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Know your parties- DUSU Elections 2015

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Still haven’t decided your vote? Here’s a little insight into the parties contesting for Delhi Union Students’ Union election 2015.

ABVP – can they do another 2014?

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad is the only major right-wing representation in DU’s political pitch. ABVP is the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and shares nationalist ideologies with the Bharatiya Janata Party. ABVP has presided over DUSU 22 times since the establishment of the students’ union. Riding on the anti-Congress mood of the nation, ABVP clean swept the DUSU polls last year with a decisive margin.

Past activities and stands

The party took an offensive stand against the Four Year Undergraduate Programme in 2013 and in 2014, after the election of a BJP government in the centre and a full-blown tussle between the University Grants Commission and the University of Delhi, FYUP was rolled back by DU. ABVP is known to be anti-homosexuality and an opponent of live-in relationships. In October last year, ABVP formed a human chain in the University to “sensitise students about the menace of live-in relationships”. ABVP’s karyakartas also locked horns with rival party All India Students’ Association in November over Kiss of Love, a movement against moral-policing supported by AISA.

ABVP has raised several issues pertaining to DU students in the past, including reintroduction of the schemes of revaluation and ‘special chance’. After Arvind Kejriwal’s successful bid for Delhi’s Chief Ministerial post, ABVP office bearers met with the CM to discuss issues related to the University.
DU Beat’s DUSU Opinion Shows ABVP to be winning by a small margin. Read more here.

Candidates for 2015 

ABVP has fielded the Joint Secretary of its Delhi chapter, Satender Awana, for the post of the President. He is presently pursuing M.A. Buddhist Studies. Sunny Dedha, a student of the Faculty of Law, is contesting for the post of Vice President. Anjali Rana, a student of history at Lakshmi Bai College, is the party’s pick for the post of the Secretary of DUSU whereas for the post of Joint Secretary, Chhatar Pal Yadav has filed his nomination. The ballot numbers for the ABVP panel are 1, 1, 4 and 4.

AISA – Gunning for #1

The All India Students’ Association emerged as a galvanising force in 1990 grounding itself on the ideology of the Naxalbari peasant movement and the 1974 peoples’ movement in Bihar. The organisation believes that Marxism can liberate the society and can lead to human emancipation. Its critical stand towards ‘fascism’ and political forces that divide masses on religious lines is what inspires belief in its members.

Past Activities and Stands


 The organisation’s support for the labour rights and the working class has been both evident and lauded by many left scholars.It has also been at the forefront of the movement against criminalisation of politics.
AISA has voiced its dissent whenever instances of privatisation in the realm of education have germinated in the country. It has been vocal against the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) and the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations. The liberal nature of this organisation and its structure, which is devoid of communal elements, has attracted the attention of many civil society members. In the 2014 DUSU elections, the organisation came as the third force after both the parties.

Candidates for 2015

For 2015, Sheetal Bhopal of Hindu College is contesting for the post of President. Sudhanshu Shekhar of Sri Aurobindo College has been pitched for the Vice-Presidential post. Ravi Kumar of Ramjas College and Abhinav Kumar of Deshbandhu College are contesting for the positions of Secretary and Joint Secretary respectively.

CYSS- The Newbie to change it all?

The Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS), the AAP supported student body, is all set to make its debut in the Delhi University elections scheduled to be held on September 11. With AAP and Arvind Kejriwal’s ideas in mind, CYSS is committed to ending money and muscle power in campus elections. CYSS claims a strong level of intra-party coordination and a firm adherence to clean and honest politics. They believe that the crippling problems of the nation like corruption and hunger can be solved if parties stand by clean politics. Focusing on student issues, they want to rid the election scenario of vulgar splashing of money and the intimidating presence of outsiders.

Past activities and stands

CYSS has made three issues the focus of its campaign as seen in their manifesto. Providing WiFi facilities in all public places and high footfall areas of North and South Campus, monthly job fairs in the 11 revenue districts of Delhi and implementing an education loan scheme and providing opportunities to help DU students become job creators and not just job seekers. However, CYSS had recently found itself amidst allegations of publicising ‘fake’ opinion polls and advertising on hundreds of billboards across the city. Their claims of being a ‘clean’ party and standing for honest politics got into more trouble when the party organised a star studded concert at Talkatora Stadium. The Chief Minister also addressed the students of Delhi University, promising them higher education loan schemes, one lakh jobs within a year and free WiFi in colleges, when endorsement of candidates by political parties is not permitted according to university norms. Lyngdoh Committee recommendations speak of a budget of Rs 5000 for campaigning. It would seem the actions of the party have been contradictory to their claims of ‘clean’ politics.

Candidates for 2015

Standing from the CYSS panel are Kuldeep Bidhuri, a second year B.A Programme student from PGDAV (morning) college, for the post of President, Garima Rana, a state-level badminton player from Hindu College, for the post of Vice President, Rahul Raj Aryan, a university gold medalist from Hindu college, for the post of Secretary and Hintanshi Chauhan from Satyawati College for the post of Joint Secretary.

NSUI- A Force to Reckon with?

A proud Centrist party, NSUI came into being on 9 April 1971, and boasts of 4 million members and around 1,30,000 office bearers and units in 14,500 colleges across the country.
Their mission is to “empower the student community, to create responsible citizens and leaders based on the values of democracy, secularism, liberty, quality & equality”.

Past Activities and Stands

In their 20-point manifesto for 2015, NSUI has focused on four main issues- rollback of the CBCS system, demand for atleast two hostels each in the North and South Campuses, proper water facilities in all colleges, and improvement of administrative management across the university for procedures like submission of the examination forms. In addition to these, they have also stressed on the importance of issues like lack of WiFi access in colleges and the tedious schedule of evening colleges.
Their campaign strategy works on ‘conventional is cool’. According to them, the glamorous and star-studded campaigns being run by other parties aren’t good tactics.

Candidates for 2015

For the 2015 DUSU elections, NSUI has fielded Pradeep Vijayran, a final year LLB student from the Faculty of Law, as their Presidential Candidate, Prerna Singh from Ram Lal Anand College as their Vice-Presidential candidate, Amit Sehrawat from the Faculty of Law for the post of the Secretary and Deepak Chaudhary from Hansraj College for the post of the Joint Secretary.

SFI- Aiming to Reform DU

“Curb money and muscle power in the University of Delhi,” said Prashant, a State Committee Member of the Students’ Federation of India. In the 2015 DUSU Elections, SFI is aiming for that and to stop mishaps in the University.

Past Activities and Stands

Unlike many other student political parties, SFI has a different manifesto, which includes removal of the Choice Based Credit System, better accommodation in hostels and rent-control for PGs and Flats, sorting out the matter of the LLB Course of the University not being recognised by the Bar Council and granting of the “MCM Scholarships”, which were started in 2002 by SFI.

SFI has continued to have an alliance with All India Students Organisation- the AIDSO Alliance. This is to stop the fractioning of the left votes in the university and to amalgamate the left force to defeat the predominant right wing of the university.

The Candidates for 2015


The candidates being fielded by SFI are Chand Mahal Ruby, a 3rd year Political Science student from Ramjas College, for the post of the President, Qasim Masumi, pursuing masters from School of Social Work, for the post of the Vice-President, Ashraf Ali standing, a student at Moti Lal Nehru College and the AIDSO Alliance candidate, for the post of the Secretary and Ashish Chauhan, a student at Zakir Hussain Evening College, for the post of the Joint Secretary.

Image Credits- youthkiawaaz.com

Sidhant R. Seth
[email protected]
Riya Chhibber
[email protected]
Arindam Goswami
[email protected]
Sidharth Yadav
[email protected]
Ishaan Gambhir
[email protected]

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DUB News

DU Beat set to organise first DUSU Presidential Debate with Newslaundry

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Presidential Debate Graphic by Naman Sehgal

With the ongoing enthusiasm and politics surrounding the forthcoming elections of the Delhi University Students’ Union, DU Beat has taken the initiative to organise the first  DUSU Presidential Debate in association with Newslaundry, an independent news media and media critic platform, on the 9th of September, Wednesday at Conference Room, Press Club of India at 6 PM. The event will see the presidential candidates of the four big parties- ABVP, CYSS, AISA, NSUI contesting in the University elections put forth their ideologies and agendas to students.

The aim of this debate is to allow DU students to make informed choices in forming their union by choosing representatives they can hold accountable later. The debate will be conducted in a structured manner, with limited speaking time per candidate, followed by a question-answer round. To keep things fair, the debate will be conducted by an unbiased presenter, Mr. Abhinandan Sekhri from Newslaundry, he has also volunteered with India Against Corruption in the past. 

Having conducted an online poll recently and seeing the response on election-related posts, we believe that the students of Delhi University expect more from their union, and this debate intends exactly that. The debate will be streamed live too! Stay tuned for more details. 

(Press Club of India is closest to Central Secretariat metro station.)

Graphic by Naman Sehgal

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Gargi College

Econovation 2015 – Annual Economics fest of Gargi College

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Econovation 2015, the Annual Economics fest of Gargi College to be organized on 8th September, 2015 is an amalgamation of cultural as well as educational events. This Economics Festival promises to leave everyone enthralled. This mega event is a dynamic fusion of exciting competitions and artistic performances.

Econovation 2015 has indeed proved to be exclusive after revealing its surprise element that is an enchanting performance: ‘Sthai’ by Madhyama Segal, a senior dancer of Pallavi – Odissi Nritya Sangeet Vidyalaya. She has been trained and groomed in Odissi by Guru Smt. Kiran Segal (Padmashri & Sangeet Natak Akademi Awardee.)  Madhyama has carved a niche for herself not just nationally but internationally as well. Some of her notable performances have been at The Bhakti Festival “Talking to God” ( 2012) ,”Panorama of India’s Art Heritage” (2013 and 2014), Sangeet Natak Akademi’s “Nritotsav” (dance festival) in Shimla (2014)  and as a Solo Artist at the 103rd Birth Anniversary celebrations of Padmavibhushan (Late) Smt. Zohra Segal 2015 at the India International Centre.

Keeping the fervor of an Economics Festival alive the event promises to provide a diverse outlook on the economic concepts through the sessions of the venerated guest speakers.  Honorable Dr. Abhijit Sen Gupta, India Resident Mission at The Asian Development Bank and Respected Prof. Meeta Keswani Mehra, Chairperson of Centre for International Trade & Development will provide an insight into the intricacies of the 21st Century Market Challenges and Opportunities something to be witnessed by every economic enthusiast.

The fest promises to be a stimulating affair in terms of competitions such as Ex-Ante, Beg Borrow Deal, Quizbola and Stock Shock which have a numerous number of participants.

So, Initiate, Innovate and Incorporate at Econovation 2015.

For Further Details Contact:

Simran Dhingra                                                                                               

President                                                                                                         

9717764765                         

Anisha Kukreja          

Vice President

9810315775

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Miranda House

Celluloid, Miranda House organises talk with Pankaj Butalia

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Celluloid, the film society of Miranda House organised an interactive session with the award winning filmmaker, Pankaj Butalia. Co-incidentally, Pankaj Bataulia as a student was co-founder of a film society which shared the same name, Celluloid.

  
His documentary, The Textures of Loss, an account of the sufferings of Kashmir and Kashmiris was also screened a week before this session. The documentary is second in his trilogy of documentaries about the conflicts in India with Manipur Song being the first and A Landscape of Neglect being the third and final parts. The interactive session held on 2nd of September, started off with a brief lecture by the speaker which was followed by questions and general comments. 
A wide range of topics were discussed during the session.

The speaker began by elucidating on the craft of film/documentary making. Humorously engaging with the issue of censorship, Mr. Pankaj Butalia informed, “I was asked to put disclaimers stating that I do not subscribe to the views expressed in this documentary “. The speaker talked about foreground narratives, tailoring, and filtered voices in a documentary. Trust building with the subjects of the documentary was explained by the speaker through his experience with the widows of Vrindavan for his acclaimed film, Moksha (1993.)


A discussion followed, whereby the Kashmir conflict was compared with other conflict-ridden areas such as Manipur. The discussion highlighted the differences in the modes of resistance in these areas as well as the role of women in such protests. In this context, the example of naked protest in Manipur was remembered to highlight a sense of empowerment that the Manipuri women had. These voices, as was concluded, often get stifled in Kashmir because of the shrouds of shame. The questions which were asked not only facilitated understanding but helped in dealing with popular misconceptions about the ironies of nationalism and patriotism too. 
The discussion ended with an explanation of motifs and images in films. It was said of some images that their irrelevance and silence is in fact the voice of such moments. 

 

Celluloid was overwhelmed by the response and outcome of the event. The society’s vision for this session in the words of its president is to, “screen movies which are not very publicized but the content and the thought behind them is worthy of appreciation.”

Tooba Towfiq
[email protected]

Image Credits: Jasmine Chahal

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DUB News

Delhi University students demand NOTA option in DUSU elections

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With the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections right around the corner, students of Delhi University, notably from Law Faculty, have handed a memorandum to the election officer to include a ‘None of the above’ or NOTA button in the upcoming DUSU elections 2015-16 which will be held on 11th September.

As conveyed by the students in the memorandum, they believe that in DUSU elections, voting percentage is very low and they claim the main reason behind this slow voter turnout in the current time is due to the absence of NOTA button in Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).

The students have related this with India’s past history of recording negative voting during elections and the introduction of NOTA button two years ago. Verdict of the Supreme Court came in the year of 2013 on the petition of PUCL, in which Honorable Supreme Court directed the election commission of India to provide NOTA button in the EVM. This was to preserve the legacy of negative voting which is cardinal principle of democracy. Prior to this, there was a mechanism present to record negative voting.

In the existing Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections, the students conveyed through the memorandum that a dissatisfied student voter won’t turn up on the day of elections to vote if none of the candidates are of their choice. However, they are hopeful that if the NOTA option is provided, then reluctant student voters will begin turning up to vote which will increase credibility and acceptability of DUSU elections amongst the DU student body. They believe it will initiate a gradual but systematic change and only those students will contest elections who believe in the principles of accountability and integrity.

Shaina Ahluwalia

[email protected]

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DUB Speak

Jeopardy over nominations in Hindu and Hans Raj a week ahead of polls

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In a bid to demand transparency in the nominations of the electoral candidates, the students of Hans Raj College held a silent protest on Friday morning, September the 4th. The protest was held at the main gate of Hans Raj College from 8:00 PM to 10:30 PM.

The nomination of Parveen Gartaan for the post of president of Hans Raj College was reportedly cancelled after the silent protest by students. However, there has been no official notification regarding the cancellation. The college administration conducted a meeting with Dr. Rama, the newly appointed Principal regarding the same and Dr. Rama was unavailable for comments. 

The opposing panel accused Parveen Gartaan for violating the norms set by the University for contesting in the elections and also claimed that he was suspended before in an alleged case of threatening and abusing other students. Terming the matter to be rubbish Change Panel has promised to clear the matters of withdrawn nomination on Monday. However, it has introduced their new presidential candidate for the elections.

Dear Hansarians,Leaders Change but Team remains the Same!!We present to you our Presidential candidate – ISHVENDER…

Posted by Change Panel, Hans Raj College on Friday, September 4, 2015

A similar protest was staged at Hindu College on the 2nd and 3rd of September after the list of candidates for the student union was released. The incumbent party’s PM candidate, Raman Singh was not included in this list because of which nearly a hundred students assembled in the foyer outside the principal’s office in a peaceful manner, demanding answers. Having found her answers unsatisfactory, students continued to protest until the administration set up a special committee to review the case.

On the 28th of August a group of students were found in PM Candidate Raman Singh’s hostel room having a party, by the Principal who entered the premises late at night after being tipped off about the same. Although Raman was not in his room at the time, the authorities found alcohol causing them to immediately sentence him to community service and terminate his candidacy. After two days of protesting students were disappointed when the review committee decided not to overturn the Principal’s decision causing the party to put up a new candidate Ashish Holaria one week prior to elections.

 Nidhi Panchal and Shraman Ghosh

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DUB Speak

Shudh Desi Romance : A spurt of online dating apps in India

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Gone are the days when common friends, weddings, family functions and college fests were the only places to find a ‘banda’ or ‘bandi’. With everything going digital these days, ‘Boy Browsing’ and girls willing to be wooed are vouching for the desi ‘match-making apps’.

While parents might be scrounging and ransacking matrimonial sites, young Indians are liking the idea of dating apps, very cunningly worded as ‘modern-match making apps’ in some cases. Homegrown free apps such as Thrill, Woo, DesiCrush, Truly Madly, Singles Around Me, Aisle and more are available on both Android and iOS.

Most of these apps take cue from the mother of all dating apps- ‘Tinder’, which enjoys an explosive popularity in the US. However, much like our food, we Indians like more choices when it comes finding a suitable date, which sadly Tinder fails to fulfil. Recognising the issues with Tinder, Indian developers have created apps that go beyond just profile pictures and casual dating. Efforts have been increasingly put in order to weed out fake profiles and address the skewed gender ratio.

While Tinder is a location-based social discovery application where the user uses a swiping motion to choose between the photos of other users, shudh desi apps like Woo and Thrill are the more date oriented platforms.

Truly Madly, with its catchy advertisement running all over TV and social media off late, follows the motto- ‘Epic love stories need epic beginnings. Not random introductions.’ We asked a few university students about these apps and whether they would mind getting ‘unsingle’ by the online cupid, which gave us some interesting responses.

 

“Indian dating apps as a concept sounds good to have fun and time pass, but I think it may not be that safe a move. It might have proven to be good for some, but one needs to be cautious while taking decisions regarding their life on the basis of such apps even if it is something as common as dating.” – Aakriti Sharma, Kamala Nehru College

 

A student of  Jesus and Mary College shares her experience, ” I was apprehensive at first as many people use Tinder as a means for casual sex. I met my current boyfriend through Tinder and to my surprise, I found some like-minded individuals on the app who approached relationships and sex in very similar ways and if not, respected my decision. With regard to competition with Indian apps, I think the masses are finally ready to accept what was already being done in hushed tones. ‘Boy Browsing’ seems like a much less daunting prospect than casual sex, so perhaps people will gravitate towards that.”

 

Riya Chhibber

[email protected]

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Top Picks

CV Building: The do’s and the don’ts

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In the corporate world, your identity is recognized through your carefully drafted Curriculum Vitae or Resume and written applications. Those few pages become your key to landing a successful placement to the job you have always wanted (or even the internship you seek to get) thus, increasing its importance in your career.

If you’re reading this article, you’ve probably had a moment where you’ve sat down to make your resume, perhaps even made it halfway, then decided procrastinate a few minutes until the task is delayed to next day. Let’s admit it – making a resume isn’t easy. For freshers have no experience to add to it, and the seniors aren’t sure what one can add that will be taken seriously by professionals.

So here we’ve compiled a few handy tips you could keep in mind while preparing the key to your career’s success:

Stick to the basics

Depending on the career path you choose, you can make your resume cater to the domain accordingly. However, the basic requirements in every CV should ideally be – personal details with contact information, educational details, previous work experience, if any.  Keep it precise, clean and to the point. Ensure that your CV gives a very brief but clear introduction of who you are and how you’ll be suitable to the company needs and job profile.

Pro Tip: Mention all your details in a chronological order.  Rather than relying on a ‘CV building’ app, create one for yourself in a word or PDF document.

Presentation and PDFs

Keep in mind that the recruiters don’t have much time to go through every CV very carefully, most would simply skim through the details. You’ve got to make sure your resume is as neat, evenly spaced and presentable as possible. Yes, you read the subtitle right – PDFs. If you’re sending across a virtual copy of your CV, it’s always considered advisable to convert it into a PDF document than keeping it as a word document.

Pro Tip:  Keeping your resume in the e-mail body itself is a big no. Keep the educational qualifications in a tabular format for neatness and have even spaces between different sections. Give your email a suitable subject line.

Size matters!

Or at least the number of A4-sized pages you use. Even if you have enough achievements in life to write an autobiography about it, your resume needs to be professional, precise and the maximum number of pages should be 2. Ideally, a strong one page resume (with both sides printed) works even better especially if you’re going for an interview with a hard copy in hand.
This point is possibly the most important one, and it’ll help you focus upon the most important things to put in your resume as compared to the other lovely hobbies you’ve pursued in the past.

Pro Tip: If you’re carrying a hard copy of your resume anywhere, make sure it’s inside a neat folder. In a Word document, decrease the margin size so you have more space for content, vice versa if you’ve barely got anything to write.

Suit to the need

Imagine walking inside a Multi National Company to apply for the position of an editor, only to have your CV filled with your experience in your band and how you toured around the city; or going in for a chef’s job with a CV full of marketing roles. It simply doesn’t match. Similarly, always keep the profile and requirements of the role you’ll be applying for, and try to cater and change your CV according to the position you’ll be applying for.

Pro Tip:  Keep a basic CV ready in a word document. As and when you apply for any position, alter and prioritize the content in it accordingly.

Proofread and Update

Last but definitely in the lead, the key is to constantly keep updating your resume and perfecting it on a regular basis. The more well presented, updated and perfected a resume is, the better its care is reflected to the recruiter.

Pro Tip: Ask friends to cross check and proof read, and take criticism intelligently

 

Featured Image Credits: skills4communities.co.uk

Shaina Ahluwalia
[email protected]

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DUB News

Conquest 2015: Of Business and Entrepreneurship

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Conquest is a first of ­its ­kind effort to promote entrepreneurship globally, thus reaching out to millions. This pioneering effort, in its eleventh edition, is supported by some of the biggest names in the market, DCB Bank, CitrusPay and Accel Partners.

It’s the celebration of Spirit of Entrepreneurship, Conquest 2015, propelling small scale startups to glorious pinnacles.

As global start-­up revolution rapidly emerges, a prominent place for India is reserved. Conquest constantly endeavors to showcase to the world the wealth of talent Indian start­-up ecosystem has to offer.

Finale Registration

Wherever Conquest has left its mark, it has provided a big idea an impetus to emerge successful. And it’s time of the year again, to give India its next million dollar tech giant!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen! Young boys and girls! The Grand Finale is here and it just can’t get any better.

The finale is going to be a day full of activities and certainly an affair to remember as our Top 10 gear up for a cut throat encounter with each other. They will share the stage in New Delhi on September 6th, at the grand ITC Sheraton along with distinguished VCs and potential investors as a whole new world of opportunities unfolds for them! The itinerary consists of two panel discussions, pitching rounds, keynote speech, networking lunch and dinner along with interaction of the jury with the audience.

Grab the exclusive chance to meet Entrepreneurial bigwigs, potential investors, media personnel, mentors, even business enthusiasts. Samay Kohli (Grey Orange Robotics), Greg Moran (CEO, Zoomcar India), Accel Partners and many more, we have them all on the guest list. Experience the grandeur of the world of Entrepreneurship as we crown the winners of Conquest 2015 and their lives change forever. Gear up for the experience! Gear up for the insane! Register now at www.conquest.org.in!

 

DU Beat is media partners with Conquest 2015.

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DUB Speak

Why must political parties be excluded from the ambit of the RTI?

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Legendary British Parliamentarian, Tony Benn, rightly stated that those in positions of economic, social and political power should always be asked five questions: What power have you got? Where did you get it from? In whose interests do you use it? To whom are you accountable? And, how do we get rid of you?

The very essence of a truly democratic nation remains implicit in these questions. Taking away the right to ask these questions spells the death knell for democratic principles, more so for a country that claims to be the largest democracy.

The Government of India, in the Supreme Court, has opposed a plea to bring political parties under the purview of the Right to Information Act. A petition filed by RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agarwal, represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan and the NGO, Association for Democratic Rights, suggests that all political parties be placed within the ambit of the RTI act. The Central Information Commission (CIC) has declared all national and regional political parties to be public authorities under the RTI. The petition has been filed against the non-compliance of political parties towards this order of the CIC.

The primary argument that the Central Government puts forth against political parties being placed within the RTI, is that opposing parties may misuse the RTI as a tool to hinder the functioning of other parties. Furthermore, they argue, political parties are not created by an act of parliament or by the constitution and hence, cannot be termed ‘public authorities.’However, this argument contradicts the principles within which a democratic nation is firmly rooted. It is in the interest of maintaining an efficient, working democracy to have political parties accountable to their voters. Voters must be ensured the right to know the sources of the financial resources of their parties. After all, it is the members of these political parties who claim to represent the people. Are they being funded by big businesses? How are various parties placed in terms of financial assets? It is important for voters to ask such substantial questions and get them answered in order to lend credibility and legitimacy to political figures as the true representatives of the people. If political parties had nothing to hide pertaining to their financial assets and its sources, they ought to have no opposition to being placed within the RTI, allowing the public to question their activities.

It is is an autocracy that individuals are denied their basic rights and freedoms. In an autocracy, the authority of the leaders is not allowed to be questioned. Autocracies are not representative of the people they govern. Denying people of the largest democracy a right to inquire about the details of the parties from which their leaders are elected, shakes the very foundations of a democracy that has been carefully built and sustained over time.

 

 

 

Abhinaya Harigovind.

[email protected]

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