May 2020

Tears from the Lips: Remembering Irrfan

By DU Beat May 5, 2020

When was the last time when a nation of fragmented opinions unanimously poured their emotions so genuine, so natural and so powerful. Well, it might strain your memory to reconcile until the demise of cinema’s greatest acumen Irrfan Khan moved an entire generation of cinephiles and more beyond. But, what made this man and his death not so trivial?

The world is a carnival of emotions and the celluloid is thus its biggest celebration. The silver screen has for long served as the recluse for all or most of our feelings, and its players inevitably become a part of our lives. The audience around the globe and our nation in particular adores its movie personalities, their influence caters to wider prospects and their presence ushers greater momentum. They feature on our walls and our device screens; our collective memories and pleasant dreams and cultivate our endeavors by endorsing them. But, dont these things cater to the conventional stars of visual grandeur- those who feature in extravagant films with formulaic conventions, a stardom, a following and a fanbase of their own. While, it might be that we as a generation have evolved with our preferences and adjudication of cinema or perhaps, Irrfan superseded all of this to manifest a culture of a different kind, just as his roles, movies and nature.

On 29th April, the internet community rolled into sorrow as the social media feeds were flooded with feelings over the loss of our finest cinematic potential – Irrfan. Tributes, eulogies, nostalgia and prayers, he was all over, the 53 year old Irrfan was struggling with a neuroendocrine tumor, a rare cancer and hence left the world with his last performance in the March 2020 release ‘Angrezi Medium’. From juniors to contemporaries of film fraternities in Bollywood, Hollywood and Regional Films; composers to sports personalities and politicians, comedians to social media influencers; writers and scholars, everyone mourned the loss of this legendary persona. I found people who are generally technoverted and closeted in expression, remembering the man as if it was a personal loss, and hence it prompted me to discuss the various souls of this single shoulder, which embodied myriads of happiness, sorrow, catharsis, hope, belief, pain and reality as one.

The Pan India Icon

It isn’t surprising that a man who brought life to the character of Ashoke Ganguli in the Namesake as a first generation Bengali immigrant, uttered every word of Paan Singh in natural Chambali dialect. Umber Singh in Qissa cherishes every breath in Punjabi while Roohdaar haunts the streets of Kashmir with same vigour. Ranvijay Singh of Haasil resonates the North Indian political demography as Raj Batra of Hindi Medium does with regard to the typical Old Delhi shop-owner. Thomas in Mumbai Meri Jaan is the rare depiction of the South Indian vendor in the cinescape, and the same goes true for Saajan Fernandes who effortlessly anchors The Lunchbox as an about to retire widower in Mumbai. His last appearance as Keshav Bansal, a Marwari sweet shop-owner in Angrezi Medium marked the essence of his nativity in Rajasthan.

An Artist beyond Big Screen

Irrfan was more than a Bollywood actor, having done films like The Warrior, The Namesake, Inferno and Jurrasic World he is an established figure in Hollywood and has featured in Telugu and Bengali films as well and didn’t hesitate to involve in Short films like Road to Ladakh and The Bypass either. A trained dramatics student of National School of Drama, Irrfan was deeply involved in theatre and was a keen observer in theatre festivals even after gaining prominence. Irrfan started with television and went on to star in period dramas like Chandrakanta and Chanakya and hosted shows like Don and Mano Ya Na Mano. His iconic voice was more than enough to narrate films like Bajirao Mastani or dub over as Baloo in The Jungle Book.

Irrfan as an enthusiastic meme, which is popular with Indian Netizens. Image Credits: Imageflip — Irrfan as an enthusiastic meme, which is popular with Indian Netizens.
Image Credits: Imageflip

Irrfan didn’t stop here, he went on to feature in television commercials like 7 UP, Hutch, Syska. His every Bollywood Party song or Podcast with AIB and collaborations with FilterCopy has negated stereotypes and was an enthusiastic volunteer for a perennially popular meme content.

A Literature Enthusiast

Irrfan Khan with Shamsur Rahman Faruqi Sahab Image Source: Thread Reader App — Irrfan Khan with Shamsur Rahman Faruqi Sahab
Image Source: Thread Reader App

I often wonder how many mainstream icons of such engagements engross with literature or other arts, while the quest goes on forever with disappointments, many a times I do come across someone like Irrfan, who reads Om Prakash Valmiki’s ‘Thakur Ka Kuan’ so enthusiastically, and passionately pens his feeling to great Urdu Writer Shamsur Rahman Farooqi, admiring his ‘Kai Chand the Sare Aasmaan’ and his eagerness on making a film on the same.

A Devout Human

Among many reasons that prompted so many people from various walks to respond to the demise of this great actor was probably the humanitarian nature that was typical of Irrfan apart from being a brilliant actor. Attaining the stature he was endowed with Irrfan was humble in his approach, his confidants and acquaintances reminisce him as a person of natural instict who respected his work and humans, nature and creatures alike. He was a dedicated family man, who loved his wife and children.

Apart from being a volunteer for social causes. In 2015, the actor had visited Badanavalu, a village near Nanjangud, to support theatre personality and social activist Prasanna, who launched a movement to promote sustainable living, the actor spent night with the people of the movement and has continually supported causes for sustainable development and climate change.

Irrfan with Activist Prasanna Image Credits: Deccan Herald — Irrfan with Social Activist Prasanna
Image Credits: Deccan Herald

There might be many stars with social campaigning, a perfect rags to riches story, brilliant executioners in their own fields but there was something specific about this human, the man who will be cherished by generations for what he was and what he has left as his works.

Featured Image Credits: India Today

Faizan Salik

The Misguided Portrayal of the LGBTQIA+ Community in Bollywood

By DU Beat May 5, 2020

Owing to the Constitutional Amendment where Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code was decriminalised Bollywood is trying to be inclusive of the LGBTQIA+ community. However, have they really been able to?

The LGBTQIA+ community has been ridiculed in Bollywood for decades. Bollywood has been minting money by its dehumanizing depiction of the community. In a broader sense, the entire queer community in Bollywood is misinterpreted because of an actor or director’s notion of the community.

Bollywood movies based on LGBTQIA+ theme were released as early as the 1970s. The film, Badnam Basti, portrays a love triangle between a woman and two men. However, the film disappeared into oblivion shortly after it was released in the theatres. In 1996, Fire was condemned because of the movie’s ‘alien’ depiction of lesbianism that led to protests in many parts of the country.

The LGBTQIA+ representation in Bollywood has peculiar similarities in all its characters. All gay characters have been added to movies for comic relief. For instance, Suresh Menon’s gay character in Partner cracked double meaning jokes, was feminised to match every other gay character in Bollywood films. The Indian society has stigmatized the queer community, and by portraying LGBTQIA+ characters without substance, the chances of the community being ridiculed increase exponentially along with heightened homophobia in the society.

All gay characters are either dance instructors or fashion designers. Many professions have been gendered and this internalized gendering is clearly depicted in Bollywood films. Boman Irani’s character in Dostana is a fashion editor. These stereotypes are affirmed by society which leads to people forming wrong notions about several professions and the community as well.

Apart from a handful of movies, a gay couple in films consists of one partner being extremely feminine and the other partner plays a tough, macho character. The ‘feminine’ partner is seen dressed in ‘colours for women’ such as pink, purple or floral shirts.

Tejasvi, a student of Lady Shri Ram College opined, “Many people in the society refuse to accept the fact that same-sex relationships can be real and due to internalised homophobia, the movies that portray LGBTQIA+ characters having healthy relationships are often condemned. Bollywood has come a long way in terms of representation of the queer community, but it completely depends on the viewers and whether they are ready to accept the relevance of same-sex relationships.”

The coming-of-age web series and movies have taken into account the faulty depiction and stereotypical nature LGBTQ characters and have made an effort to correct these practices. These peculiarities have significantly reduced since the decriminalization of Section 377. Television shows such as Made in Heaven and Four More Shots Please have carefully addressed how the queer community in a country like India faces multiple issues. These shows did not portray its characters in the usual ways that the LGBTQIA+ community is portrayed. They made efforts to apprise the viewers about how bisexuality and homosexuality are absolutely normal and not unnatural unlike how they were portrayed in films earlier.

Ayushmann Khurana’s Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan is being considered a milestone as it is Bollywood’s first gay romantic-comedy film. For many years, homosexuality has been denounced as a disease by many people in the country. The director Hitesh Kewalya made use of comedy to send out an extremely powerful message of societal acceptance of the community. The LGBTQIA+ community has been discriminated against for many years and with the Supreme Court’s ruling on decriminalization of Section 377, the director ensured that the viewers understand that same-sex relationships are as relevant as heterosexual relationships.

Feature Image Credits: Pinkvilla

Suhani Malhotra

Campus Central

‘Bois Locker Room’ : A Student Instagram Group Objectifying Women with Vulgar Content

On 3rd May, social media users of Instagram and Twitter exposed an Instagram group chat called ‘Bois Locker Room’ which contained boys from several Delhi NCR Schools objectifying women.

The group had boys aged around 16-18, who indulged in stalking and sharing pictures of womxn, including minors; passing vulgar comments, body shaming, and slut shaming. These men shared several nude pictures in the aforementioned group too. These chats have gone viral on Twitter and Instagram, and have made several people to speak out about the toxic misogynist culture perpetuated in schools by cis-het men.

Following are some of the chats from the group:

[Trigger Warning: Slut Shaming, verbal abuse, rape ideation]

Following the expose of the group chat “Bois Locker Talk”, another group was formed namely “Jai ka skirt skrt gang” where the members of the former chat talked about damage control by threatening to injure everyone who put up a story. One of the members said, “I’m gonna make some calls and turn this shit around” while the rest talked about possible switching of accounts, deactivation and shocker – making a despotic group chat like this on Snapchat next time. Several Instagram accounts with usernames such as @boiislockerroom and @boys_locker_room69, amongst many others have been made and are serving as the revival of the previous group. The account holders are posting up stories blaming the attempt of the girls as merely an act to seek popularity and attention. The latter of the two, mentioned above has recently put up a story declaring, ”I have contacted the best lawyer in the city, AP Singh who was the defence lawyer of the four accused people in Nirbhaya case. He is ready to take up the case and assured that not even a single thing will happen.” he ended the story with asking the people to peace out.

Ashna Sharma, one of the first whistle blowers of this event told DU Beat, “I have honestly put everything out there. I genuinely have a lot of things to say but at this point I am so drained out. A lot of minors are involved and I don’t want to cause them or their reputation any harm. Nevertheless thank you for spreading this. These guys deserve to be exposed.”

Parth Vashisht, one of the former members of the Group Chat said, “Whatever was in the group was outright disgusting, it cannot be tolerated. However accusing someone falsely wasn’t the right thing. I’ve been receiving death threats too. As far as I know, the group wasn’t made to pass degrading comments on girls, it was just a normal group. I was not aware of this, and I believe the ones who are guilty should be punished.”

Students from several schools of Delhi NCR have rightfully condemned this incident, those who personally knew the boys and went to the same school as them have expressed shock, disgust and despair. Many of the group chat members hailed from the erstwhile prestigious schools of India – and students have come forward and identified them as their juniors, seniors and batchmates. Several of them were pass outs of these schools.

One of the victims, told about Tushar Rijhwani, an active participant of the group, “It gives me extreme pain to announce that I have been in a relationship with Tushar; during my entire tenure of dating him for an year, he has emotionally manipulated me and has shown my private pictures to his friends. After 12th boards, which is usually a time for students to enjoy and celebrate, I was in a major depression because of him.” She further said,”He used to talk a lot of ill stuff about his parents and mother, now I feel a boy who can not respect his own mother, how can we expect him to respect other women.” She further pointed out that she thinks he is in need of professional help as she spoke about certain incidents where he behaved abnormally.

A member of the group chat posted on Instagram story, “I just want to say that I realize the gravity of my mistake and I’m in no position to defend myself in any way. I take full responsibility for my actions. I would like to publicly apologize to every single person, especially all the women I’ve angered. I know we do not deserve this, but please I beg you to not take any further actions as it would be detrimental for us.” One of the admins of the Group Chat posted on his private Instagram account, “Such incidents are supposed to make us become aware of our acts, and not to do it again. I saw my best friends leave, I had panic attacks, anxiety, self loathing and suicidal thoughts. The only way forward is to accept what happened, own up to it and apologize. I will make sure that I, and my friends in the group never repeat such behaviour. We are still fresh out of school and have a whole life ahead of us that would be affected by some stupid testosterone fuelled decisions.” DU Beat reached out for a comment from both, but have received none so far.

According to News18, this issue has been taken up with lawyers as well as security agencies. Following the outrage, Shubham Singh, a cyber cell investigator who is on Instagram under the name @Shubhamcybercop started an investigation and managed to find the contact information of some of the members and admin of the groups in question. As per latest updates, some members of the group have been arrested under Section 66A of the IT Act for cyber bullying. The Delhi Commission of Women (DCW) has issued a notice to the authorities of Instagram and Delhi Police asking them to provide the names, Insta handles, Email-Ids, IP addresses, locations and further details of the accused boys, by 8th May, so that a proper action can be sought against each. “This is a very serious matter wherein an open media platform is being used for illegal activities. In view of the same the commission has instituted an enquiry into the matter”, the official notice comprised.

‘Boys locker room’ and the other parallel online groups like these are just a manifestation of the toxic savarna cis-het culture of Indian schools, that glorify abuse of power by men. There is a vagrant display of toxic masculinity and inherent misogyny in various forms across social media, something which is glorified. Films, songs, and pop culture propagate the objectification of womxn in all spheres. This particular instance is a reflection of the hegemony of ‘privileged’ schools which often protects these boys while promoting a culture unsafe for womxn, offline and online. The ‘boys will be boys’ mentality needs to end, all of them should be held accountable for their actions.

However, according to recent updates, Delhi Police has identified all the members present in the group and will be examined by the Delhi Police Cyber Hub.
Featured Image Credits: The Vice

Postponed Olympics: A Blessing In Disguise For Indian Athletes?

While the decision to postpone the Olympics posed a headache for many athletes, there were a few silver linings, especially in the Indian camp.

1940. 1944. Since their modern inception in 1896, the Olympic Games have only been cancelled three times in history. This fact helps us gauge the magnitude and significance of the International Olympic Committee’s decision to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to next year due to the coronavirus induced global standstill. Besides the three cancellations, this is the first ever instance of a postponement. Evidently, we find ourselves in a once-in-a-lifetime situation, though not a very pleasant one.

For athletes who had been preparing their bodies – following strict diets and rigorous training cycles – under a tight structured schedule to ensure they hit peak form in the summer of 2020, the announcement of the postponement, that too with only a few months to go, certainly would have produced cries of disappointment and frustration. In sports, time is paramount. One whole year can make a significant amount of difference. Most athletes are only ever fully at their peak for a very short period of time in their career. And since the Olympics are held after every four years, athletes don’t get many shots at glory. With medals being decided in milliseconds and millimetres, the margin of error is extremely small and not being in peak condition means no medal.

From a financial point of view, Japanese economists estimated the economic damage of postponing the Games to be more than 600 billion Japanese yen. The postponement shall cost the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) an estimated 1.2 billion American dollars in advertisement revenue. As is evident, a large chunk of stakeholders are at the receiving end of the postponement. However, for some Indian athletes, the decision, even if imposed under unfortunate circumstances, has been a blessing in disguise.

Take for instance, Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra. Chopra is a Commonwealth Games and Asian Games gold medallist and a junior world record holder in his sport with his exploits frequently prompting the media in the past two years to label him as the brightest prospect to end India’s drought in athletics at the Olympics. But due to an injury, Chopra had to undergo a surgery on his elbow, forcing him to miss the complete sporting calendar in 2019. He only got back to action in January 2020 and while he did produce a good performance, it’s not possible to be at one’s best a few months after being out of action for a whole year. Thus the postponement couldn’t have come at a better time for Chopra as now he’s been “gifted” with another whole year to recuperate and reach his peak. Chopra told Reuters, “I had found very little time to work on my technique as I was concentrating more on rehab. I didn’t have much time to work on my throws as I started very late. Now I will try to solve the problems that I have noticed.”

Image Credits: India Today

Image Caption: Neeraj Chopra seen mid run-up

In another case not largely different from Chopra’s situation, Jinson Johnson, a middle-distance runner and an Asian Games gold medallist, suffered an Achilles tendon injury in 2019 and was still under recuperation at the start of 2020, in a race against time to recover, qualify and compete in the Olympics. “Earlier, the qualification was going to end in June. So I tried to rush through my rehab a little. It was a situation where I had to have enough rehab time and have enough track time. There was a worry that I wouldn’t get enough rehab time,” said Johnson in an interview with The Indian Express. But with the postponement, he receives opportunity to get back into perfect shape and plan his way back into contention next year.

Image Credits: India Today

Image Caption: Jinson Johnson after breaking the national 1500m record

India’s medal count has been consistently dismal, with the highest tally till date being only six (2012 London Olympics). The country sent a contingent of over a hundred athletes to the 2016 Rio Olympics and returned with only two medals. To give a fair idea of the disparity, Georgia, a country with a population barely touching 3 million, which is five times less than that of Delhi, returned from the same Olympics with 11 medals.

Indian athletes certainly leave a lot to be desired with their performances. While it would be wrong to say that they don’t work hard, they do tend to come up short against their foreign counterparts for various wide-ranging reasons, from lack of finances for purchasing world-class training equipment to the rigorous military grade preparations of their opponents. Many are already at a disadvantage before the competition even starts. The postponement shall surely give the athletes in the Indian camp more time to train better and plot and plan their way to the podium.

Fouaad Mirza, equestrian and an Asian Games silver medallist, told the Press Trust Of India that the postponement was a “blessing in disguise” as it gives him and his horse “more time for some much-needed preparations”.

“From a practical point of view, India were surely the underdogs. No one really expected us to pose any serious challenges, except in some events where veterans were scheduled to participate. And true, this would just have been another Olympics and another dismal show. But now it’s not really a “normal” edition. The event has been pushed back by a year and all plans of competitors have gone haywire. Under such abnormal and unusual circumstances, I would say we have an outside chance to strike the pot of gold.” opined a University Of Delhi student, on the condition of anonymity.

It’s good to bear a competitive spirit, but while being at it, we should keep in mind the sombre atmosphere prevalent across the world currently and not forget the actual reason which forced the postponement of the Olympics in the first place. Whether or not the postponement was a blessing in disguise for the Indian Olympic camp shall only be fully ascertained after the event happens next year. Till then, we can only hope that the pandemic doesn’t push the Tokyo Olympics further back, into oblivion.

Araba Kongbam

Feature Image Credits: Outlook India

The Celebrity Turf: Who Walked upon 2019-20

Here’s taking a look back at all the celebrity appearances to close off the session 2019-20. From politicians, to musicians, DU Beat presents to you celebrity highlights of the year.

DUSU ELECTIONS 2019, NSUI INDIA

1. Shashi Tharoor interacts with students on the eve of DUSU Elections

The NSUI along with Kerala Students Union on the occasion of the DUSU Elections 2019, organised a student interaction session with Dr. Shashi Tharoor on 4th September. Several questions were asked to Dr. Tharoor and he dealt with every question patiently. He also talked about demonetization, National Register of Citizens (NRC) Bill, and the Kashmir issue. Dr. Shashi Tharoor concluded the session by giving some advice to the students. He told them to not compete with others but with themselves; and that failure was a part of life, that without it there was no success.

INDIAN YOUTH CONCLAVE, DILLI HAAT, JANAKPURI

1. Workshop with ‘Little Things’ Star Dhruv Sehgal

Rose to fame from Filter Copy and Little Things, actor and writer Dhruv Sehgal conducted a workshop on creative writing at Indian Youth Conclave on 31st August 2019, which helped the aspiring writers to ace writing skills. He stressed on making observations which are free of cost, how everyone has a story, and how the blank pages are the best instrument for writers. Dhruv also highlighted the diversified and stark competition in the web series business, and insisted on the importance of following the rules which flourish creativity as opposed to the millennial’s obsession of breaking them.

RENDEZVOUS’19, IIT DELHI

1. The Trinity of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy at Rendezvous

The famous Indian musical trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy performed magnificently at Rendezvous: The annual cultural festival of Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IITD) on 2nd October 2019. The trinity which completed 20 years in the industry interacted with the audience and made them groove at their beats and rhythms. They performed their classical hits such as Locha-e-ulfat, Mitwa, and Dil Chahta Hai which made the audience take a trip to nostalgia of the 2000s. Saving the best for the last, the trio concluded their performance with Phir Bhi Dil hai Hindustani and Breathless.

2. Moonwalk Magicians MJ5 at Rendezvous

The winner of India’s Dancing Superstar- MJ5 gave a riveting performance at day two- on 3rd October 2019 at Rendezvous: The annual cultural festival of IIT Delhi. The boy dance group is famous for its unique variations, formed from the inspiration of the famous pop icon Michael Jackson. The record holder group enthralled the audience with their beautiful synchronisation and smooth moonwalks. They also engaged with the crowd and got them grooving along with their performance. They put together a series of classic Michael Jackson steps along with some famous bollywood mixes for the audience to be entertained.

3. Amit Trivedi Steals The Night At Rendezvous

Singer, composer and lyricist, Amit Trivedi performed on 5th October 2019, the fourth and final day of Rendezvous at IIT Delhi, with his team consisting of Meghna Mishra who sang in Secret Superstar, and others. He swooned the audience with his majestic compositions from Udta Punjab, Manmarzyaan, Andhadhun, Dear Zindagi, and others. The audience was bewitched at the Coke Studio renditions of Chaudhary and Badri Badariya by the singer and his team. The mesmerising synchronisation of the harmony of the artists brought the night to an end in a way which was a memorable experience.

4. Laxmi Agarwal Gets Candid at Rendezvous

Acid attack survivor and a campaigner for rights, Laxmi Agarwal spoke candidly at Rendezvous at an event called FAIL. This was initially conceptualised in MIT, but had a desi side to it by having successful Indian speakers- talking about their failures in life. Laxmi was the first speaker and she had her audience hooked to her, for her life story was captivating. She told about her journey candidly: How she was spewed with acid at the age of 15, and how she came out of that as a warrior. She has started a campaign called Save Sale Acid, and has never looked back in her life.

5. Rajat Sharma Engages at Rendezvous

Chairman and Editor-in-chief at India TV, Rajat Sharma spoke at the event FAIL in which successful people share their failure stories. The Aap Ki Adalat host addressed the public in a different manner than other speakers and had a lot of interactive dialogues with them. The journalist also asked a lot of questions to the audience to keep them engaged, and shared his life story with them. His speech concluded his life journey and left the audience inspired.

6. Poetic Mehfil By Kumar Vishwas At Rendezvous

Poet and politician Kumar Vishwas won hearts on day three- 4th October 2019, of the annual cultural fest of IIT Delhi: Rendezvous. The poet recited a series of poems having a satirical hint to it and took jabs at the government during his show. He performed his ever famous poem Koi Deewana Kehta Hai and Ek Pagli Ladki Ke Bin which had the audience hooked from the charm of his endearing and mesmerising poetry recitals.

ANTARAGNI’19, IIT KANPUR

1.DJ Trinity Rocks At Antaragni’19

DJ Gian Nobilee, DJ Bonka, and DJ Ravator gave a rocking performance at Antaragni’19, the annual cultural festival of IIT Kanpur on the opening day- 17th October 2019. The EDM artists who have names around the globe, pounded the campus with some hard beats. His Italian music inclination, featuring live energy and electronic music had the crowd grooving to his amazing beats. The popular remixes by the DJ trio was the highlight of their performance and was much awaited by their fans.

2. Jab ‘Chai Met Toast’ Met Antaragni’s Crowd

Performance by the celebrated Indie pop band-When Chai Met Toast at Antaragni, IIT Kanpur, left everyone mesmerised. The young band, which hails from Kochi is known for mixing sounds from across East and West. The uniqueness in their style was reciprocated by a huge fanbase in the crowd. With their tracks like ‘Firefly’ and ‘Believe,’ they made the crowd intoxicated and thrilled with their music which had made a soulful connection with them.

3. Rap Hustle At Antaragni’19

At IIT Kanpur’s annual cultural festival Antaragni, took place the Rap Hustle between famous Indian hustlers like Kaam Bhari, Spitfire and SlowCheetah. The talented rappers jammed with the audience and had them awestruck with their rhymes and lyrics. Loud cheer followed every hard hitting lyric and their beats dropped with applause and charged up reactions. The arena was filled up to its brim, and so was the excitement among the attendees at the festival who enjoyed every bit of the battle.

4. Karunesh Talwar’s Hilarious Monologue At IIT Kanpur

The annual festival of IIT Kanpur- Antaragni, included a hilarious performance by the acclaimed Indian stand-up comic, Karunesh Talwar. The creator of stand-up specials like, ‘Paka Mat Na Mote’ and ‘Pata Nahi Par Bolna Hai’ made the audience break into laughter and giggles throughout his performance. The former member of the popular comedy group AIB, delivered the whole crowd some hysterical jokes and anecdotal stories which had the crowd side splitting. The comedian with his perfect timing had his audience cracking up the entire time.

5. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Trio Closes Antaragni’19

The highly acclaimed musical trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy in their own magical way, closed Antaragni- the annual cultural festival of IIT Kanpur on day four- 20th October 2019, with their strong, energetic, and eclectic performance. As expected, the performance saw an overwhelming crowd and an exhilarating performance by the band, which had everyone rooting for them throughout. The band played a host of their famous tracks and the audience danced to the tunes of their famous songs including Sajdaa, Koi Kahe Kehta Rahe, Pretty Woman, Zinda and Gallan Goodiyan.

OASIS’19, BITS PILANI

1. Prominent Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali Talks At Oasis’19

The 49th edition of BITS Pilani’s flagship cultural festival, Oasis, held huge and star-studded events, and on 20th October 2019, saw the inauguration of the BITS film festival by Highway and Rockstar-director Imtiaz Ali. The director known for his work at redefining modern love in contemporary times had everyone transfixed when he communicated with them. Ali talked in detail and depth about his experiences with Oasis and reminisced about his student days. He also talked about handling rejections, among other matters which waved a sense of positivity in the atmosphere.

2. Sunidhi Chauhan Wins Hearts At Oasis’19

Sunidhi Chauhan, the queen of power ballads in Bollywood, gave the audience at BITS Pilani a whiff of nostalgia as she performed her classic songs from the 2000s and 2010s. Her performance drove the crowd to pure madness as she and her team of harmonized and whipped out their best moves together. Their synchronisation was top notch. The entire crowd danced all night and just couldn’t have enough of the singing diva.

3. Nucleya Hits EDM At Oasis’19

The EDM sensation of India-Nucleya, arrived at the BITS’19 cultural festival-Oasis, to give a powerful performance. Along with his desi brand of dubstep which is a major aspect of making his performance lively, were the trippy, random, and vintage Bollywood inspired visuals playing on the colossal stage screens. The credit for these designs goes to the EDM Maestro Nucleya’s frequent designer, Diprav Jadhav. With tracks from acclaimed albums like Raja Baja and Bass Rani, the DJ gave a splendid performance and be it the track Heer or Laung Gawacha, the crowd absolutely loved him.

4. BITS Brings Biswa To Perform At Oasis’19

The hilarious stand-up comic Biswa Kalyan Rath performed on the last day of the festival Oasis at BITS Pilani. The house was filled to its brim with spectators even occupying the floors. ‘Mast Aadmi‘- Biswa went on with his banter on engineering students, Indian civic sense, and other matters, leaving the audience in fits of laughter. The engineer turned comedian has not only come up with stand-up specials like ‘In Your Face’ and ‘Sushi,’ but also has created the web series ‘Lakhon Mein Ek’ that showcase the dark realities of our society.

SYMPHONY’20, JANKI DEVI MEMORIAL COLLEGE

1. Jass Manak Gives a Sweet-sounding Performance

Jass Manak, a famous singer-songwriter, performed at Symphony, the annual cultural fest of Janki Devi Memorial College on the 10th January 2020. His fans welcomed him on stage with posters and portraits. The audience was riveted by the Punjabi singer’s performance as he made everyone in the audience sync their steps with songs like Lehenga, Prada, Kajra Mohabbat Wala, Viah and many other Bollywood songs. The students of Janki Devi Memorial College were seen holding banners to stand against violence in educational institutions which was the theme of Symphony 2020.

BUSINESS CONCLAVE’20, SHRI RAM COLLEGE OF COMMERCE

1. Harsimrat Kaur Badal Speaks about Women Empowerment

Member of Parliament, Bhatinda, and Union Cabinet Minister of Food Processing, Harsimrat Kaur Badal gave a speech on the empowerment of women and their rights on February 12th. She talked about the struggles she had to endure to be where she is today along with the struggles of many other brave women fighting for education. She pointed out how the majority of women in India are married against their wishes. She also took a minute to talk about her journey with Nanhi Chhaan movement to help women in Punjab.

2. Cast of College Romance Enlightens Everyone at Business Conclave

Three actors from the cast of web series ‘College Romance’ namely Shreya Mehta, Gagan Arora and Keshav Sadhna were a part of the YouTubers’ Panel at Business Conclave 2020. The actors discussed how YouTube is an extremely welcoming platform for aspiring content creators. They also pointed out the importance of originality and how relatable content gets noticed relatively more quickly. After the discussion ended, the audience asked several questions from the panelists such as the progress of season 2 of College Romance. On being asked about their political views, the three actors took a pass and politely asked the mediator of the panel to not bring politics into the picture.

3. Comedian Aakash Gupta Gives a Hilarious Monologue

Aakash Gupta, the winner of Comicstaan season 2, enchanted the audience with his wit and sarcasm on 13th February. The gymnasium of Shri Ram College of Commerce roared with laughter on account of Aakash Gupta’s hilarious imitations of people sneezing and laughing in the most unusual ways. He left the audience hooting with laughter as he went on to explain his crazy escapades in Delhi. Day two came to an end with the audience dying with laughter and it was a day full of entertainment.

4. Gautam Gambhir Gives a Noteworthy Speech at Business Conclave

Gautam Gambhir, an ex-cricketer turned politician, talked about his journey in the field of politics and addressed the audience about Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) recent defeat in Delhi Assembly Elections despite the party’s innumerable attempts to win the elections. He stated that no politician should ever be thanked for it is the duty of a politician to help the masses. The Padma Shree Awardee also pointed out the importance of self-motivation. He apprised the audience about his accountability to not just his constituency but all other constituencies that his party contested for.

5. Kapil Sharma Apprises the Audience at SRCC

Kapil Sharma, a prominent comedian in the television industry engages with the audience at Business Conclave on 14th February. In his speech, he stressed on the importance of writing part of a show and how the plot is among the most important factors that contribute to the success of a show. While giving the speech, he was reminded of his own college days in Amritsar. The comedian turned actor was also a part of his college theatre group which led him to pursue his dreams that later turned into a reality. The panel ended with a bunch of zealous students jamming on stage with Kapil on a rap song

6. Prajakta Koli Distinctly Converses with the Audience

Prajakta Koli, a renowned content creator and YouTuber who goes by the name of ‘Mostly Sane’, was welcomed on stage. She began to talk about her experiments with different fields and trying her hands on various careers. She started off as a radio intern and later explored content creation which worked out extremely well for her. She went on to become one of the most famous YouTubers in India. She mentioned that she was in collaboration with Lily Singh who is better known as the Superwoman. She described an indescribable moment of her life which was having tea with Michelle Obama, former First Lady of the US. She also highlighted problems in her career as such YouTube censorship. The audience was given a chance to interact with her and on special request, she enacted her character Montu for all her fans in the audience.

7. Kapil Sibbal Engages with the Audience at Business Conclave

KapilSibal, a renowned politician of the Indian National Congress and a Member of Parliament began his speech by mentioning how his family came to India after the Partition. He shed light upon the importance of freedom of the youth and the education system which seemed to have innumerable downsides. The Rajya Sabha MP also claimed that on the orders of the NDA government, educational institutions were ruthlessly ransacked where students were attacked. He could not stress enough on the importance of expression of dissent in a democratic country. He was hopeful about the country electing better leaders and better vice-chancellors of universities.

RHAPSODY’20, MAITREYI COLLEGE

1. Darshan Raval’s Exuberant Performance at Rhapsody’20

The students of Delhi University were enthralled by Darshan Rawal’s performance on the 21st of January at Rhapsody, the annual cultural fest of Maitreyi College. Despite the strict entry procedure, Maitreyi College resonated with Darshan Raval’s captivating voice. He started off with a few romantic songs and later went on to sing party songs like ‘Kamariya’ and ‘Chogada’ to make his zealous audience dance. The 25-year-old singer also dedicated songs to boys in the audience. He also gave challenged everyone in the audience to match the steps of his team. However, Darshan’s energy was unmatchable and his power-packed performance made Rhapsody’20 a memorable one.

ONE PLUS COMEDY NIGHT, SHAHEED SUKHDEV COLLEGE OF BUSINESS STUDIES

1. Rahul Subramanian Performs a stand-up at One Plus Comedy Night

Stand-up comic Rahul Subramanian performed at the pre event of the cultural fest of Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies- Crescendo in association with One Plus on 25th January 2020. Amidst skepticism of cancellation, the show took place and Subramanian showed up casually with minimal efforts in appearance, and performed a spoof of his Amazon prime show ‘Kal Main Udega.’ He made jokes about DJs and how his life was as a management student in Greater Noida. He also interacted with the audience for most of the time and did improvisations.

UDGAM’20, RAMJAS COLLEGE

1. Fusion band Pakshee grooves in Udgam at Ramjas College

Ramjas College celebrated its annual cultural fest, ‘Udgam’ that was collectively organised by the college’s five cultural societies. The highlight of the fest was the performance by Pakshee, a Hindustani and Carnatic fusion band on 27th February. The performance by the band was electrifying and the students loved the unique beats of the band. The band members themselves were thrilled to see such an excited audience. With the band’s performance, the fest culminated. The performance was enjoyed by over 200 students that attended the ‘Star Night’.

NEXUS’20, SRI VENKATESWARA COLLEGE

1. The Yellow Diary Rocks The Evening At Nexus

One of the best indie bands: The Yellow Diary performed at the inaugural day of Nexus- the annual cultural festival of Sri Venkateswara College on 28th February 2020. They had the audience captivated by their fusion rock music and soothing synchronisation of Rajan Batra’s voice with instruments of the band. They uplifted the crowd with their performance of popular songs like Rab Rakha, Marz, and Tere Jaisa Hor Dissa among others. They saved the best for last and sang Kashmir which was much awaited by the fans. The band also distributed free T-shirts to some fans at the end of the show.

2. Ankit Tiwari Gives a Dazzling Performance at Nexus

The singer, music director and composer, Ankit Tiwari enthralled the audience at Nexus- the annual cultural festival of Sri Venkateswara College on 29th February 2020. Even in the midst of intermittent raining and delay the crowd was large and awaited the presence of this bollywood singer. Tiwari sang Bollywood blues and got the audience to sway especially when he sang his USP song of Aashiqui-2, Sun Raha Hai Na Tu. The singer also invited students to join him and sing on the stage and the vibe was celebratory.

Feature Image Credits: Surbhit Rastogi for DU Beat

Image Credits: DU Beat

Umaima Khanam

Suhani Malhotra

Aniket Singh Chauhan

Avni Dhawan

Race for Relevance: I-League vs Indian Super League

Money. Reputation. Popularity. Credibility. Being the top-tier football league in any nation is no cup of tea. The complications compound when you have two contenders.

A few weeks back, before being confined by the lockdown, I was playing football with my neighbourhood friends. We were joined by a new kid, whose blistering pace caught everyone’s attention. After the match, I asked him what his favourite club was, though the dark blue jersey that he wore, with the “Yokohama Tyres” logo splashed across its front, gave me a fair idea of what the answer would be. And indeed, he excitedly answered “Chelsea!”. We struck up a conversation, and midway through it, I ventured and asked, “Did Mohun Bagan deserve to win the I-League last week?”. All I received was a fumble and a blank expression and graciously veered towards another less “obscure” topic.

Our country is, more often than not, projected as a cricket-crazy nation. But saying that India is not a football-crazy nation would be a terribly wrong statement to make. Indian viewership statistics for foreign football leagues and tournaments – English Premier League, La Liga, UEFA Champions League – are sky-high. Established fan factions of big clubs like Manchester United and Liverpool are present across the country and hold regular screenings. Social media buzzes in excitement before a high stakes match, let’s say between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. In fact, in some regions like West Bengal, Kerala, Goa and the North East, football’s popularity outstrips that of cricket, and one can see open spaces being invaded by enthusiastic local teenage footballers in their Barcelona and Real Madrid jerseys.

Why then, is the response to Indian footballers and Indian professional teams so lukewarm? Why do leagues fail to attract spectators to stadiums and televisions? Why does a kid playing football in a neighbourhood park in the capital of the country not care about Mohun Bagan and the I-League?

Like I mentioned earlier, football is undoubtedly popular in certain areas of the country. The marquee match-up of the Indian football calendar, between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, attracts huge crowds in Kolkata. And in the North East and the South, matches do attract a few thousand spectators. But this pales in comparison when one is reminded of the millions of Indian fans glued to their television sets every weekend to watch European football. Indian national newspapers devote a whole page to cover English football while the results of the Indian football teams are at most relegated to a small corner at the bottom of the page. The Indian football system is certainly not doing very well. Neither in terms of football quality. Nor commercially.

Replacing the National Football League, the I-League was established in 2007 as the country’s top-tier professional football league. It wasn’t a rich “flowing-with-money” league, and the league and its teams were plagued by a lack of funds and sponsors. Not being able to attract top quality players or install full-fledged world-class training facilities meant that the quality of football remained lacklustre. After a relatively good start in the first season, popularity and relevance soon dwindled over the years.

There were 10 teams in the first season of the league, of which only 3 remain currently – Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Churchill Brothers – while the rest of the teams are either newly established ones (example, Gokulam Kerala FC was formed only in 2017) or have risen up from local leagues. Three well established Goan teams – Dempo, Salgaocar and Sporting Club – pulled out of the league citing “lack of vision”. Besides this, many teams have been forced to disband or leave due to financial or organisational issues. The league lacks a consistent set of teams. This coming-in-and-out of participating clubs makes it hard to establish a loyal fan base for the league as well as for the teams.

One could also blame the league’s lousy marketing for its failure to attract audiences. But for successful marketing, you need funds and sponsors. Sponsors only come when the product that is being offered is of assuredly good quality and seems promising and profitable, which is something that the league fails to offer. Consequently, it has failed to attract widespread pan-India popularity. In fact, in 2009, Zee Sports, the official broadcaster of the league cancelled their 10-year contract with the All India Football Federation after concerns were raised by the company that the league was not attracting as many sponsors and viewers as they would have liked.

Then entered into the picture, I-League’s glamorous cousin, the Indian Super League (ISL). With the AIFF strapped of cash, IMG and Reliance came up with a 15 year, 700 crore deal in 2010, which included control of a majority of commercial rights of Indian football – from broadcasting to advertising. As a result of the partnership, ISL was finally launched a few years later, having its first season in 2014. Compared to the I-League, the ISL seemed a success. It attracted a long line of sponsors, Bollywood celebrities, retired Indian sports stars, business conglomerates and was telecast on Star Sports, the most-watched sports channel in the country. Football stars and experts were roped in for commentary as well as post and pre-match analysis. The decent paychecks attracted star players from the I-League and good, if not world-class, players, from foreign leagues, thus taking the quality of football a notch up. Consequently, television viewership and stadium attendances rose too.

But in subsequent seasons, there has been a decline in viewership, popularity and hype. The average attendance in stadiums was 26000 in 2014. In the 2019-20 season, it hovered around 13,000. Also concerning, is the fact that most foreign players stay for only one season, either choosing ISL as a pit stop mid-career or as a last hurrah before retirement.

In 2016, the AIFF revealed their plan to make ISL the first-tier league in the Indian football system, with I-League being the second-tier league, similar to the Premier League and the Championship in England. The plan wasn’t implemented due to opposition from I-League clubs and negotiations are ongoing, with there even being a possibility of a merger. The problem is that most I-League clubs run on a shoestring budget and won’t fill the financial requirements of the ISL. Thus a full merger isn’t possible.

“The I-League has two of the most iconic football clubs in India, and has credibility and some history. The ISL is nothing but glitzy chaos of money. Foreign players come and go after playing one season and domestic players shift frequently. There is no credibility. It should be treated like what it actually is – a football festival, played for a few weeks every year as a form of recreation and entertainment.” opined Manik Ray, a University Of Delhi student, and an I-League fan.

In spite of support from loyalists, the I-League is slowly losing its bid for the first tier. The qualification spot for the AFC Champions League, originally given to the I-League champion, shall now be given to the ISL champion. I-League’s Mohun Bagan, the oldest football club in India, merged with ISL club Atletico De Kolkata this year, and the combined team shall compete in the ISL. The I-League’s average attendance of 9000 loses to ISL’s 13000. ISL clubs have also commenced grassroots development structures for young footballers.

A final arrangement shall soon be reached in the coming months. Undoubtedly, there shall be someone on the losing side and someone on the winning side. But what matters is that in the long run, the real victor shall be Indian football.

Feature Image Credits : Goal.com

Araba Kongbam

Political Discourse and Friendships: How to Deal with the Conflict

By DU Beat May 3, 2020

Last night, I was involved in a heated argument with my school friend over the government’s efforts in containing the novel coronavirus in India. It started off as a healthy discussion as to what can be done to better the current situation but soon turned into a politically charged conversation. Now, that’s not us. Back in school, all that we discussed was cricket and WWE. Politics was never on the table. It was never meant to be but now that it is, learning to live with it is the only option left.

This is not the first time I have come across such situations. India has become a breeding ground of controversies since December 2019 when the amended Citizenship Act came into being. Nationwide protests, gruesome violence, student dissent took the centre stage. All this was followed by the worst riots Delhi has experienced in over 36 years. Escaping confrontations becomes difficult when so much happens so fast. I have had people agreeing with my opinions and others, discarding them. There’s always resistance, but when it is your friend opposing your point of view, it can be a hard pill to swallow. Why are we friends with anyone anyway? Largely because of the similarity in our thoughts and views. But when that common link seems doubtful, conflicts arise. You start doubting your friendship and it adversely affects you, mentally, socially, emotionally. All of this is accompanied by the urgent need to prove yourself right and the other, horribly wrong. A discussion that could have been fruitful turns unhealthy and violent. And to be honest, there’s no way to avoid these conflicts. Either you’ll choose friendship over your beliefs or vice-versa. Irrespective of the choice, you’ll be losing something valuable. So is there a middle ground? How do we deal with such conflicts?

Here are two things that, in my opinion, can put things into perspective:

Respecting Opinions

No matter how flawed their narratives may seem, you must learn to respect their opinions. Their choice of political parties/leaders/policies might not go down well with you but we must realise that everyone is entitled to think and process the way they do. That is exactly what we call a democracy, a concept that is not only fading away from India but many other countries as well. Our friends might support controversial judgements and legislations but rather than indulging in unhealthy and heated discourses, backing your arguments with logic and facts and presenting them with compassion is the way forward. And if this doesn’t work, try the next step.

Acceptance

One can always persuade the other into believing that his/her argument makes more sense but in the end, it’s always better to accept that people think and react differently. And those beliefs are a result of many variables, one of which, is privilege. The more privileged you are, more often than not, you’ll side with those in power. Privilege makes a man overlook the otherwise evident truth. In a nutshell, accept the fact that you and your friend differ in your politics and that consequently affects your bonding.

And all of this is not limited to friendships and can be extended to many other relationships as well. They might be your own relatives or family friends or boyfriends/girlfriends. So the next time you discuss politics with your dear one, do so with kindness and logic, the two cornerstones of a fruitful discussion.

Featured Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Ayaan Khan is a 1st-year student pursuing a Bachelor’s in Statistics (H) at Ramjas College, University of Delhi. He’s particularly interested in Journalism and Poetry.

DUB Speak

A Death In The Gunj: The Silencing Of Journalism

By DU Beat May 2, 2020

An alleged attack on a token journalist happens, and it finds potential to divert the enumerable actual attacks on other journalists which have never been highlighted with half the importance into silence.

Not that people already couldn’t care less about journalists getting killed or harrased, all the attention of such matters has been credited to one person who would appear in all major searches, if one inputs, ‘attack on journalists’ as keywords.

Given the state of the fourth pillar of democracy in our country, whose performance is reflected in it’s awesome rankings, there’s no denying the fact that journalism has faced a heavy blow. India ranks 142nd out of 180 countries on Freedom of Press Index as of 2020 and it keeps getting worse every successive year. The Committee to Protect Journalism (CPJ), reported that our nation ranks 14th among states where journalists are murdered and killers go free. A study titled, “Getting Away With Murder,” revealed that 21 journalists were killed between 2014-19, and not a single conviction has taken place since 2014 against the targeted attacks on journalists for thier investigative works. Looks like the convicts have a licence to kill, but who gives them this license?

The study mentioned earlier reported that the list of perpetrators who attack journalists is inclusive of government agencies, security forces, political parties, local mafia, etc. A very basic inference from such a study is suggestive of the malign intention of the people in power who wish to dastardly silence the ones who dare to speak. Therefore to swift them into silence is the most viable and lucrative alternative.

Interestingly, silencing can be done in a legal way as well. Kashmiri photojournalist Masrat Zahra whose works have been published by Al Jazeera, Washington Post, The Caravan, etc was recently booked under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), which is an anti terror law resembling the Rowlatt Act of 1919. The pictures clicked by the Zahra were deemed to glorify “anti-national” sentiments and dent the image of law enforcing bodies, (the same bodies who are accused of terrorising journalists). Another journalist Gowhar Geelani, who has been heavily vocal about assault on journalism and state of Kashmir was also booked under the same act and there’s an FIR filed against The Hindu’s Srinagar correspondent-Peerzada Ashiq as well. However, Kapil Gujjar and Komal Pandey who have actually managed to terrorise people are living freely. Dalals who masquerade as journalists and spread fake news, instigate communalism, and spread Islamophobia everyday have no trials against them. Looks like there’s a pattern which is adhered to while earmarking as to who gets to be labelled as “anti-national’ and faces contempt of court.

If physical harassment is not enough, defamation cases are filed, spyware attacks are aimed, and mental harassment is dispensed through threat calls and trolling. Journalists are paying a very heavy price for doing their jobs and a growing intolerance towards independent media has landed a lot in hospitals, prisons, courts, and obituaries. From Gauri Lankesh to Shujaat Bukhari to Navin Nishchal to Sandeep Sharma, and to all other journalists who have lost their lives while reporting, current media should remember them, and hang their heads in shame every time they buckle under and tandem to the Power- which is the sole reason for a peevish state of journalism today.

Feature Image Credits: NYC Street Art

Umaima Khanam

Coronavirus

Will PM CARES Provide the Needed Care?

By DU Beat May 2, 2020

Since the announcement for the creation of PM CARES two things have come in abundance, funds and criticisms. So, is the fund for the good of the nation or the netas? Read on to find out.

PM Modi announced the creation of a new fund, the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund or PM-CARES Fund on March 28th. Since this announcement money has poured in from around the nation. However, in addition to money, criticisms of the fund have also been pouring in.

The main criticism directed at this fund was a question on its existence and need. The critiques say that PMNRF or Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund, from whom PM Cares borrows its structure, should have been used. But before diving deeper, let us know the two funds.

What is PM-Cares Fund?

The fund was created specifically for the current pandemic. The government stated that due to the magnitude of the coronavirus pandemic, the fund has been created exclusively to fight this outbreak. Officially the fund ‘is to be used for combating, containment and relief efforts against the coronavirus outbreak and similar pandemic like situations in the future.’

Barely a week after the fund was set up, donations pledged to it have crossed over Rs 6,500 crore more than three times its counterpart PMNRF got in the years 2014-15 and 2018-19. Similar to PMNRF, PM Cares is a 100% donation based fund. In addition to this donations to the fund by corporates will be exempted under the Income Tax, 1961 and are also counted as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) expenditure. The officials further stated that to spend from the Consolidated Fund of India, the Parliament’s approval was required while a donation-based fund did not have any such legislative concerns.

According to the PM Cares fund website, “the Prime Minister is the ex-officio (by virtue of one’s position or status) Chairman of the Fund while the Minister of Defence, Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Finance are ex-officio Trustees of the Fund. The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees (Prime Minister) shall have the power to nominate three trustees to the Board of Trustees who shall be eminent persons in the field of research, health, science, social work, law, public administration and philanthropy. Any person appointed a Trustee shall act in a pro bono (work undertaken voluntarily and without payment) capacity.”

PMNRF: The Case of the CounterpartT

he Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund or PMNRF was established on January 1948 by the then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru. The fund was established to help the people who were victims of mass migration and violence post-independence. Through the passage of time the fund evolved to help the victims of riots, floods, tsunamis, naxal attacks and the fund is also used to sponsor medical treatment of the needy. The fund was used extensively to provide support for victims of 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Uttarakhand floods 2013, cyclone in Kerala and Lakshadweep, 2014 violence in Assam, Madhya Pradesh explosion 2015, Tamil Nadu floods 2015 etc.

The PMNRF, before 1985 was a trust consisting of the following people in its board:

Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
President of the Indian National Congress
Finance Minister
A representative of the Tata Trustees
A member of industry and commerce, as decided by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

However, after the year 1985, this structure of the fund was changed by the Rajiv Gandhi government. The fund has since been functioning under the discretion and directions of the prime minister. According to the information provided by the fund, the prime minister is the secretary of the fund, assisted by a joint-secretary and an officer of the rank of director, all on an honorary basis. In short the PM has sole discretion over its use.

The Concerns

Several people including political parties like the Indian National Congress, Shiv Sena, and Trinamool Congress. Etc. have raised concerns related to this fund. The first concern is the need for a new fund when one, i.e. PMNRF, already exists. To this concern the government officials stated that PM Cares was established exclusively for fighting the pandemic due to its magnitude and PMNRF fund has not been closed but still remains very much functional.

Secondly, the auditing of the fund by independent auditors and not the CAG raised many eyebrows. However, both PMNRF as well as PM CARES are donation based funds and hence do not qualify for CAG auditing. Further the government has still not made the charter and other information like collection and expenditure of the fund public. In addition to this it is a valid point that the central government should have encouraged donations to state funds. As many states governments are seeing their revenue incomes dry up due to low consumption of oil as well as liquor and are hence in dire need of funds.

Various questions on the legality of the fund were also raised. However they were put to rest after the Supreme Court of India dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Manohar Lal Sharma for questioning the legality of the constitution of PM CARES Fund for COVID-19.

Abhinandan Kaul, a student of St. Stephen’s College, says, ”Public participation is the key to mitigate issues facing our nation and society. PM Cares puts this very fundamental idea in action by enabling micro-donations allowing not only prominent celebrities and businessmen but also ordinary people of the country to contribute with small amounts of money too as a result of which more than 40 crore Indians have been able to send in donations. Hence in my opinion, PM cares is a very well-conceived idea for Indians to come together and fight against Covid-19!”
Akshat Singh Rathore, a student of Shri Venkateshwara College, says, “Even though I think that the government is doing commendable work battling this virus. But, the PM CARES is shady in many terms. If the government is taking donations from us then we as citizens have a right to know as to where our money goes. And if they are all clean then this shouldn’t be a problem.”
The effectiveness of this fund will come to light in coming days. But it is rather astounding that all of India came together to fight this global pandemic. The government has to answer many concerns related to fund and till then all of the nation should support their respective governments and authorities to be victorious in the battle against this wretched virus.

Featured Image Credits: PM Cares
(Arre.co.in)

Aniket Singh Chauhan