Maumil Mehraj, Author at DU Beat - Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper

An old-school relationship is about two people putting in their best effort, because what they see on the other side of the picture, is promising.

The best thing about love is choice. We get to consciously, deliberately choose who we fall, and stay in love with. Sure, there are scenarios of unrequited love, or inevitable heartbreaks, but the subject matter here are the lucky few, who have found themselves a partner worth working-hard for. These are the ones who landed in the lap of love in their first attempt, or experimented with the other fish in the sea before finally deciding that this is where their peace comes from. And no, let’s not belittle their feelings to something juvenile and fleeting, they do exist.

When we are representing the modern student community, who are educated in ways and forms far beyond their years (in a quantitative sense) we cannot not talk about concepts like Hedonism, or happiness of the self. Another way of looking at it would be realising that for old-school romantics, pure, undiluted love is where most of their happiness originates from.

While knowledge is, arguably, the most precious possession of a human, unnecessary knowledge from corrupt sources could be detrimental. There are a hundred different shows online exhibiting to you how fickle modern-day love is, and how every form of emotional attachment results in heartbreak. Some of us have had first-hand experience of, if not betrayal, just falling out of love. And then there is Tinder staring us in the face, perpetually drilling into us the need to swipe right.

What I am trying to propagate here is that social media, combined with peer-pressure has made us fall into this unforgiving loop of believing that love does not exist, whilst constantly making it a social compulsion to be associated with someone.

Love can be a beautiful feeling, provided both the individuals involved are on the same page. It should not be one person looking for a non-serious association (absolutely no derogatory undertones here) and the other shoving effort down their partner’s throats. Experimenting is essential, life is not a Disney movie. You need to educate your mind and familiarise your body around the concept of love. Be it looking at the emotional provocations, your connection with the person, or the gender that you prefer, discover yourself!

But then I am acting as a mouthpiece for those, who, with or without trying, have found a person they identify with on romantic grounds.

Love, in any which way, is a gamble. Any given day, it could stop working out. But you trust the other person, regardless. It is not an anxious, obsessive feeling of fear of loss, rather an almost homely feeling where you are safe in the knowledge that there is a person you can fall back to when everything else falls apart.

To put the idea in very simple terms, an old-school relationship is like an extended version of the best part of love – courtship. Where you are building emotional intimacy, rather than physical intimacy. One does not change the other person in a way that they are morphed into a replica of theirs. But there is room for improvement for both as they grow together in love. There is mutual effort, a two-way exchange of approval and forgiveness. They don’t leave the relationship when the slightest of inconveniences comes their way. You see, that is the easy thing to do, but it does take away all of the beauty.

Most importantly, the two men, the two women, or the man and woman involved, do not complete each other, no! They are not hemispheres that need their counterparts to become whole. They exist as two separate entities looking for companionship that is deep-rooted and pristine.
Love does not have to grow old, or be limited to a day.

Image Credits: wellsanfrancisco
Image Caption: Old-school love is difficult, but rewarding.

Maumil Mehraj
[email protected]

Keep Reading

auburn umbrella

Auburn Umbrella: Fashion for Days You Don’t Feel Fashionable

By Maumil Mehraj February 18, 2019

We all have days where merely getting out of bed is a mammoth task, let alone doing your makeup or getting dressed. Unfortunately, we do not have the luxury of switching-off life and responsibilities, and have to show up. Here is a little support.

“Accept that someday what pains you now will surely pain you less.” – Cheryl Strayed.

The first thing we have to realise is that it is okay to have bad days. We are emotional beings, sensitive to feelings, and have a direct reaction to the situation that surrounds us. While there are so many stimuli, almost constantly tugging at our brains, it becomes impossible for us to always feel good. Flipside, this is actually a phase where we discover ourselves, get to know us better. We must cherish it as much as we cherish our good days, because these have more educational value in them.
Be it stress because of college, a change in relationships, or how your body is feeling, we may not necessarily want to dress up. For the people who menstruate, it may get especially uncomfortable and undesirable to get dressed while they are on their period. But we have places to go to, lectures to attend, schedules to follow, and can’t let go of all our responsibilities completely.
On such days, a little self-care can go a long way. When we put in just a little effort to look presentable, it instantly improves our mood and makes us feel better about ourselves.
“Getting up and getting ready isn’t about masking whatever it is that I am going through, it is really an outlet for me,” says Ingrid Nilsin, fashion and beauty guru. “It allows me to take care of myself in a way that feels good and allows me to invest time in myself.”
We all need to take care of ourselves on days only we can help us. Listed below are tips that could help you:
1. On such days, the best way to go is to stick to basics. Anything new or crazy could wait till a sunnier day comes. Psychology suggests wearing clothes that have good memories attached to them lifts you mood. Be it a T-shirt that you got at a concert, the sweater that reminds you of home, or the shoes that you wore on a particular picnic, wear them.

2. I would like to make it very clear that period, within itself, isn’t a reason to not wear white tights. There is absolutely no shame in staining your clothes. And a pair of black tights will stain just as well as their white counterparts, even if the world can’t see that. The real question here is that of comfort. I know there are people who are most comfortable in skinny jeans, and high heels. But if somebody makes it imperative for you to wear a certain type of clothing on your period, that becomes a problem. Wear whatever feels good to you, listen to what your body is telling you, and go from there.

3. We all have a ‘uniform’. These are the type of clothes we subconsciously gravitate towards, based on how they look and feel on you. According to Harper’s Bazaar, “Everyone should make the most of the knowledge of what suits (them), all stylish people have a uniform.” On days like these, it is best to stick to our uniform because that is a familiar and tested method of looking good.

4. It is best to keep the makeup minimal on these days, but paying attention to skincare. Most people do not sleep well or enough in such days, making their skin dry and dull. A hydrating face mask, a lotion that smells good, these are things that will make you feel better, and allow your skin to breathe.

Dressing up and doing your makeup is a privilege, and it should bring you nothing but joy. Taking the smallest of steps on down-days will make you feel infinitely better, and there is no reason for that to not happen. Apart from all this, eat healthy, stay hydrated, and remember that this, too, shall pass.

Image credits: Business World
Image caption: Bad days don’t mean the end of the world

Maumil Mehraj
[email protected]

Keep Reading

Campus Central

LSR’s Seminar on Veganism Turns into a Cultural Attack

By Maumil Mehraj February 17, 2019

The row started with students being outraged after the panel allegedly attacked meat-eaters, using derogatory phrases like ‘they deserve to be beaten up’ and ‘them and their families will get cancer’.

Lady Shri Ram College (LSR), in collaboration with their National Service Scheme (NSS), had organized a seminar V4V (Valentine’s for the Voiceless), which led to a feeling of collective anger amongst the students because the talk was allegedly against the meat eating cultural minorities – the Muslims and the Dalits.

The panel consisted of Ambika Shukla, Director, Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre, Devika Srimal Bapna, founder Kanabis- a PETA approved vegan footwear for women, and Divya Parthasarthy, founder, Tails of Compassion, shelter home for animals. The event was to be centered around the theme ‘Culture and Cruelty’.

Post the event, some students of LSR exhibited their strong displeasure as Shukla used words like ‘thrashing up’ and ‘bashing’ to describe what should be done to people who ferry cows and cattle for slaughter. According to the student(s), Shukla said, to quote, “How fashionable it is for media to report on Muslim and Dalit lynching, with respect to the beef ban, but no one talks about the gau-rakshaks giving up their lives for cows.” The debate ostensibly morphed into a karmic issue wherein Shukla said, “unko cancer hoga, unki family mai cancer phailega’”(they will have cancer, which will spread to their families as well) while talking about the non-vegetarians.

“I have never felt so attacked, offended and unsafe at my own college’s event,” was a student’s concern, who wished to remain anonymous. “It is an absolutely flawed understanding of more complex and layered issues,” said another.

There is also the concern of this issue not being taken as gravely as it should. “Either they (the people who are hushing-up the incident) are from NSS, and are insecure about their reputation, or they are really ignorant and fail to see how meat eating is a choice influenced by various demographics,” was a student’s take on the matter. “They might also be scared, considering what the present admin’s attitude is towards dissent.”

The NSS’s side of the story is quite contradictory wherein the say that the way tthe opinion was voiced was hurtful and disrespectful, and they have asked the students of the University of Delhi and outside to ignore the post. They said that the panelists have been misquoted, and the talk hasn’t been represented in a rational and factual manner.

‘On the bright side, I am glad the panel achieved what it sought to achieve,’ read a text from a volunteer. ‘It made people aware of the cruelty towards animals, and induced thinking.’

When the issue of the NSS’s image being maligned came up, they said that they did not, in fact, control what the panelists go on to say. The post has been reduced to a ‘hate message’ by the organisers.

‘Overall, the session reeked of privilege, both caste and class. They discarded food choices as an idea altogether,’ read a text that was circulated soon after. “It is just that a lot of us really felt insecure listening to a person justifying lynching people in the name of protecting a cow. And making this a white versus black debate portraying non-vegetarians as essentially bad is disrespecting the freedom to choose that all of us have,” an LSR student said.

NSS Union and concerned authorities have not released an official statement as of yet. The report will be updated once the Union comments.

What really happened is still in a shaded area because it was not reported by an external organisation, and there, still, seems to exist a dispute between the parties.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat

Maumil Mehraj

[email protected]

Keep Reading

DUB Speak

Why Students should consider Moving Closer to College

By Maumil Mehraj February 9, 2019

There exists a love–hate relationship with travelling for students, but here is why you should consider moving closer to campus.

Some students look at the commuting hours as ‘me time’, catching up on reading or brushing up their talents.

“It has some advantages too, I complete my work, and it also gives me time to read newspaper or books. The travel time is also used to compensate for the lost sleep,” says Anoushka Sharma, a second-year student of Delhi School of Journalism.But mostly, it is an exhausting task that renders them fatigued.

Metro stations like Noida City Centre, Dwarka, or Huda City Centre feature college students in their College or society T-shirts, at extremely early hours of the day, with a book in their hand, earphones plugged in, desperately trying and failing to attend that 8:30 lecture.

A four-hour-commute is not an uncommon occurrence for many students of the Delhi University as, due to personal reasons or otherwise, they don’t shift on-campus, or to a PG or hostel close to college.

However, research has proven that a long commute could have detrimental effects on the health of the subject. Be it short-term harms like irritability or fatigue, or long-term ones like hypertension, depression, or risk of heart-attack. Even though these may seem like a far-fetched outcome at the moment, there are, still, inconveniences that students face on a daily-basis.

Many students throughout the University have classes scheduled at 8:30 A.M., which to be fair, is a very decent time to begin education. But for that, students have to leave their abodes as early as 6:30 – 7:00 A.M., and are often late to lectures. A more convenient option for them is to skip that class, and miss on that particular subject.

Sakshi Arora, a first-year English Honors student of Gargi College says that her first lecture gets skipped often, because if she were to be in college at 8:40 A.M., she would have to wake up at 6. And it is fact widely acknowledged that early-morning sleep in winters is rather close to all of our hearts.

Delhi University is famous for its extra-curricular and each society demands a lot of time. In doing so, the commute gets pushed to later hours, which is a problem for a lot of the students, especially girls. “I have been commuting from Gurgaon to North Campus for three years now. While the metro is comfortable, I still consider taking a PG every other week because of the long college hours, thanks to being involved in multiple college societies and other ECA work,” remarks Bhavya Banerjee, a third-year student of Daulat Ram College. “I have a curfew which I cannot miss, and it means compromising on my college, or society work,” Jaishree, a second-year Ramjas student adds.

The Delhi Metro is applauded and appreciated by almost all of the students. “My sister taunts me by calling metro my second home. I am in the metro for 4 hours every day,” Sharma says. But the catch here is that the metro isn’t as well developed in the peripheries as it is in Delhi. Even after the end-stations, most of the students have to take a bus, an auto, or a cab to reach their destination. While metro could arguably be called a safe method of travel, it usually doesn’t put an end to all of the problems.

Another problem that students face is the holes that commute burns in their pockets. College students are anyway on a non-liberal budget, and a considerable chunk of it is spent on autos and metros every day. “I pay a lot more for commute in a month than my college tuition for a semester,” Sakshi added.

Many colleges offer on-campus accommodation for students and it does not get much more convenient than that. Imagine waking up at 8:15 for an 8:30 lecture, and actually making it to class on time!

The three or four hours spent going to and for could be put to better use. I won’t be preachy and say that you should study every minute you get. But think of improving your debating skills, or practicing extra with the theatre group, or helping the kids at the NGO for an extra hour. There is a lot you could do when you have 240 extra minutes in your day.

When you get home, your commute does not stop there, the hangover is still following. The fatigue demands at least an hour of rest, and another for procrastination. So the four-hours that are actually seeping from your day are much more than that in actuality.

Many great PG and hostel facilities are coming up, not just around the North and the South campuses, but near off-campus colleges as well. So if living conditions are a problem, you could check that off of your list. If budget is a concern in this case, these rooms are also available on double or triple sharing basis, which substantially reduces the cost.

We have students like Akarsh Mathur, who say, “travelling from Noida is so difficult, that I go to college once a month.”

I leave you all to be the better judge of your situations, and understand that time is the most important resource that we have. We must not waste it.

Image credits: DU Beat

Maumil Mehraj

[email protected]

Keep Reading

Bazinga

Bazinga: DU to have a Strict No-Cellphone Policy Inside Campus

By Maumil Mehraj January 12, 2019

A tug-of-war between students and the administration is common across colleges in the University of Delhi, where the former sees the policy as regressive, and the latter is welcoming of it.

In an official statement by the Delhi University (DU) administration, dated 1st January 2019, it is declared that DU college campuses are to be strictly cellphone-free. The policy is to be implemented from the coming semester in all the colleges that come under the umbrella of the varsity. The statement further read that any student carrying a cellphone will have to hand it in, and it will only be returned to them when a parent or a guardian has duly signed a letter stating the reasons for the breach of rule.
This ruling has resulted in student agitation, on grounds that cellphones are a basic human need these days, and everything from class timings to syllabus and notes are discussed over platforms like WhatsApp and E-mail.
“We fail to understand why in the 21st century such prehistoric rules are being forced on us,” says Ashwin Gupta, a
student from North Campus. “It would be an extreme inconvenience for students and teachers alike.” In accordance with what the students are saying, the professors, too, are against the said policy. “While DU claims to be modernising the system in every way they can, what we see today goes against that claim,” said a professor under conditions of anonymity. “Are we expected to hand out printed notes, which may go up to a 100 pages per student, per paper, every semester?”Protests were seen near the gates of the Arts Faculty, North Campus. However, little solution came out of the incident. Speaking to DU Beat, Nitin Alok, a member of the varsity administration board said that cellphones and the internet serve as distractions in classrooms, and that students should focus on the professors rather than their phone screens. “I am sure that the GPA of the students will increase this semester because of our policy,” Alok added.The efficacy and implementation of this policy will be judged in the coming days when college starts again for the term.
Disclaimer: Bazinga is our weekly column of almost believable fake news. It is only meant to be appreciated, not
accepted.

Feature Image Credits: CBS Philly

Maumil Mehraj

[email protected]

Keep Reading

DUB Speak

Affordable Interior Décor Ideas for Winter

By Maumil Mehraj January 5, 2019

Winter is perhaps the most comforting of seasons, and the month of January sets the mood for the rest of the year. It is only fitting to treat your house, your hostel, or your room with some love.

With little time, money, and energy at our disposal, we often forget to take care of the place where we stay in. But we take from our surroundings, and what is in front of our eyes, has a direct impact on our mood. Although it is highly unlikely to think of ourselves keeping the place spick and span, it is plausible to add beauty here and there.

These are some of the ideas to try out:

Candles: Humans have always had a connection with fire, it could be dated back to ancient times when only that element made them feel warm and secure. Now, lighting your house on fire will not be entirely recommended, but a candle should provide you with the same amount of warmth and comfort. Plus, they come in various scents- ranging from warm, to citrusy, to subtle, giving you a power of choice.
Image Credits:Hoosier Homemade

Plants: Winters should never mean letting go of the green. There are plenty of plants that thrive in winters, and are quite low-maintenance. It is essential to have some greenery around yourself in order for you to feel good.

Wrap it with wool: We all have old vases or candles lying around the house. We also happen to have old sweaters. Instead of throwing both of these away, cut the sleeves, hems, or necklines of your old sweater and wrap them around the old decoration pieces to make the more wintery.

Natural accents: It is astonishing how much beauty trivial natural pieces can bring. Pinecones stacked together in a colourful tin, or little logs, cleaned and tied together with cinnamon sticks will enhance the rustic vibe that is so coveted.

Potpourri: Potpourri are dried petals, spices or fruits which are put in a bowl. The good thing about these is that they not only look beautiful, but smell divine. One bag should last you a couple of months, and that is all there is to it. Some of the best scents are lavender, fig, rose, cinnamon, etc.

Besides these, if you feel like you could improve the lighting, experiment with warmer light bulbs, fairy lights, or table lamps. In case you are planning to invest in a good table lamp, copper hues are arguably the best looking and will lift the entire look of your place.

It is essential to maintain your surroundings, because it is food for your eyes, and to your soul. Although not always the most convenient of tasks, but it is definitely worth the trouble.

Feature Image credits: Hoosier Homemade

Maumil Mehraj

[email protected]

Keep Reading

DUB Speak

Finding Time for Yourself

By Maumil Mehraj October 30, 2018

We as college students have a lot to get done in a very limited amount of time. As a result, we find ourselves rushing from one place to the other, both physically and mentally.

This is an age and time when overwork is overtly glamorised. Excuse my sexism, but the pop-culture-induced image of a woman in a tight top-knot, computer in one hand and a cup of coffee from Starbucks in the other, rushing to her workplace, is seen as something that demands reverence and is ideal.

The influence of this is that we, as a part of society, subconsciously become like that. We think that being a part of three societies, the head of the college magazine, interning with a remarkable company, whilst maintaining a good GPA is ideal. When in reality, it is anything but ideal. We strain our bodies to such an extent that when we get back home, we fall on our beds like corpses and have just enough breath left in us to fall asleep. And it is the same thing over and over again, one day after the other.

We have been conditioned to say ‘yes’ to opportunities, they may potentially be the next big thing for us. We have become so accustomed to getting to college for a 5:30 practice session because it may potentially win us the next tournament, taking up the summer internship instead of going to your hometown because it will look good on your resume, getting less than five hours of sleep because there is always so much text to read.

I am not saying that we should reduce ourselves to doing the bare minimum, or hazardously doing nothing at all. Boredom is more exhausting than overwork. Rather, we could find the few things that truly interest us and then give our heart and soul to them, even if it means giving up on the one thing that everyone else seems to be after. What college students essentially lack is the art of saying no. There may be an underlying feeling of guilt or culpability of missing out on opportunities associated with the same.

My contention is that every person, ever more so the college students, should have at least a couple of hours every day where they can reflect on life, see if their reality is in line with their dreams. Life doesn’t need to be a mad race where we are ascending on a pedestal which is so far away from our own. We ought to say nowhere no is deserved, and when our health is in question, no opportunity is big enough that we may need to compromise.

Feature Image Credits: Le Soir

Maumil Mehraj

[email protected]

Keep Reading