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Aung San Suu Kyi: A Symbol of Democracy

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As part of an international campaign to free the apprehended Burmese leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Lady Sri Ram College organized a series of events to enhance the impact of the campaign. Aung San, who happens to be a distinguished alumna of the college (1964), has been imprisoned many times in course of her struggle for a free and democratic Burma.

In order to celebrate this indomitable spirit , LSR organized an exclusive screening of the film ‘Burma VJ: Reporting from a close country’, which through it’s hard hitting visuals and singular footage strongly reflected the difficult fight for democracy in Burma. The screening was accompanied by a panel discussion which saw participation from some of the most eminent personalities including G Parthasarthy, distinguished diplomat; Jaya Jaitly, political and social activist; Ravi Nair, human rights activist and Sagarika Ghoshe, TV anchor who acted as the mediator for the event.

Dr. Meenaxi Gopinath in her welcome address said, “We feel empowered by the struggle of this illustrious alumna for democracy and human rights in Burma.”

Parthasarthy expressed the need for international pressure to solve the Burmese issue- “ We have to work with others in the world, we have to persuade ASEAN.” Jaya Jaitly stressed on the effectiveness of independent action from each nation by means of a letter to the UN Secretary General. Introspection and suggestions for the future formed a part of Ravi Nair’s opinion, who further went on to muse over how the world should deal with generals who had no “eyesight, insight or foresight”.

Also present were Burmese monks Ashin Pannasiri, one of the many mistreated at the hands of the military and who had to escape from jail; Ashin Thavara, who featured in the above mentioned movie ‘Burma VJ’ and Thin Thin Aung from the Women’s League of Burma. Ashin Pannasiri’s version of the famous Saffron Uprising of 2007 deeply touched and inspired the audience.

LSR organized an essay writing competition based on Aung San Suu Kyi and a cross country race for her release. The Cross Country which was held on the 28th of August saw the participation of over 600 students.

A message from Dalai Lama to LSR said,” I am happy to learn of LSR’s initiative. It is my hope that Ms Aung San Suu Kyi will not be kept captive for long and that under her leadership the people of Burma will soon achieve their aspirations for which she worked so hard and so courageously.”

Lady Sri Ram College proudly celebrated the struggle of a woman who symbolizes democracy and is an epitome of courage and values. It held this event with the hope that the world will unite in this fight for justice and see participation from the youth, just as Aung San Suu Kyi herself participated in the struggle to alter the lives of millions!

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Interviews

Interview with Sonal Mansingh

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As told to Pragya Mukherjee

Sonal Mansingh
Sonal Mansingh

Sonal Mansingh, the internationally acclaimed danseuse proficient in various dance forms be ranging from Bharatnatyam, which comprised her debut performance-arangatram and first raised her to heights of fame, to chauu and Odissi, has performed before the highest dignitaries all over the world and her art has won her the highest of accolades including Padma Bhushan (1992), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1987) and the Padma Vibhushan in 2003, conferring on her the honour of being the first woman dancer in India to receive this award. However her tremendous achievements are not merely a result of talent but of tremendous grit and dedication to her craft. Her passion for dance was such as to make her run away from home in order to be able to continue to pursue dance as a career. She spent long years training under great luminaries in the filed of dance such as Prof U.S. Krishna Rao and Chandrabhaga Devi and later Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra who was the one to train her in Odissi.
Her sterling resilience was tested to the limit when during a car accident in Germany her spinal cord was injured and her legs lost their function. However this was when chiropractor Pierre Gravel gave her new hope by announcing she may be able to dance again. Living with this hope she made a complete recovery and within a year she was able to successfully perform to a full house.
Sonal Mansingh has been elected a member of the Executive Board and General Council of Sangeet Natak Akademi, National Cultural Fund, Ministry of Culture. More recently she has been appointed a trustee of the largest institution in India, the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA). In 1977 she founded the Delhi based Centre for Indian Classical Dances (CICD) which has produced numerous stage productions and been the training grounds of many notable artists today.
This legendary dancer’s passion for her art should be an example for all. Here’s a short tete-a-tete with the legend herself.

DuBeat: What inspired you to take up dance as a profession?
SM: I am from a political family. My grandfather, Mangal Das Pakwasa, was one of the first five Governors of India. My grandfather and both my parents were greatly interested in the arts and so famous artists would often come and perform at our house. I grew up among these artists and naturally grew an interest in it.

DuBeat: Was dance still not considered respectable enough that you had to run away to pursue it?
SM: Dancing and dancers had a negative connotation in those days and this prejudice hasn’t entirely died down even now. Dancing is still a problematic profession for some packets of society.

DUBeat: Wasn’t it difficult to steel yourself to run away? How were you able to make such a big decision?
SM: It wasn’t a hard decision to make. This is something I try to make my students understand as well. If you really do something with a passion nothing and no one can get in your way. You only realize you made a choice in hindsight but at that time nothing else really seemed to matter.

DUBeat: How did you develop an interest in Odissi?
SM: It was under Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra that I discovered Odissi and how much it needed to grow. At the time Odissi had a limiter repertoire so we began researching all aspects of it- performance, art and tradition. This was when I started learning Chau as well.

DUBeat: What was your reaction to the famous documentary film made on you by Prakash Jha?
SM: Oh he did a wonderful job! But now he can make a new one, so much has happened since (laughs)

DUBeat: Do you feel the youth today is losing interest in Indian Classical Dance?
SM: I wouldn’t say that. I still meet a lot of passionate youngsters interested in classical dance. However if interest is digressing into other newer forms of dance it is perfectly all right. It’s really all up to individual choice and what you consider to be enriching or fulfilling for you.

DUBeat: Any message for our readers?
SM: Be passionate about what you do and never lose sight of your principles. I don’t wish to generalize but there are youngsters one hears of with a callous attitude who carelessly crush people on the pavement or show similar disregard for the lives and problems of others. This insensitive attitude has to change. There are of course many young people who are passionate about change and keen to make a difference but there are also those who take life lying down. Always keep with you a strong sense of values and learn to be compassionate.

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Events

Wordspill:The Yellow Laburnum by Jonathan Daniel Luther

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Trapped

Midst Thanatos and Eros
This Yellow Laburnum wilts.
But Slowly steady
it’s Sun
Approaches.

These, the days
Grow hotter
And stronger.
The force of
A bull.
The heat of
An anghiti.

The Laburnums bloom
Strident yellow
Fiery fire.
Matched
Pace to heat.
A Hectoring Blaze!

O do unto me
As the Summer Sun
Does to the Laburnum!
Scorching Passion,
A flaming emotion.

With tongues of red
And fingers orange!
Ablaze as Indra on a
Cloud alights.
So bloom my petals.
They bleed fire!

And trails of Red
The fingers of desire.
I rake them
down your blazing back!
A scream
Of sweat.

Each droplet drenched
In withering passion.
Consume
In your blaze
My burnished blooms.
Feed That fire!
And In some
Sultry moment.
As a stallion lost
On a wild charge!
I’d open my being.
And with burning
Yellow laburnums
Scream!

Your name.

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Events

Wordspill: The Rave by Ishan Marvel

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Scene was sorted, some had snorted

Some writhed in newfound ecstasy,

Some indulged in drunken revelry,

While the rest just wandered in gay abandon

An acid laughter at the peak of incision

The green of it all was stark to the vision

Instruments all around, Alterations in bulk

A livewire played in the ear, distant hypnotic beats

They came for a different perspective

A different dose, I believe

Good or bad, who are we to decide?

For them, it could pass off as Heaven

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News

Marks Moderation Maddens Students

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Fourth year in the running, despite vehement protests, the students of Delhi University continue to face the problem of marks moderation. The issue is that there is actually no sound basis for this moderation and not all colleges have been subject to it.

Ever since results have been declared for the annual year 2008 – 2009, infuriated students from well known colleges of the north and south campus have been protesting outside the Vice chancellor’s office demanding an explanation for the scaling down of their marks.

The list of colleges affected include Sriram Ram College Of Commerce, Lady Sri Ram College for Women , MirandaHouse, Gargi and Jesus and Mary College .In most of these colleges, both the students and staff ,have actively participated in the remonstration against the allegedly baseless moderation of marks. Almost all departments have faced this problem.

In the mathematics department of LSR, a minimum of 8 marks has been lopped off for most students, which is a loss of almost three percent. The Economics , English and Sociology departments have lost a minimum of four marks .In Delhi University where competition is so stiff, the moderation affects students’ university ranking. Students from these colleges have also lost out on first divisions as a consequence of this The philosophy department of MH has been of the victim not only this year but also the year before this. This moderation especially happens in Logic, which is the most scoring subject of the department. Last year, 5 marks had been deducted from the logic paper in spite of the paper being scoring. This year, a lot of students had to bear the brunt as marks have been cut left, right and centre. A student from the Philosophy dept, 2nd year adds on ” We did not expect this to happen. I myself had got 22 in my internal assessment but now my marks are scaled down to 14. Philosophy is as it is not a very scoring subject and logic is the only paper where we can fetch high marks, but sadly this has been very shattering”.

Regular protests in the form of dharnas have been held outside the Vice Chancellor’s office. Statistical proof has been presented. Concerned authorities reasoned out the scaling by saying that the system is unbiased and is done in colleges and for students whose college average of marks show a great amount of aberrance from the university average of marks. A message was also passed on from the Dean of Students Welfare that it was impossible to revert the marks but from the following year a bigger moderation committee would be formed in order to avoid such problems. This announcement was met with even greater objection because the idea of these protests was the abolition of such a committee.

Also marks for the students with low college averages have been scaled down and hence the logic of uniform marking doesn’t hold either. The students are now demanding a rational basis for these steps from the Vice Chancellor.

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Uncategorized

Migration demystified

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With the results having been declared a week ago, students across the university are now aiming to migrate to better colleges. However, migration can be tricky if you don’t know exactly how to go about it. DU Beat gives you a lowdown on the process.

1. Aspirants seeking migration to another college are first required to check the criteria of the college they wish to apply to, the information regarding which is available with the respective Head of Department of that college.

2. If the criteria are fulfilled, the candidate needs to submit the following documents to the Section Officer (Administration) or the Head of Department:-

o an Application for migration

o a copy of the Statement of Marks of passing First Year Under-Graduate Examination

o a ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the former college

3) The candidate will then be granted a No Objection Certificate from the college to submit to the former college to obtain Transfer Certificate, after which admission to the new college can be applied for.

4. The following documents/ certificates ( original and attested copies) are to be submitted to the Section Officer at the time of admission/ migration into the college-

* Statement of marks of first year undergraduate course

* College leaving certificate

* No objection certificate from parent college ( if not already submitted)

* Class X Board Examination certificate and mark sheet

* Class XII mark sheet and provisional certificate.

* Hindi passing certificate ( VIII/ X/ XII class)

* SC/ ST/ OBC certificate in the name of the candidate, only issued by the designated authority/ declaration/ undertaking by the OBC candidates ( for OBC candidates only)

* 3 non- attested passport size photographs

MINIMUM ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS:-

1. Candidates seeking migration into II Year Programme Courses are required to have passed I Year Under-Graduate Examination with the required percentage as per the college’s criteria.

2. Should have passed Main Papers, Subsidiary Subjects/Concurrent Courses and Qualifying Subjects.

3. Candidates are required to submit a copy of Provisional Certificate/ Statement of Marks of passing Class XII Examination.  The Candidate must have passed 12th class examination in five subjects.

NOTE:-

Candidates, whose result has not been declared so far, can submit the Application within a week after the declaration of their results. The same should be confirmed from the administration of the college of preference as well.

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News

Gearing up for the Games

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Apart from the construction of metro bridges and the ‘constant efforts’ to modify and embellish this city, the most recent tiding that is keeping the hullabaloo of the Commonwealth Games alive is the staggering number of volunteer requirement. The Commonwealth Games is the biggest international event being hosted by India since the Asian Games of 1982.Tthe Ministry of Youth Affairs has therefore approached Delhi University and other major universities like JNU with its concern regarding volunteer requirements. The Ministry has decided to recruit at least 7000 volunteers and has already approached 63 colleges including colleges like Lady Sri Ram College for Women, briefing the staff and the students about their requirements.

The Volunteer Management Programme has been modeled after the Beijing Olympics where even high school students had to go through a number of recruitment stages. The Ministry hopes to follow such a pattern and will be dividing the volunteers into two broad categories – ‘the general volunteers’ and the ‘specific volunteers’. The general volunteers would be responsible for hospitality like welcoming, guiding and catering to the guests’ comforts while the specific category would be responsible for various sport specific jobs. The volunteers will be trained accordingly with their first session of drills beginning this October. This introductory session would be held within the college premises for approximately 20 days where the volunteers will be trained in basic etiquette, courtesy and other modalities.

This sure is a colossal event with 54 participating nations, represented by over 70 teams. Over 8500 international athletes swarming across the streets of Delhi and we as students of DU get to interact with them (provided we volunteer). We have been assured that the volunteers will be given national certificates and comforts such as safe transport for the girl volunteers.

For once let us not be lured into volunteering for want of a certificate but realize that it is a big event for our country and try and make it nearly as big as the Beijing Olympics if not exactly as good, after all it is a weighty opportunity for us too! Events like the Commonwealth do not happen everyday.

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Uncategorized

RTI Applicants brood over faulty implementation

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A young mind is full of questions, driven with a passion to change the world, and the Right to information Act or RTI is the perfect tool for them.

Right to Information Act, from its very inception, aimed at initiating change. You ask for ‘it’ and you get ‘it’. This is the basic premise of RTI. It ensures a smooth and immediate, ‘hassle free’ flow of information.

However in Delhi University atleast, the procedure for filing an RTI is far from hassle free. As veteran RTI activist and co-ordinator of the Youth Task Force RTI- Josh4India, Aditya Prasad comments, “At times, I feel RTI is losing its charm because the authorities are not serious in implementing it and the public is not too eager to use it. The way the Commission functions and Appellate Authorities act the fight seems endless. They are making it difficult for the common man to use his right.”

In 2007, Aditya Prasad, a student of Delhi University, challenged the transparency of the newly formed internal assessment system at DU.  He filed RTI applications to get details about the internal assessment procedures followed by various colleges and universities. Universities like Indraprastha and Jamia Milia provided him with satisfactory response.

However DU and its colleges refused to cooperate. “Some colleges had the audacity to say that they were not under the RTI act. DU’s approach is vague and they have not uploaded any manual as well. They call themselves a university but every college has its own rules and regulations for giving out information.” says Aditya.

All this added up to DU’s violation of section 4 under the RTI act.

Aditya says “Under one of the provisions of Section 4 all public authorities are supposed to maintain all their records duly catalogued and indexed in a manner that facilitates the Right to Information.”

After a year full of complications, in 2008, Central Information Commission (CIC) hauled up DU and its affiliated colleges for not implementing section 4 of the Right to Information Act (RTI).

A deadline of 14th November 2008 was assigned to DU to update all of its online manuals, publish copies for public reference and make sure that all the colleges do the same by November 14.

“Since then, till now, we have had no concrete change. In January2007, I wrote several applications for non compliance of the CIC orders but to no avail” says Aditya.

In his crusade for the RTI he has been threatened to the extent of failing him in his University examinations. But, that till now, hasn’t deterred him from taking these steps.

On June 7th of this year CIC along with Delhi University conducted a seminar for the Principals of various Delhi University colleges regarding the necessary implementation of the RTI act.

As we keep our fingers crossed, Aditya says, “Hope it works this time!”

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