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How AECC Subjects Do More Harm Than Good

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DU has made some courses compulsory under the CBCS system that are supposed to enhance your abilities. However, there are infinetely may loopholes that make them more harmful than beneficial for students.

Under the CBCS syllabus, the third point of the University of Delhi (DU)  website introduces the concept of Ability Enhancement Compulsory Courses (AECC) which are Environmental Science and English Communication/MIL Communication. (http://www.du.ac.in/du/uploads/Syllabus_2015/BAProgEnglish.pdf)

Though they are claimed to be easy courses that enhance the understanding and skills of students, there exist many loopholes that impede a student’s inclination to study these subjects.

Firstly, it is important to mention that it is in school itself that we become excited about college as we finally get to choose the subjects we want to study. However, once we are at college we come to realise that the torture isn’t over. It is hard to understand why some subjects are  compulsory on the college level when it is the stage we should be specialising in our chosen fields. It is not sensible to believe that after almost 14 years of formal education, students have not learnt how to communicate or to take care of the environment. It is an underestimation of the students and the schooling system itself.

Furthermore, the subjects claim to be essential to mould our personality into a better one. However, it is important to remember that a change in mindset canbe achieved when a child is in the earlier stages of development. It would also make sense to be taught in the primary level if it is so essential as it can be considered an early start to knowledge.

Moreover, the syllabus of the subjects is vast and specialised, not with the purpose of increasing awareness and understanding.It adds to the burden of the studies. There are formulas, complex compound names, etc that an individual can do without, and at the same timebe sensitive to his/her surroundings.

Inspite of that, it is not a pass subject. It adds in the final GPA of a student and is a reflection of the marks of the subjects that a graduate didn’t choose for herself/himself. More often than not, it brings down the percentage by a large margin This does not only affect the studies but the future prospects of the students, too. Therefore, in this world of competition, it is an added burden that doesn’t let the students reach their full potential and ends up reflecting badly on the CVs.

Heeya Khanna, an English Honours student from Miranda House, like many other students, claims that  AECC subjects are “Outdated, a wastage of time and repetition of what we had been taught in school.”

With so many students who agree with this thought, it is important that the authorities pay heed to this collective opinion to either scrap or make amends in the syllabus.

 

Feature Image Credits: Daily Mail

Khyati Sanger
[email protected]

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DUB Speak

Why Attendance Marks are Unfair

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One of the most debatable regulations of the University of Delhi is that of attendance marks. Not only does it restrict one’s right to choice, but also poses as a forceful and logically unfair rule. Though the concept of minimum attendance can still be logically debated, attendance marks must be scrapped.     

One of the most debatable regulations of DU is the allocation of marks in accordance with percentage attendance.

Clause 2.2.3.  (http://grs.du.ac.in/Important%20University%20Rules.htm)

There shall be 5% weightage for attending lectures regularly. The credit rating is as follows:

67-70%: 1 Mark
70-75%: 2 Marks
75-80%: 3 Marks
80-85%: 4 Marks
85% above: 5 marks

Though this should not be considered an objection to the minimum attendance criteria, marks for attendance is not a fair practice and can easily be ruled out with reason if the authorities are willing to listen.

It is an almost ‘forceful’ method of making the students attend the classes and is based on the wrong assumption that marks, an indication of a student’s capability and understanding of the curriculum, will increase in relation to the number of days one attends college. College is a student’s choice and the people who are genuinely interested in the lecture will attend it irrespective of this, while the others who attend college for the 5 “free marks” end up disrupting the teaching-learning process entirely. The college logic is somewhat like:at the age of 18, our students, who have the right to vote for who governs us will definitely not have the intelligence to decide how many classes they must attend. It needs to be understood that the ‘students’ they are teaching have already developed their character, thoughts, and decision making power. It is not logical to thus, regulate matters of their ability to choose.

Instead of keeping marks as the incentive, DU should work on making its classes interesting enough for students to attend on their own. They must note the attendance in order to judge the classroom experience. When teachers know that to avoid teaching empty classrooms they’d have to work hard, it is sure to raise the level of teaching!Furthermore, it is important to note that not all the students live in the same proximity to the campus. Some students are one hundred twenty minutes away, while some others live right inside the campus. The proximity makes the task of attending the classes difficult or easier respectively,and is therefore, not fair to all. Last minute cancellation of classes or a single class a day further discourages students who live far away from attending  college.

Marks are supposed to be given to those students who are aware about the course they are pursuing. However, this rule is just a like a transaction of time to gain marks. Just by attending classes one cannot guarantee that the student has gained any more information about the subject. It is important to see how this system also leads to partial score inflation. Aftera student’s score on tests or other assessments increases,it does not reflect any genuine improvements in learning. Due to this, the final marks of a student with less aptitude may even be greater than that of student with more aptitude. Attendance has turned just into a formality! It is now rather the reverse psychology that further demotivates the students.

Darshita Sharma, a student from Sri Ventakeshwara College, says, “This actually moulds the student’s mind in a way where they just have to fight for marks.Relating marks with everything will not really help educating students.”

Furthermore, it needs to be mentioned that learning can happen outside the classroom too! One’s CV is not decorated by marks alone. One needs to indulge in extra curriculum, internships, and work experience  in order to make one’s impression. These don’t always provide ECA or work according to the college timings and therefore, are the easiest way to lose out on attendance. However, the student is still gaining practical knowledge; something that can never happen within the classroom. But it is reflected badly on the CV with lesser marks.

Lastly, it should not be thought that it is a drastic new change. DU’s FYUP had done away with this ordeal and it’s time to scrap it for the others too.

Professor Jenny from the English Department of Miranda House is one amongst the many lecturers who disagrees with the system. Providing alternatives, she said, “Instead of hyper focusing on attendance, we need to give more importance to creating syllabi that is relevant for students from diverse social locations , move out of the boring lecture mode of teaching , have smaller classrooms and make the classroom a more interesting and interactive space. For this we need more funding in education and a rethinking of educational policies, both at the primary and higher levels.”

 

 

Image Credits : TimeSheets

Khyati Sanger
[email protected]

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Reviews

5 Best European Restaurants in Delhi

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Tight budgets, extra classes, and pick up street food aptly sums up your life if you’re in the University of Delhi. An average day in a student’s life is constituent of meeting deadlines, pushing deadlines, and daydreaming about food. So why not take a day off and forget the budget to treat yourself at one of Delhi’s numerous culinary marvels.

The following list will take you on a journey through the flip side of sustenance with 5 restaurants to indulge your fanciful food cravings from.

Caution: These places come with the risk of making your already tight monthly budget, even tighter.

1.Cafe Dori (Dhan Mill Compound, 100 Feet Road, Chhatarpur)

The cafe venture of an already famous luxury leather brand, Nappa Dori, Cafe Dori doesn’t disappoint in terms of both food and ambiance. Hidden in the Dhan Mill compound on hundred feet road, this relatively new cafe is what dreams are made of. With a wide space constituent of Nappa Dori’s ideation center, shop and cafe, the minimalist setting and clean interiors are perfect for those who want an authentic taste of Europe.

2. Cafe Diva (N Block Market, Greater Kailash–1)

One of celebrity chef Ritu Dalmia’s many restaurants in Delhi, Cafe Diva is something straight out of the Sex and the City. Its modern interiors, sparkling Pellegrino and a wide range of wine will definitely be worth the hole in your pocket. Situated in the N Block market of Greater Kailash 1, this is the perfect place to rest your tired toes and nourish your famished soul after a long day of shopping.

3.FatJar Cafe & Market (Block A, Kailash Colony)

The new kid on the block, FatJar Cafe and Market is the place to be, especially if you’re in the mood for some of the best gourmet pizza in town. Located in a rather obscure part of Kailash Colony, this place is easy to miss if you’re passing by. Their wood fire oven defuses the delectable fragrance of fresh pizza before it even reaches your table. It has a dynamic menu that changes every day as per the chef’s new creations along with the option to purchase different types of meats, cheeses, and pastas among other homemade items offered in their wide range of European products.

4. Fig and Maple (Block M, Greater Kailash II)

From the owner of Ivy and Bean, comes Fig and Maple, the Continental and Italian, a restaurant in Greater Kailash II. The saying: we eat with our eyes first, applies perfectly to Fig and Maple’s aesthetic food presentation and it only gets better when you take that first bite. Breakfast has never looked better with their absolutely stunning pancakes and juicy pulled meat burgers. While stiff with their pricing, this place definitely delivers in terms of both food and presentation.

5. Andrea’s eatery (First Floor, Select City Walk)

Hidden in a small corner of the bustling Select City Walk, is this cosy European restaurant that serves Italian, Thai, and Indonesian cuisine. With a delightfully unusual menu in the form of a cookbook, the restaurant has a wide variety of pasta, risotto, and ravioli among other Italian delicacies. It’s attractive lighting, overall ambiance, and delicious food makes this a place a must visit.

While stiff with their pricing, these restaurants are sure to offer you an experience like never before. With Delhi’s culinary scene bustling with marvelous flavours and cuisines from all over the world, we’ve just scratched the surface of the numerous brilliant restaurants out there. Treat yourself to some luxury, it’ll be worth it.

 

Feature Image Credits: Redfoodie

Meher Gill

[email protected]

 

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The Evolution of Chocolate

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“Research tells us that fourteen out of ten individuals like chocolates.” – Sandra Boynton

American humorist, Sandra Boynton is not wrong when she talks about the statistics with reference to chocolate lovers. I mean, who would dedicate an entire day (7th July) in celebration of something if they did not feel an immense amount of love for its existence? This rich, smooth, and creamy invention is easily one of mankind’s most versatile and delicious foods to exist. Dark, white, milk, and everything in between, there’s something for everyone.

However, what we now know strictly as a delicious food item, actually had a more important function to serve upon its inception. It all started back in Mesoamerica where cacao (the plant from which chocolate is made) was so precious that it was actually used as a currency! We honestly aren’t even surprised. Given the freedom, I too would love a world where peace prevailed and world trade flourished on cacao seeds. However, before this seed was converted into the delicious sweet treat, it went through a series of experimentation as both drinks and dishes to become what it is today. Its earliest use was in drinks made out of spices and sometimes even corn puree. Not the ideal combination, but practice does make perfect after all.

Deemed as an aphrodisiac, the substance was and continues to be believed to increase libido, thus making it a popular contributor to consumerism, among couples both young and old.

The question still remains: how and where it started its journey into the world of dessert. The first time cacao adopted its sweet form was with its arrival in Europe, for which we can thank Christopher Columbus. Sugar was added to cacao as well as to the romantic idea that this substance, this manna from heaven, with its magical powers, would give you power over women. Despite this myth being completely false, cacao drinks still continued to be served in gold cups and worshipped as a sinful indulgence that everyone should partake in. Interestingly enough, the Catholic Church of the time did attempt to label cacao and the popular frothed chocolate made from it, as “daemonic Diablo” or in simpler terms, pure evil and associated with Satan himself. This failed miserably and people refused to submit to the church and continued enjoying their cacao, either sugared or spiced.

Then came along the momentous movement of Industrialisation, the dark and light of all mankind, during which it took on its famous shape as a chocolate bar. There was no looking back after that. We now live in world of all kinds, shapes, sizes, and brands of chocolate to satiate even the toughest of taste buds. While Companies like Hershey’s made their mark in the United States, the classic Dairy Milk chocolates revolutionised the Indian market for chocolate along with Nestle, making it India’s most popular chocolate brand.

No matter what the age or location the chocolate had, it does and always will continue to dominate the hearts and minds of millions across the world.

 

Feature Image Credits: Kaedeen

Meher Gill

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5 Things to Remember When Life Knocks You Down

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It is on multiple occasions that life knocks you down and all you can do is lie in a pool of tears till you muster enough strength to get back up. It is easy to feel that life is miserable and that you’re never getting over this, however, some reminders can make it seem easier and less dramatic.

1. You aren’t alone

I need you to remember that you are just one amongst many people that life has knocked down. In fact, all the people in the world have felt the way you are feeling right now. However, some of them have reached the pinnacles of happiness and others are going down the lane of depression. I need you to go and study the struggle stories of successful people, right after you are done reading this. And, I need you to follow that path. Don’t tell yourself you can’t do it. They have been exactly where you are and they did it. So can you.

2. You have a Purpose

When you are down on the floor, gasping for breath, you will find a reason to get back up when you find a purpose. Do not be intimidated by that term. A purpose can be one for life or one for the day. The important bit is to find it. Do not overthink. Go out there and explore. To find your purpose is not to think about it for a day or month. It can be taking care of your dog, running a blog, spreading smiles, or doing whatever makes you happy. Just create your purpose and let it become your drive!

3. You are lucky

Now, this might be the most ridiculous thing that can be said to a struggling person. But it really is true. Imagine not struggling at all. That’s what you want, right? Or imagine struggling only as much as you can “take it”. Now, imagine the entire world being able to talk about, relate to, and be concerned about the issues of unbearable struggle. And you, just not being able to figure out what they are saying because you haven’t struggled enough.
You would lose touch with reality and humanity. You would desperately want to feel what all the other humans are able to feel. Whatever you are struggling with right now is going to make you a stronger person, no matter what. You may temporarily feel weak, but you’ll emerge a stronger person. In all success stories, you’ll find one thing in common: struggle. So hey, that’s one checkbox ticked on your path to success!

4. You have a Savior 

And that person is not your best friend, your parent, or your therapist. No, no, not your God either. Your savior is you.
Do not underestimate the effect you have on yourself! It is eventually you who decides what to take in and what not to. The decision may be conscious or unconscious, but it is yours! You are your own savior because you are with yourself all the time. You are your own savior because no one can step into your mind except you. You are your savior because eventually, the person who you have to spend your every second, entire life with is you. You are your biggest influence. And if you feel your savior is not doing a very good job, maybe it is time to change for the sake of yourself.

5. It is not that serious

In spite of everything that happens in life, life goes on. It is our mind which creates the entire aura of seriousness around a situation most of the time when it did not exist in the first place. Most of the time, the situation ceases to remain serious when it becomes the past. You can laugh at the most ‘serious’ situations in life afterward. And even if what you are going through is very grave, five years from now, it won’t hurt that much. Do not get me wrong. I am not saying your situation isn’t dire. All I want to say is, don’t equate your life to your struggles. You are more than that.

 

Feature Image Credits: Mindful

Khyati Sanger
[email protected]

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DUB Speak

Obituary: Winnie Madikizela Mandela

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On 2nd April, Winnie Mandela, popular liberationist South African leader and wife of Nelson Mandela passed away. This is a look at her life, her struggle and her legacy.
South Africa’s troubled icon for Black rights, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela passed away on 2nd April after a long bout of illness. Known for her outspoken activism for the rights of the indigenous South Africans, Mama Winnie, as she is lovingly known, had been the helm of the African National Congress during the long twenty-seven years when her husband, Nelson Mandela had been in prison. However, her career soon ricocheted into a dark turn when she was accused of fraud, assault and murder.

Winnie Mandela was born in the district of Pondoland to a family of nine children. Engaging herself in social work, she soon met Nelson and right from the beginning they were taken by each other, despite the wide age gap between them (Winnie was 23 and Nelson was nearly 40). They soon got married although Nelson soon had to return to Johannesburg where he was being tried for treason. Despite her pregnancy, Winnie continued with her political work, taking part in anti-apartheid demonstrations and even battling against her own family for colluding with the white colonial government. In 1964, when Mandela was imprisoned, Winnie was left at the helm of ANC in the public sphere and fulfilled the role with great difficulty.
It was, however, her first major imprisonment in May 1969 that changed Winnie forever. She was imprisoned for political agitation and tortured continuously for 17 months. Winnie often suffered from paranoia even after she was released, unduly defensive about herself and being suspicious of everybody. In 1977, the state exiled her to Brandfort, away from her home at Soweto. She was kept under open, 24 hours surveillance which had a crippling effect on her life. She was involved in a number of violent incidents there including the assault of a nine-year-old. In the 1980s, after her release, under the name of Mandela United Football Club, Winnie’s bodyguards terrorised Soweto culminating in the infamous murder of Stompie Seipei, an ANC activist and a suspected informant. Winnie was convicted and sentenced to 6 years in jail but this was later reduced to a fine. There were even reports of children going missing after being threatened by Ms. Mandela’s bodyguards. However, Winnie often claimed that a political smear campaign against her had been afoot.

However, Nelson Mandela’s release in 1990 proved that Winnie was back in the playing field. She was appointed as the deputy minister of arts, culture, technology in South Africa’s first majority rule government. However, Mandela soon fired her for allegations of fraud as well as unauthorised travel abroad. In 1996, both of them separated for good, Mandela later marrying Graca Machel in 1998. After that, Winnie continued to dominate politics despite being accused several times of fraud, being re-elected in parliament under Jacob Zuma, the former South African President. She was present at Mandela’s funeral in 2013 along with his wife.

After her death, hundreds thronged her home at Soweto. A state funeral was given to her. Zuma who visited her home in Soweto said “One of our pillars has fallen. One of our leaders has departed.” Winnie’s chequered history might be troublesome for present and future generations of South Africans to reconcile with. However, like her given name, Nomzamo, meaning “one who endures trials”, Winnie Mandela’s legacy would continue to be a part of the nation’s subversive history.

 

Feature Image Credits: Daily Monitor

Sara Sohail
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Just 1’s and 0’s: Endangered Digital Privacy of our Times

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The recent Cambridge Analytica scandal has brought the issue of privacy in a digital age close to our screens again. The article traces how such revelations point towards an increasingly dangerous world where our privacy is highly compromised.
Recently, Facebook has been in choppy waters with its stocks dipping and a “delete Facebook” campaign doing the rounds. Allegations by whistleblower Christopher Wiley showed how the US based data mining firm Cambridge Analytica harvested data from over 50 million American users of Facebook for “psychological profiling” during the Trump campaign. According to Wiley, he met Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist, who orchestrated a deal between the firm and hedge-fund billionaire Robert Mercer that led to Wiley and his team engaging in what he calls “full-service propaganda”. By partnering with a Cambridge professor, Aleksandr Krogan who built an app called “thisisyourdigitallife”, the firm gained access to information on millions of Facebook users as well as their friends, unbeknownst to both Facebook and the users. However, this story is not new. Facebook had been informed of Cambridge Analytica back in 2015 and although it had demanded the data on users to be deleted, no follow-up measures had been taken after that. In a recent CNN interview, Zuckerberg apologised saying “We have a basic responsibility to protect people’s data and if we can’t do that then we don’t deserve the opportunity to serve people.”

Even though some experts believe that the amount of people that the data was taken from could be overstated, it is nevertheless evident that there are some crucial aspects to such a story which makes it noteworthy. Firstly, it is evident that regardless of the reliability of Wiley’s claim we now inhabit an increasingly frightening world where even our private communications can be easily monitored. This is not a hyperbole as was seen back in 2013. Former NSA contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked millions of documents of the intelligence agency National Security Agency (NSA) of the US and its programs like PRISM, Upstream etc. that again collects bulk information from people both within the US and outside the US through their cell phones, emails, texts, and social media. Large companies like Google, Yahoo, Facebook, and Apple Inc. were also seen to be complicit in allowing the US government access to their servers. In an interview, Snowden called these companies the “surveillance sheriffs” of the NSA.
Secondly, the kind of information we have access to through our social media often determines our political views, our ideas and our actions, and when there are vested interests in spreading such information, the narrative gets coloured by propaganda.

In an interview with the Guardian, Wiley notes how Cambridge Analytica had a bunch of developers working to create content that would be receptive to the target population. He calls it “an unethical experiment where you’re playing with the psychology of an entire nation…in the context of a democratic process.” The firm, according to a report by The Quartz, also collaborated with various political parties during elections in India through its operation centres. The firm has its offices in ten Indian cities including Ahmedababd, Cuttack, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indore, Kolkata, Patna, and Pune. While it is not unusual for political parties to partner with tech firms to “better understand the political environment”, when there is deliberate, reckless tampering with the private data of citizens to do this, there is a great possibility of the crumbling down of a shared sense of understanding, as Wiley observes.

Thirdly, we need to understand that our privacy is tenuous and free will might just be an illusion. Our social media profiles, when connected to the other countless apps we use, creates certain digital profiles which could provide key aspects of our identity, our personalities to anyone who might have access to them. In such a case, we need to hold our representatives and the authorities in charge responsible for the protection of our already diminishing privacy. The recent controversy regarding the Aadhaar card in India saw many experts casting doubt on the reliability of the biometrics used as well as the implementation of the scheme itself.
Lastly, our digital privacy determines our physical privacy. Cyber crimes over the years are testament to this fact. In such a case, there is a crucial need for an informed public debate on the responsibility that comes with allowing access to governmental and private agencies our information. There is also a greater responsibility on the part of us as citizens to have a healthy dose of scepticism (as Wiley says) while coming across any information in the media. The more doubtful we are, the more likely are we to make informed decisions.

 

Feature Image Credits: Time

Sara Sohail
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Fandom

Tinsel University: Cultural Icons of DU

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From theatre artists to filmmakers to photographers, the list of remarkable alumni associated with the University of Delhi runs into volumes. The article focuses on some such names for whom the university played a crucial role and who continues to inspire its students.

While researching for this article, I bumped into some surprising names I had no idea were part of the University, a humbling reminder of the generations of history that this place has kept hidden. While we have all heard of Shahrukh Khan’s Hansraj and KMC being called the “Bachchan College”, there are many others in the field of entertainment and arts who used to walk the same corridors as we do today. Here is our not-so-comprehensive list of notable alumni in such (and allied) fields:

  1. Deepa Mehta: The critically acclaimed director who shot to fame because of her films like Fire (1996), Earth (1998), and Water (2005) is an alumnus of Lady Shri Ram College for Women in philosophy. While some have called her a transnational filmmaker, Mehta’s films have often broken boundaries such as Fire, a fierce lesbian love story that hit a whirlpool of controversy with its release. The film stars Nandita Das, a Miranda House alumni and Khulbushan Kharbanda, a Kirori Mal graduate.
  2. Rohit Bal: A leading fashion designer in India, Bal hails from Kashmir and is a graduate in history honours from St. Stephen’s College. The city also saw him starting his career with his brother Rajiv Bal in 1986. Today, Bal’s collections are sought after all over Bollywood and many celebrities like Arjun Rampal, Kareena Kapoor, and Shilpa Shetty have walked the ramp for him.
  3. Anjolie Ela Menon: Veteran painter and Padma Shri awardee, Menon is a graduate in English honours from Miranda House. She is now considered one of the leading contemporary artists of India, her paintings beings showcased in major collections all over the world.
  4. Anurag Kashyap: The gritty, “director of the masses”, is an alumnus of Hansraj College. Kashyap’s films such as Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) and D (2009) have been both commercial and critical successes pushing him into the limelight.
  5. Manoj Bajpayee: National Award-winning actor Manoj Bajpayee studied in both in Satywati College and Ramjas College, immersing himself in the campus theatre scene during his college days. As he told Times of India, “Those three years of DU were life-changing for me. I went from someone who could not read the front page of the Times of India to reading George Bernard Shaw and Shakespeare.”

 

Feature Image Credits: 24 Update News

Sara Sohail

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Arts & Culture

Where are the Queer Movies, Bollywood?

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Take any mainstream movie since the inception of Bollywood and you’re bound to find the same storyline where a boy meets a girl, they fall in love, and the rest is history. While such a conception of love and romance is seriously misleading in itself, the lack of representation of queer people, particularly queer love, is abhorrent.

The term ‘love story’ is used for movies of the romance genre, to be more precise they stand for a heterosexual version of love stories. Any discussion on the queer world and view in Bollywood seems a distant luxury. In the past several years, gay characters have had the ‘privilege’ to score themselves some space, but such characters are based on unhealthy and homophobic stereotypes. It seems that Bollywood directors and producers see the LGBTQ+ population as feminine men trying to hit on straight men. Anything beyond that is an unexplored territory.

The LGBTQ+ population is reduced to punch lines and is projected in the inferior-superior standard that has been built by society. Queer people are not comic reliefs! Asking for a role model worthy character is too much to ask right now. What is desirable is the adequate representation of queer people.

It is interesting how movies like ‘Aligarh’, ‘Fire’, ‘My Brother Nikhil’, and ‘LOEV’ become art films, rather than mainstream films. Is it the lack of audience or the lack of marketing, one needs to ask themselves. Another issue with queer cinema in India is its tragic ends. While heterosexual children are brought up on extremely dubious and exaggerated hopes of ‘true love’, queer children are brought up on extremely sad movies.

Up until the soon-to-be-released film ‘Evening Shadows’, realistic queer movie shave been banned or protested against. Why? The censor board cites ‘glorifying homosexuality’, ‘accentuation of vital parts’ of the male body, the portrayal of Hinduism in a ’derogatory manner’ as reasons. Ironically, the censor board goes blind when movies ‘glorify’ heterosexuality and accentuate the ‘vital parts’ of the female body. We are guessing that the ideals of ‘Hinduism’ must allow it.

Realism in Bollywood is important. Not only do we need a realistic expectation of heterosexual love, but an introduction of authentic queer character facing real challenges, overcoming them, building families, and being happy the way they are. Movies on self-discovery are also vital to allow queer people to relate their self-discovery journeys and becoming comfortable with their identities.

 

Feature Image Credits: Netflix

Raabiya Tuteja
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Arts & Culture

World Theatre Day: Celebrating Stories through the Stages

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“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts”

These famous lines from one of Shakespeare’s brilliant pastoral comedy, As You Like It, has become the beacon of hope for many in their existential bouts. The magical world of theatre had transformed how those before our time lived their lives and continues to inspire the generations to come.
This world theatre day, we celebrate all those who have contributed to the dynamic field of theatre and pursue to do so all around the world and, more close to home, in the University of Delhi (DU) circuit. Before we jump into the vibrant world of DU theatre circuit, a small introduction to where it all started.

We can thank the small country of Greece for being the birthplace of one of the world’s oldest art forms, theatre. Incepted in ancient Greece, this 5000year-old art form is a result of ceremonial and ritualistic practices that took place in the everyday lives of ancient Greeks. Interestingly enough the term theatre existed, but not as a separate entity. It was a constituent of an already existing culture of performance that included ritualistic practices, music, politics, poetry, weddings, funerals, and many more such activities which were a part of Greeks lifestyle. Participation in such theatrical practices was not considered recreational, but rather necessary for citizenship and to assert one’s existence as an active member of society.

Oh! how the artists of our era would kill for their performance to be mandatory, but nevertheless, despite all the struggle and starvation, we are blessed to bear witness to their brilliant pieces of work. Be it nukkad or stage productions, the talented dramatics societies of Delhi University never disappoint. The beat of the drum announcing their arrival in college has become a familiar resonance. You know when you hear ‘YAY YAY DRAMSOC’ there’s a special treat in store for you. The culture of performance is used conscientiously to highlight the socio-cultural problems of our society. It elucidates serious issues and comedic adaptations alike. Social evils like body shaming, rape culture, bullying, caste struggle, etc are covered along with dramatic adaptations of Shakespeare’s Macbeth or William Congreve’s restoration comedy, The Way of the World.
Theatre has never been restricted to the stage and over the years, DU’s theatre circuit has evolved into a platform for social change and activism.
We talked to some of the genius minds behind these theatrical masterpieces to get a better sense of what theatre means to those who create these wonderful performances.

“A play always has layers of social issues. We pick a play with normal setting and then we try to un-layer the characters by working with the undertone,” says Meenal Bhalla, Vice President of Verbum, the English Dramatics Society of Sri Venkateswara College.
“Theatre can transform your life, with respect to the environment of the society and the kind of plays you do. With theatre, you are forced to think about the smallest of things: questions like, ‘How should I treat my mother?’, ‘Is the love behind pedophilia justified?’
It makes you more patient and understanding and opens up your mind to different perspectives, especially when you sit and watch someone else’s production, you see their side of the story and try to connect it to the environment of the society that you live in”, says Meenal.

Over the years, the themes for the productions by Shri Ram College of Commerce’s (SRCC) dramatics society have ranged from sexual abuse, acceptance of the mentally challenged, and the education system. Alaukika, Joint Secretary of SRCC’s DramSoc says, “Theatre started off as a hobby for me, but today with theatre, I feel like my voice can be heard and I actually understand the kind of impact it has on our lives, in the way a character can change your perspective.”

In the last 5 years, Kahkasha, the Hindi dramatics society of Jesus and Mary College has taken up issues like rape, corruption, the treatment towards the juvenile delinquents, and discrimination towards the LGBT community. “Theatre and Kahkasha have been everything to us. All that we have learned in the past three years is through Kahkasha. Acting is secondary, theatre teaches you how to express your emotions and be around people”, says Mallika Dutta, President of Kahkasha. Ananya, Vice President of Troubadours, The theatre society of Jesus and Mary College says, “Theatre attracts people. Live performances create a lot of impacts and you connect with your audience on a greater level. This year, we did a play on matriarchy in a control based society and how a matriarch tends to lose her power if she exerts it in the wrong way.”

Theatre is a culture in itself. It is based on interpretations, analogies, different perspectives, and points of view. It makes you wonder, question, think, criticise, and be. It is an art that lets you be completely free and creates a safe yet vulnerable space around you. It’s really important that we don’t let this art die down, rather create spaces for it to flourish.

We leave you with these pearls of wisdom provided by the drama geeks that walk amongst us. We hope this, if not encourages you to participate, then at least helps you appreciate those who take the pain to entertain and educate us.

 

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat

Meher Gill
[email protected]
Muskan Sethi
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