s opposition to the online mode of examinations.

It’s been more than 10 days since University Grants Commission (UGC) released the guidelines on Examinations and Academic Calendar for Universities. With various universities such as Mumbai University releasing their academic plans, DU students and teachers are eagerly waiting for the University’s course of action. The Working Group might speed things up and some official statement or notification can be expected in the coming days.

Feature Image Credits:DU Beat

Ipshika Ghosh

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Northeastern Students Asked to Vacate Hostel Amid Lockdown

By DU Beat May 12, 2020

During the lockdown, Delhi University students have been asked to vacate the Northeastern Students House for Women in Dhaka Complex, North Campus, and out of many that have left, 13 are left stranded in the hostel, with nowhere go.

Amid COVID-19 lockdown, Provost Rita Singh had asked students residing in the North Eastern Students House for Women in Dhaka Complex to vacate the hostel. Many students have left, however 13 are stranded in the hostel with no way to reach their homes in remote areas. The authorities stated the expiry of mess contract as the reason.

Christina Ering, President of Student Welfare Association stated, “This is mental harassment of students. In the past, she passed derogatory comments on Northeastern girls. Most of them are from the Northeast and finding a place to stay in Delhi is difficult for them otherwise. The hostel is the safest place for girls.” She also added that other hostels within the university such as Rajiv Gandhi Hostel and International Hostel for Women are functional.

Kholneikim Cindy Haokip, a resident of the hostel stated,“The last email from the Provost was on 8th May, where she said that the mess would function only till 31st May. She asked us to leave and arrange alternative accommodation. Whoever leaves must pack their valuables and move the rest of their belongings to another room and submit the key which is just unacceptable.”

The Provost responded by denying the allegations and stated that the students were not forced to vacate immediately. Mess workers had refused to come to work, and the authorities had asked the students to prepare themselves in case inter-state transport became functional.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh took to Twitter and stated that the issue regarding Northeastern students’ eviction has been sorted out and they need not vacate hostels as he has spoken to the Vice-Chancellor. In addition to this, the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) issued a notice on receiving a complaint against the Provost of the hostel.

The 13 stranded students were allegedly subjected to racial discrimination, insensitivity and harassment by the Provost who has threatened to close down the mess as well. The commission has asked the varsity to keep into the account the needs of the students and has asked to provide all facilities. DCW chief Swati Maliwal stated that the commission has issued a notice to the university keeping in mind the seriousness of this situation. A report will be prepared by 15th May on the actions taken regarding the complaint along with measures taken to ensure that the students are comfortable in the hostel.

Feature Image Credits: Prag News

Suhani Malhotra

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College Student Accused of Multiple Cases of Sexual Harassment

By DU Beat May 11, 2020

In a series of shocking revelations, a student from a reputed private university in Sonipat was accused of eight cases of sexual harassment.

Trigger Warning- Harassment, Gaslighting, Abuse

On 6th May, a student of a premier institution took to Instagram to talk about how she was repeatedly harassed, manipulated and gaslighted by a fellow batchmate. Speaking to DU Beat, the victim recounts her story “He coerced me into physical intimacy, forced me into oral sex, and also tried to stop me from having other friends. He would get “jealous” of my other friends, and get angry but in reality, he just wanted me to not talk to anyone else about any of the stuff that he did to me.” The victim also talked about how their sexual interactions were allegedly recorded multiple times without consent and stored despite him being asked to delete the same.

In response to these allegations, the perpetrator allegedly instead chose to attack her character. “I have been called a ‘sick fuck’ and a “lying, manipulative, attention-seeking, clout mongering whore”. I have been threatened with a ‘defamation case’ by my perpetrator.” “Other than him, his ‘supporters’ have left no dearth of saying things to force me to take the posts down, starting from slut-shaming to death threats. I deal with countless such DMs”. The victim has chosen to pursue this matter with the internal complaints committee in her college.

After this, a lot of other people also chose to come out with their stories in public. One of the victims alleged how she had to face continuous nagging to indulge in sexual acts she did not want to and how she was coerced and manipulated into sending nudes. “There was more of mental harassment. A lot of times, it wasn’t my fault, but he made me think it was.”

“I’ve got screenshots of him asking me sext with him and call him and send pictures while he was dating another girl in October 2019. I was drunk during Diwali, and I was talking to him for some reason so on 27th October, he asked if I plan to get drunk again because he thought drunk me would send him nudes, when the day before, a very drunk me had denied that.”

The victim talks about how as a fourteen-year-old, she was forced to take birth control pills since the perpetrator allegedly did not want to wear a condom while having sex. A pattern of an attempt at controlling other relationships was allegedly seen in this relationship too, “He wanted me to choose him over my own family, got jealous of my brother because I could spend time with him. He was against one of my friends because she didn’t like him, so he wanted me to physically hurt her, or else he would break up with me.” Here too, the victim talks about how she was manipulated into sending him nude pictures of herself, which he still possesses and not only resurfaced later with several other accounts online but were also allegedly used by him to masturbate even when he was dating someone else.

One of the perpetrator’s ex-girlfriends said “Yes, mostly it (sex) was coerced because he chose to ignore if I wanted to do it or not. He’d coerce me into sexting and sending pictures which I clearly didn’t want to at that point but he’d throw tantrums or break up with me. It was really immature, to begin with.” On being asked if he apologised, she said “No he hasn’t. in fact, after breaking up I chose to remain silent and get rid of him being the bigger person but he chose to slander me online making jokes on my insecurity so it’s safe to say he wasn’t even apologetic. He’d post chat screenshots of his friends humiliating me, joking about insecurities that I trusted him with. One of them even made a meme about how I keep going back to my ex when I merely talked to him for a while.”

There were several more victims who chose to not make their stories public because of fear of backlash from the accused and his friends.

Feature Image Credits: The Vice

Khush Vardhan Dembla

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Arts & Culture

Indian Mothers and Your Internalized Misogyny

By DU Beat May 10, 2020

Throughout life, misogyny is enforced not just by men, but also by women who have internalized the systematic patriarchy. And though we may like to believe ourselves to be more “woke” than the rest, our own instances of internalized misogyny comes out in the way we treat our mothers.

As women, we are subject to various misogynistic practices throughout our lives- slut-shaming, body-shaming, stereotyping, etc. To think that these practices are enforced just by men would be wrong- we see women bringing down other women much too often. It is the misogyny that has been internalized through generations of sexism done subconsciously. Every time women say, “I’m not like other girls”, or judge the way other women dress or act, it is the exhibition of this internalized misogyny. And it is exhibited most vividly in the way we treat our mothers.

There is special misogyny reserved for mothers. Though we might like to believe that we are more aware and tolerant, our own internalized misogyny comes out in microaggressions in the way in which we treat our mothers.

Have you ever scoffed at your mom for asking you to teach her something technological for the hundredth time? Many women our mothers’ age didn’t get the opportunity to have grown with the best of technology made available to her. We refuse to teach our mothers to cope with the “naya zamaana” (new generation), and then turn back and criticize her for being too “old-fashioned”. It is in the way we believe that our mothers are obligated to cook for us, and that too perfectly and professionally, no matter what her profession. It is in the way in which we compare her to other mothers constantly, expecting her to adhere to gender roles to suit our convenience or stay silent when we ever hear our dad talk down to her. Or used the phrase, “just a housewife” ever and in any way to disregard the work she does. But most importantly, it is in the way many of us refuse to explain the nuances of patriarchy to her, and instead get mad at her for adhering to and wanting us to adhere too to preset gender roles, forgetting that it is what she grew up with. It is what she grew up with and was forced to internalize, and instead of helping her understand otherwise, many of us blame her for being just another victim of the patriarchy that she grew up around.

And most importantly, it is in the way we so often forget that she is more than just our mother, but a person with hobbies, passions, interests and aspirations that don’t revolve around just her family. So let’s not forget the woman at home and the microaggressions presented to her by the people who claim to know better. Be understanding and patient. Unlearn your internalized misogyny that is reserved especially for your mom. Walk the path of empowerment not despite her, but along with her.

Featured Image Credits: “Claire De Lune” by Audrey Kawasaki

Shreya Juyal

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With Love, Your (Annoying) Daughter

By DU Beat May 10, 2020

An open letter to the most important woman in my life.

Hi Mom,

I write this letter to you as you sit on the couch watching this really shitty Bollywood rom-com with me and dad, complaining why neither of us is paying attention to the movie. There’s light summer breeze blowing from the balcony right into the room right on your face- you look so beautiful- and my heart is swelling from the quiet happiness of these harmless familial jabs. But as you chide us for not being attentive enough, I laugh at the sheer thought of emotions this letter is going to make you feel.

I remember being 7 and telling you about the boy I used to fight with all day at school. I, then, remember being 10 and finding my afternoon cartoons more interesting than our conversations. I also remember being 13 and absolutely hating talking about myself because you just didn’t seem to understand what I was saying and then I remember being 16 and taking baby steps towards understanding you- and understanding us.

If you ask anyone about what defined our relationship, they’d say our arguments. And honestly, they’d be right. If there has been one constant throughout the years as I’ve grown up, it is the way I’ve never stopped arguing with you. As an 8-year-old, it used to be about dal and playtimes. As a 19-year-old, it’s about my lazy routines and your constant nagging. despite how much they exasperate me at times, it is these arguments that have made me what I am today; they remind me I shouldn’t settle for less and speak my mind. There’s no way I would be able to do that without them. You know (you really do know) I suffer from a lack of ability to verbalize my emotions properly- I’d rather shut them down and never talk about it. An ability I’ve inherited from dad, it is these arguments with you that have gently made it easier for me to speak freely.

I know it has been very hard to understand me when I was younger, and I am so sorry about that. I remember being 14 and so angry at you for not getting me- In hindsight, I realize I was growing and changing too fast to understand these changes myself, there’s absolutely no way you could’ve understood me. I also remember being so jealous- your conversations with my elder cousins were full of comfort and understanding- something I yearned to be a part of. But as I wasted my early adolescence being angry at you, I forgot somewhere I needed to understand you too.

Funnily enough, for as much as you scold me and I defy you, you’ve never scolded me about the important things- you’ve always let me arrive at my own conclusion (after passing some disappointed looks, which, to be honest, are fair enough) and been there for me as I correct those. And it is always these moments that make my heart ache with the desire to make you and dad proud of me. Since I could never thank you verbally for raising me the way you do, it is only by my actions I can assure you that I really am grateful for how you’ve raised me.

I see your glimpses in me more as I grow up- in the way I go all out for people I love like you, the way I deeply prioritize my emotions over everything else, the way I like everything organized a certain way (even if it is not the way you want) and the way my cheekbones sit on my face. I see your glimpses in me in all these little moments of my life and I can never truly think what to make of them. These days though, I’ve been feeling so much happier and prouder about them.

Now, as I sit in front of you at 19 at this very moment, it seems you’ve moved on from the rom-com and are now describing your and dad’s marriage story. There’s nothing more adorable than listening to you talk about it and there’s nothing warmer than the knowledge that I finally get to be on the receiving end. Despite all my complaints, and our argument today morning, I know we understand each other so much better by now, and it feels great.

Mom, thank you for being the person you are. Thank you for letting me be the person I am. And of course, all of that amazing food.

Love,

Your (very annoying) daughter

Featured Image Credits: Dhaka Tribune

Satviki Sanjay

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A Worrying Drop in Grades: English Honours Students Across DU Struggle

By DU Beat May 10, 2020

Students of English Honours report several inconsistencies in the recently announced odd – semester results. Administration and archaic evaluation process blamed.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, another complication has arisen in the lives of several Delhi University students. There has been a gross dip in the Semester Grade Point Average (SGPA) of several students of BA (H) English. They suspect foul play on the part of the administration as well as a hasty evaluation process that has been tampered with.

DU Beat contacted various students of BA (H) English. Several students reported their grievances regarding discrepancies in the odd-semester university result. As per a final year student, students from various colleges observed a drop in their semester result this year. “The uncanny thing to be noticed is that it has happened in all the colleges around Delhi University. In my college, we have formed a group in which we are analysing if there are any common papers in which the result has dropped and till now, we do see a pattern. Secondly, we don’t know who checked our papers and how they were evaluated and how all of a sudden, the result came out. Some teachers have agreed that the marks dropping down for everyone means something is definitely fishy and as students, it’s our right to know about it. Given the situation, where we don’t know if we have our final exams and Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) saying they’ll be using 50% of last semester marks in the worst-case scenario, that’s why we are worried. For any final year student, this is a matter of serious concern because we don’t know what the academic future holds for us and we clearly don’t wish to give up on papers in which we put in so much hard work”, she explained.

A third-year literature student who reached out to DU Beat said that unfair marking has been done. Their teachers have informed them that this is due to the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) protests and non-availability of professors for evaluation. GPAs have been below average or above average this semester. The students who were supposed to get 7 or 7.5 got 6 or below in some colleges.

In conversation with DU Beat, Abha Dev Habib, treasurer of Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) said, “It’s extremely unfortunate students have to go through this. The objective of DUTA Strike was to create a dialogue about the mistreatment and injustices faced by the teachers and workers of the University. The administration treated the evaluation boycott callously, and these are the consequences of the same. Moreover, under the existing Choice Based Credit System (CBCS), if the evaluation of papers yields marks with a low mean, it’s the moderation of the results that need to be done judiciously. It’s clear that along with faults in evaluation, there have been fallacies in moderation as well.”

A professor from the Department of English told DU Beat, “Well, what has gone wrong is the University administration. It forced all associations of the university to take drastic and rather unwanted steps which ultimately resulted in the inordinate delay of the results. For example, owing to the corner into which the University administration forced its entire teaching community, the evaluation of the last semester’s scripts were put off track. That said, it will be rather difficult for me to say if all English Honours students, across the university, have suffered depreciation in their marks because I don’t have the requisite data in any official capacity. But, as I said, if anything has gone wrong, the blame lies with the way Delhi University treats its participants: students, the teaching faculty, and the non-teaching staff. If the students are suffering it is because of the callousness of the university.”

Jiniya Saha, a second-year student of English Honours at Gargi College has suffered grievously due to the mismanagement of the University results. She told DU Beat, “I didn’t get my result. The server is still showing “Sorry! No records found” in the DU Statement of Marks website. I have submitted my assignments and written all my exam papers properly. When I complained about the same, I was told to wait for an unprecedented period of time till the college re-opens. We all know that after half a month of result declaration the web-based transcript crashes and all students are thereby advised to take a print out as a hard copy.” It’s however clear, that she is not the only student who is in a tough spot due to tampering of the evaluation cycle.

Due to the pandemic and ongoing lockdown as well as shutdown of the university, students are urgently taking steps in their capacity by reaching out to teachers about the fallacies and tampering of results. A first-year student said, “I have a list of marks of my class and we think this may be a case of mass checking. We’ve forwarded the marks to our teacher. She will study them and let us know if that’s the case.” She also pondered upon submitting her answer sheets for revaluation but admitted that she was unaware about the procedure and whether it will be altered due to the pandemic or not. A WhatsApp group of aggrieved students from the university has been formed and more than 250 students have joined it till now. The group intends to release a petition on behalf of the student community soon.

While the students are disappointed and dejected at the way things have played out, they sincerely hope the administration will hear their grievances out and take timely and just action so that their plans for future endeavours are not hindered.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Paridhi Puri
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Need for Counsellors in Educational Institutions

By DU Beat May 9, 2020

The following article addresses the lack of counsellors in educational institutions as well as the perils of untrained counselling.

Counselling isn’t a recent concept, nor is it restricted to any particular sphere of life. One may come across counsellors in hospitals, work places, sports complexes and many more fields. With time, the stigma against mental health too has been evaporating appreciably, encouraging more and more people to seek guidance and counselling. However, an area which significantly requires professional counsellors are educational institutions, be it schools or universities.

One’s personality starts developing very early during their childhood. In fact, the most formative years of a person are their childhood. With regard to academic pressure or the need for socialisation in school, every individual responds to their environment differently. Very often, as children, they tend to lack the ability to express their worries to other adults- basically parents and teachers, who may not entirely understand the gravity of their problems. A child requires a safe space to be comfortable and discuss what goes on in his or her life. With schools being the primary environment after their homes, counsellors in schools provide that safe space. It is not just young children but also particularly adolescents who require this outlet for venting their emotions.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had made it mandatory for all schools to have counsellors in faculty. However, a very small percentage of private schools actually follow this mandate. For obvious reasons, the situation in government schools is far worse. What is even more interesting is how, very often, schools appoint teachers in faculty with degrees in sociology to act like counsellors for students. Now, what they fail to recognise are the serious perils that untrained counselling can cause. Therapy or counselling is not an easy process. A counsellor’s job has a large impact on the lives of his or her patients. They may have pure intentions in mind but in practice, untrained counselling can adversely affect the mental health of vulnerable children for the worse.

Especially among adolescents of the current generation, Gen-Z, with growing impact of social media and societal expectations, the need to feel accepted and understood grows stronger. So often teenagers avoid therapy because of several reasons including lack of trust. It is in these situations where the skills of good teachers and counsellors play a vital role. Teachers in schools should be able to recognise and reach out to “troubled” students, allowing them to understand the severe need for counselling. A good counsellor establishes trust and a non-judgemental platform for venting feelings and learning to cope with them.

Moving on from schools, universities and colleges too are in a dire need for trained therapists. Most colleges, particularly government funded like the Delhi University, have student mental health societies at best. These societies work towards knowledge dissemination and often invite professionals for seminars. While the initiative is highly commendable, the lack of chronic professional help may leave the students helpless and hopeless.

While we have made efforts in establishing the seriousness of mental health among students particularly, it is high time we take action to provide spaces for these students to seek help as and when required. As famous psychologist, Abraham Maslow, once quoted “in any given moment, we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety.” Let us allow ourselves to take that step forward and not look back.

Featured Image Credits: Nami.org

Aditi Gutgutia

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Staffer at SOL Tests Positive for Coronavirus

By DU Beat May 9, 2020

With coronavirus cases increasing daily in Delhi at an exponential rate, a staffer from the University of Delhi (DU)’s School of Open Learning (SOL) tests positive for the virus.

The novel coronavirus pandemic has been raging across India since March, 2020. With the country under an unprecedented lockdown and no end in the near sight coupled with the rise in cases, India currently has around 40,000 active cases with around 2000 people succumbing to the virus. With the virus still spreading after more than twomonths of lockdown in Delhi, one of the latest people to be infected with it is a staffer serving in Delhi University (DU).
The Staffer who works as an junior assistant-cum-typist in the School of Open Learning got tested positive for Corona Virus on 5 May 2020. It is suspected that he caught the disease after going to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital for a routine check up, one of the hospitals where majority of the fatalities of the deadly coronavirus have been reported.

After developing mild breathing problems, an early indicator of the virus, the staffer got himself tested at a private facility. After finding himself to be positive for Coronavirus, he reported himself to the authorities and has been quarantined at the Narela Quarantine Centre.

The man who was staying with his aged parents at the staff quarters in Dhaka, Northwest Delhi before being moved to the quarantine centre. His wife and children were away and the university and local authorities have been informed, with the staff quarters at Dhaka about the necessary precautions and safety of the inhabitants, and an immediate sanitization of the area for the same.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Prabhanu Kumar Das

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Arts & Culture

Bidding Adieu to the First Poster Boy of Indian Football

By DU Beat May 8, 2020

Remembering and looking back on the career of one of the most important influences to early Indian Football and a celebrity in his own right, Subimal Goswami.

Subimal Goswami, known lovingly by his fans as Chuni Goswami was a first class cricketer for Bengal and played football for India and Mohun Bagan FC. We take a look back at his career in football, where he earned major accolades for himself and the country.

Born in British India on the 15th January 1938, in the Bengal provinces, Chuni Goswami had grown up around football, so it came as no surprise when he joined the Mohun Bagan junior team at the age of 8. There are many things about the great man that can fill with awe, including his football ability, but the love that he had for Mohun Bagan and his country was beyond description. A one club man, he stayed on at Mohun Bagan from 1946 to 1968, even though it is rumoured that he was approached by Tottenham Hotspur and other foreign clubs at the peak of his career.

In his career with Mohun Bagan FC, where he mostly played as a striker or winger, he has won the Calcutta Football League, Durand Cup, Rovers Cup, and IFA Shield several times in his career. He also cemented himself further in Mohun Bagan legend by being their highest ever scorer in the Calcutta Football League with 145 goals.

His exploits for the Indian National Team will always be on the echelons of Indian Football History, playing 50 international games and scoring 9 goals, a lot of games for the time when he was a player. He captained India to her first Asian Games Gold Medal in 1962, and two silver medals in the 1964 Asia Cup And the Merdeka Cup.

While his career as a cricketer is not so often talked about, he was an accomplished all rounder for the Bengal team. In his 46 first class matches, he scored 1592 runs including one century and seven fifties and took 47 wickets. He has reached the Ranji trophy final twice, and notably when the West Indies team toured India in 1966, he was part of the combined East and Central Zone team in a friendly, where he took 8 wickets and his team pulled off a shock victory.

After his sad demise on 30th April 2020, we look at his life as a source of inspiration, for fellow sportspersons and all of us in general. His loyalty to his country and his club were commendable, even with temptations of playing abroad. It is this passion for one’s country that makes his legacy shine, and makes those in Bengal, especially supporters of Mohun Bagan FC, now one of the biggest clubs in Indian Football still hold up his posters and sing his names, because he represents more than the first successful Indian footballer, he represents that success can be achieved without having to take the foreign route.

Featured Image Credits: The Hindu

Prabhanu Kumar Das

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Why You Need a Break from Coronavirus News

By DU Beat May 7, 2020

We are often told that the more one knows, the better. But we were never told that if we know too much, then that may result in information intoxication. To know more, scroll down.

The coronavirus pandemic has shaken the humankind. And as we all are locked away in our houses, most of us make sure that we check the news feed each and every day. Be it the count of new positive patients or the news of a sad demise, we want to know more about it as soon as possible.

However, amidst this sea of information, we often forget that we should not go in too deep or we drown. Infoxication or Information overload occurs when you have too much info about an issue which subsequently affects your mental functions and even decision making. So the time when you watched that primetime debate or the daily news bulletin and just felt frustrated afterword you were intoxicated.

Current research suggests that the surging volume of the available information—and its interruption of people’s work—can adversely affect not only personal well-being but also decision making, innovation, and productivity.

Pretty obviously the focus of this lockdown is the coronavirus pandemic and we as curious consumers consume all of the information about this pandemic. But this blind consumption leads to fear and not awareness. The 24/7 news coverage of these unprecedented events serves as an additional stressor, especially for individuals with pre-existing mental health problems.

There is a famous English proverb ‘to paint the devil on the wall’. It basically means to have or offer a negative view of a situation, often when it is excessive or unwarranted. This proverb perfectly describes the media coverage related to this pandemic, be it national or global. You can notice this negative coverage by the fact that many news channels and portals often do not show the number of cured patients but emphasise more on infected patients.

Such a flow of information has already caused a great deal of damage. Recently a man in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh committed suicide as soon as he was admitted to a quarantine facility. He hanged to his death in a fear that he was coronavirus positive. The despairing part of this incident was that the person’s report was negative. The deceased was so frightened about coronavirus that he could not even decide about his own life. Similar cases have come up in New Delhi, Greater Noida, Firozabad, etc.

Amidst this flow of information people, knowingly and unknowingly, also spread fake news. Here another Indian proverb, ‘Knowledge increases through sharing’ is at work. When we get to know a fact, we want to share it with as many people as we can. Thus, fake news also presents itself as another troublemaker in such a scenario.

So be it the rumour that vegetable vendors are licking the vegetables or the rumour about the government reducing 30% pension during the coronavirus, it all adds up to the painted devil on the wall becoming more and more terrorising.

It is a fact that everyone around the globe is concerned about the spread of this wretched virus. However, in reality, a lot of us have forgotten to draw a line between being scared and being aware. Being scared will lead us to spread fake news and consuming every bit of information which will result in infoxication as well as hysteria. On the contrary, if we accept the fact that this virus will be affecting us adversely and consume information that is relevant as well as trustworthy then at least we can prepare ourselves to fight this virus.

Try to give yourself a break from all the news related to coronavirus for some time, be it television or the internet or social media. Do not misjudge this as not caring about the hazardous pandemic and becoming careless about the needed precautions. Being informed is a must but being over-informed is a choice and a risk not worth taking.

“Sometimes a pessimist is only an optimist with extra information.”

-Idries Shah, Reflections

Featured Image Credits: Getty Images

Aniket Singh Chauhan

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