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Suppressing Dissent: Anti CAA Protests in Delhi

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On the 19th December 2019, the entire country came to the streets to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and so did the citizens of the capital city of Delhi.

Initially, there were supposed to be two marches. The first protest from the Red Fort to the Shaheed Park, starting at 11 a.m, and the second protest from Mandi House to the Parliament Street, starting at 12 a.m. IA cautionary precursors, people shared numbers of legal help and emergency protocols for protests on social media to spread awareness. However, as people all over Delhi were enthusiastically choosing where to go, it turned out that the protest at the Red Fort was denied permission by the Police citing security reasons.

On the morning of the 19th, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation gradually started closing all the pivotal stations near the protests: Jamia Milia Islamia, Lal Quila, Jama Masjid, Vishwavidhayala, ITO. Soon, the Mandi House station was closed too. The Protesters heading to Mandi House received tips that police were arbitrarily detaining protesters before the protest had even started.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police had already started detaining people at the Lal Quila as well. Among those detained, Yogendra Yadav, a political leader, was also present.

Soon, the police spread out of Mandi House where they continued to detain protesters who had gathered nearby. Further news of Internet and Airtel and Vodafone network blockades, the shutting down of 21 metro stations, and 100 road blockades aggravated the sense that the government was actively trying to quell another peaceful protest before it even began.

It was found out that the detained were being taken to Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Bawana in Haryana, far away from the location of the protests.

Through word of mouth and WhatsApp, the protesters who were not detained and those who had gotten off at adjoining metro stations were told to assemble at Shaheed Park. However, even this was met by a police blockade and lathi charges,  including one very close to Barakhamba.

In a remarkable show of student solidarity and organization, against a Government actively trying to quell them by blocking their options, various student political parties and others got together in the spur of the moment. The protest which had already changed destinations thrice, finally led to Jantar Mantar.

Finally, after a shaky start, the protest at Jantar Mantar proceeded powerfully. The ground was heavily blockaded by the police, with a water cannon in place, in case things go awry. The land was echoing with the cries of ”Gali Gali me nara hai, Hindustan humaara hai” and “Modi-Shah ki Tanashahi, Nahi Chalegi-Nahi Chalegi”.

People were carrying creative posters saying “Student Unity Long Live”, “Orange is the New Black” and “Media more like Modia”.

There were people from all walks of life, from students to middle-aged men and women, united for a common cause. Among those present were parties like Krantikari Yuva Sangathan, Students’ Fderation of India, All India Students’ Association, and Communist Party of India. Eventually, the metro stations of Rajiv Chowk, Barakhamba Road, and Janpath, the three closest to the protest grounds were also closed. Despite that, people still managed to come in heavy numbers and join the protest.

Amongst heavy police presence in Jantar Mantar, the protests carried on for hours where the voices of our generation and those against the fascist government were heard loud and clear throughout Delhi and the Nation.

Feature Image Credits: Scroll

Satviki sanjay

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Prabhanu Kumar Das

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DUSU Appeals to the Vice-Chancellor Regarding Ad-Hoc Protest

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Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) appealed to the Vice Chancellor to ensure the examinations go smoothly while the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) has called for an indefinite strike.

In response to the university’s decision of terminating the employment of ad hoc teachers with regards to a letter dated 28th August, Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) sent a call for an indefinite strike from 4th December onwards, where they have decided to boycott evaluation, invigilation duties, and other official work.

Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) however, appealed to the Vice Chancellor, DUTA, and Delhi University Principal Association (DUPA) to settle the ongoing dispute. According to DUSU, The Vice-Chancellor failed to address the concerns of the teachers, due to which the semester examination might end up becoming the collateral damage.

A meeting was convened by the Akshit Dahiya, Pradeep Tanwar, and Shivangi Kharwal, the President, Vice President, and Joint Secretary, DUSU, on 2nd December 2019, which was attended by the elected representatives of College Students’ Unions. The following demands were unanimously passed in  the resolution:

  1. To ensure that examination is conducted on time and university make provision for conducting the exams howsoever.
  2. Arrangement for ad hoc teachers to be made for their continued service and release of salary immediately.
  3. University to withdraw its letter dated 28th August and Vice-Chancellor and DUTA president to end their malicious political game.

DUSU sent a letter to the Vice-Chancellor with the aforementioned demands asking him to ensure the examination process goes smoothly.

Calling it failed leadership of the DUTA and the University Administration, DUSU also felt there are political intentions in the timings of this call as the issue was noted in August but the DUTA President did not take any action back then.

DUSU, in its joint statement said, “We at no cost would allow the delay or cancellation of semester exams. We sympathise with the issue and demand that ad hoc teachers continue their service but at the same time are disappointed with the DUTA President for their irresponsible leadership. The VC must find a solution to this or be ready to face aggression from the student community.”

Image Credits: Daulat Ram College Students' Union Image Caption: The letter sent by DUSU to the Vice Chancellor.
Image Credits: Daulat Ram College Students’ Union
Image Caption: The letter sent by DUSU to the Vice Chancellor.

College Student Unions like the Daulat Ram College Student Union (DRCSU) also shared messages asking for support of the students to ensure the examination goes smoothly.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Satviki Sanjay

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DU’s Left Collective Protests against Lockdown in Kashmir, Remembers Professor S.A.R. Geelani

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Amidst sloganeering and illustrating placards, Left Wing collectives from Delhi University (DU) including All India Students’ Association (AISA), PACHHAS, Pinjra Tod, and Students’ Federation of India (SFI) organised a protest, and a memorial for Kashmir Lockdown and SAR Geelani respectively at art faculty today.

“Kunan Pashpora yaad karo, AFSPA nahi chalega (Remember Kunan Pashpora, Bring Down AFSPA)” and similar slogans ran throughout the protest organised to commemorate the memories of S.A.R. Geelani, an Arabic language professor from Zakir Hussain College who passed away on 24th October following a cardiac arrest. Geelani was a controversial figure; a native of Kashmir he was first convicted but subsequently acquitted in 2001 Parliament attack case.

On Tuesday, various student organisations from DU including the likes of AISA, PACHAS, Pinjra Tod, and SFI organised a protest at Arts Faculty to celebrate him. Simultaneously, protesters also brought back the diabolical memories of Kashmir Lockdown which completed 100 days on 13th November.

On merging two separate incidents into one protest Nandita Narain, the former President of Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA), told DU Beat that because Professor Geelani was also a Kashmiri who felt deeply for the valley it would be befitting to combine both the events. On asking if yesterday’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) protest has defoliated the amount of attention this should have gotten, Professor Narain said, “ All these things are related. The policy that the government is following are connected with each other. JNU students must be extremely traumatised and busy with their own protest otherwise whenever we call for a protest, they always come in large numbers.”

Remembering his late friend, Professor Rakesh Ranjan told in his speech how much Professor Geelani felt for political prisoners who get framed wrongly. About Kashmir, Ranjan said that Geelani always believed that Kashmiris will decide for Kashmir themselves. He added, “If we want to defeat fascism, we’ll have to strengthen democratic right movement in this country.” His speech ended with crowd cheering the slogan, “Long Live  Right to Self Determination”

Talking to DU Beat, Abhigyan, former Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) Presidential candidate,  lashed out at Government’s repulsive behaviour towards Kashmir as the valley enters 107th day of lockdown. He said, “The way Kashmir was made a UT by abrogating 370 following which the way in which opposition voices were crushed there, it’s evident that this is not just a mean to curb dissent but also democracy wholly.”

Amidst the protest, a reporter from Zee News got heckled while she tried to talk to the protesters. The enraged protesters turned hostile towards her claiming that the channel reported lies against Professor Geelani, and did biased covering on the abrogation of Article 370.

Feature Image Credits: AISA Delhi University (Facebook)

Priyanshu

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Students Continue to Protest Against Private Construction in North Campus

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On the 10th day of the strike, students cycled from Vishwavidyalaya station to the Lieutenant Governor’s house to seek his intervention on the matter regarding the construction of the 39 storey building in the North Campus. 

The indefinite strike against the construction of the 39-storey building in the Campus by the students has been going on since 4th November 2019. Raja Chaudhary, Coordinator of the ‘DU Against 39 Storey Private Building Committee’ has been sitting on a hunger strike since the 10th November 2019, supported by other students, Gautam Barnwal and Kanika and a faculty of the university, Dr.Rasal Singh.

On the tenth day of the strike, a cycle rally was conducted from the place of protest near Vishvidyalaya metro station to the Lieutenant Governor’s house to seek his intervention in this matter.

Initially the Governor was reluctant to meet the student coordinator Mr. Chaudhary. However, after some deliberation, the governor conducted a meeting and appointed three officers, headed by Special Secretary Mr. Chanchal Yadav to inquire into the basis of permission given for the construction of the 39 storey private building by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi authorities and directed to submit the inquiry report within the next three days.

A letter by the students, addressed to the Lieutenant Governor, talks about the legality of the construction and the adverse effects of the constructed building. It asked the Lieutenant Governor to quash the project.

Mr. Chaudhary, in conversation with DU Beat, said, “This was the fifth day of my hunger strike. Yesterday, when we went to the LG’s house, we initially had to protest to be heard. However, now we have received assurance from the LG. We demand from the university as well that it take back the public land. Authorities from the DU are committed to building a hostel if we get the land back… Our strike will continue until we get an assurance from the Defence Ministry.”

The next meeting will be conducted after issue of the aforementioned report.

Feature Image Credits: Raja Chaudhary

Satviki Sanjay

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Students and Teachers March Against NEP’19 in Solidarity with JNU Students

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On 14th November, Students’ Union and Teachers’ Association from all central Universities in Delhi marched from Barakhamba Road to Jantar Mantar, and stood in solidarity with students from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to protest against the New Education Policy (NEP).

14th November observed a central march at Jantar Mantar against the NEP. Student Political groups from Delhi like All India Students’ Association (AISA), CYSS, Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU), and Students’ Federation of India (SFI) came together to protest against the NEP, and the fee hike in JNU. The protest was led by Federation of Central University Teachers Associations (FEDCUTA) which incorporates the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA), Jawaharlal Nehru University Teachers’ Association (JNUTA) and Jamia Millia Islamia’s Teacher Association (JMITA )under it. Students showed up at the protest in large numbers with banners, masks to combat the Delhi pollution, and immense grit and determination.

NEP has paved way for Privatisation of education. It has also resulted in the constant fee hikes observed by the Universities. Under NEP, a new mechanism of Higher Education Funding Authority (HEFA) will be established to not give grants but to lend loans. DUTA also fought for permanent absorption of the Ad-hocs to have stability in colleges.

Damini Kain, Presidential Candidate from AISA, said “Public Education is a fundamental right for all. But what the new education policy is doing is, its just making education exclusive. It is deliberately excluding people that come from marginalised communities, lower caste backgrounds and other minorities. NEP is breaking the core fabric of education. It will change the entire dynamic of lending and granting into loans. And the burden of repayment of those loans will lie on the common student.”

The March witnessed many keynote speakers to apprise the students about the consequences of this policy.

Doraisamy Raja, General Secretary, Communist party of India appreciated the students and teachers of JNU to protest against the tremendous hike. He shed light on the importance of education and the threat to its integrity. He also criticised the one language ideology of the current Government.

The common demand that each JNU student and teacher had was to meet with their Vice chancellor and roll back of the fee hike. More than 40% of the students studying at JNU are below poverty line and cannot afford the new fee structure.

Aishe Ghosh, President, JNUSU, said, “All these charges that weren’t existing before like utility charges of electricity, water, food, WIFI will be paid by students even after giving a hostel fees. We’ve come here with a motive to spread this protest to every college and university ad education is for all. All we would like is for our Vice Chancellor to have a discussion with us rather than appearing on Republic TV.”

After all speaker sessions, the March began, led by Federation of Central University Teachers Associations (FEDCUTA), followed by various student organisations. The Teacher-Student-Karamchari unity was an important focus of theMarch.

Slogans like “NEP down down”, “Privatisation se azadi”, “Modi govt Haye-Haye” were chanted. Posters with “Godi Media” talking about the fake media portrayal of press were also displayed, and the banners of Teacher associations of various colleges were also seen.

Among all of these issues, the students from School of Open Learning also came to bring to light the struggles they had face being trapped in the sudden imposition of Choice Based Credit System.

A SOL student, who wished to remain anonymous, told DU Beat, “We’re fighting against the autonomy of education, yet, correspondence where most of the students from lower background study is often ignored. We have exams in December, yet we haven’t been given any books or material. And the material given is so substandard it cannot be used. And the worse, even DUTA has completely ignored us.”

Feature Image Credit : Noihrit Gogoi for DU beat

Chhavi Bahmba

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Meditation: The Ideal Stress Remover

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Meditation may not seem like the most reliable form of stress reliever, but it can do one wonders in stressful times.

Every day one faces one or the other obstacle in life. These obstacles could be as silly as a five-minute delay to a destination, or as huge as the death of a loved one. As a student, life can be stressful with overbearing assignments and internals. This becomes stressful as all this piles up right after the midsemester break with no time to relax. We all face obstacles, which is how life works and ironically, it is these obstacles that keep us occupied in our routine-based lives. It gives us a push away from the everyday rituals and monotonous behaviour. Many of us enjoy these little pricks, some resent them, and the remaining do not want to face them at all. Some become so used to these daily hassles that they often do not even realise the gravity of what has happened to them. On the other hand for many, the slightest inconveniences hold the power to ruin their day. It is here that the idea of inner wellbeing comes to mind. We have all heard of stories of people transforming their lives through books, classes, and seminars, and becoming better individuals.

The bigger question becomes, how many end up staying the same throughout? Inner healing does not happen in a day, the lives of Buddha and Mahavira are examples of the years of mediation that one must do to achieve such unearthly feats, to begin with. It is a gradual and slow process, like medical treatment or a fitness regime. The transformations are always temporary in nature, and one needs to mould their mind with continual practice to achieve maximum results. The human mind is a very complex enigma that has wonderful, and miraculous features to it that surpass the earthly plane. For thousands of years, the sages of India called ‘rishis’ had proved the same. They had, through continual and rigorous mediation, opened their chakras and achieved feats that seem inhuman in today’s age. One may desire to achieve such transformative abilities, yet not all of us can invest the time and energy to be able to achieve them. Being part of an age where everything in our lives mostly revolves around speed and technology, it does not mean that selfactualisation cannot be achieved.

The answer to it is as simple as the Sacred Games chant we have become used to hearing now – Aham Brahmasmi. Brahma, the creator, resides in one’s soul or Atman, and is nothing but the abode of creation and creative power. We believe what we wish to believe, and we hold on to our perceptions and inhibitions, but the moment we prepare ourselves to see beyond our rigidity of thoughts, we become free of our bonds. Thus, you must understand that eternal bliss or happiness of the being is possible for every one of us. If one wishes to invest even a few minutes of their time in life-altering activities persistently, one will achieve peace, calm, and a stress-free environment where creative energies can be released to bring a positive change in the mind and space that we occupy. The most effective and simple exercise would be to concentrate on one’s breathing as one assumes a comfortable position for a span of just five minutes. It is all but a matter of faith – not in any external idol, religion, or God-men, but in the power of our intrinsic energy as a vehicle to transform our stress into positivity. One’s present should be of concern only if one wishes to change it for a different or a happier future. There is a need for change. It all begins today, if we keep our buzzing phones aside, and take a few moments to ourselves for the sake of positive mental health.

Feature Image Credits: Mindful

Stephen Mathew

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DU to Create Inter-College Societies

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University of Delhi (DU) has introduced an inter-college society system, in an attempt to tackle the divisions within the Varsity.

DU’s Extra Circular Activities (ECA) and Sports Committees have launched the Delhi University Collegiate Culture Circuit (DUCCC) with newly formed inter-college societies. This initiative was collectively taken in the Executive Council (EC) meeting held on Saturday, 26th October. The two-day long EC meeting witnessed long formulated debates on both sides of the matter. A certain level of hierarchy along with team esteem exists in all the societies of DU, and the scheme may not play out well there.

Many college students have expressed their disagreement with the decision, as they believe it will create segregation instead of belonging. Amaal Kumar, President of Natuve, dramatics society of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, said, “We spend each day of our college life with our society. Now with that gone, it takes away our convenience as well as bonding. It should also be noted that when you’re in the same college, you face similar issues, and are around people with same teachers who understand your society needs. Now all of that will be gone.”

However, the decision has been taken to do away with the college elitism that exists in DU. Ramesh Ray, the ECA Committee Chairperson, said, “This will do away with the resentment among students that has been created out of years of competition, and bring feeling of community as a whole among students.” The DUCCC has been set up to look after the many changes this decision will bring. Allotting areas for practice and scheduling the practice time of inter-college societies will be taken up by this newly formed committee, along with the matters of society elections, and dealing with administrative work.

The official announcement has been made on the DU website and thereby, the scheme will be initiated after the upcoming fest season of January to March, 2020. The campus has received this news with contrasting opinions; many feel a loss of identity to be not known by their college society names. Some others feel this will give an opportunity to meet students from all walks of life. Karan Thapar, member, Vurbum, the western Dance Society of Motilal Nehru College, said, “This is a great step. The barriers of college, location, and seclusion will be broken with this. It will be great to see a Hindu College society member with a member from Ram Lal Anand College to perform, united by their art.”

Disclaimer: Bazinga is our weekly column of almost believable fake news. It is only to be appreciated and not accepted.

Feature Image Credits: Hitesh Kalra for DU Beat

Chhavi Bahmba

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HR Connect: Connecting Perceptions Concludes at SRCC

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The Human Resource Development Cell of Shri Ram College of Commerce organised its annual event, HR Connect on 7th and 8th November 2019 with a plethora of activities lined up which witnessed amazing participation.

HR Connect: Connecting Perceptions,  organised by Human Resource Development Cell of SRCC kicked off its two-day event studded with diverse speaker sessions and various competitions. The drizzly weather conditions caused a slight delay however, the enthusiasm of participants was intact.

The first event for the day started with the Master Plan Accelerator competition where students from different colleges competed to pitch in their business plan to win the Master Plan challenge. Some of the teams that presented their ‘ Master Plan’ included project Dhreya from Enactus, Miranda House which aims at efficient usage of crop wastage by making biomass briquettes. Other teams included Project  Asbah, dealing with making clean drinking water accessible from SRCC. The competition was judged by Ashish Kila, Director Perfect group and Shailendra Mishra, CEO,  Design Cut. Project Asbah, from SRCC, emerged as the winner of the competition and Team Book a Plant  from Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce was the first runner up.

The second event of the day was ‘Fusion Et Encheres’ which started off with a bit of a delay. A scattered room and enthusiastic bidders waited for the screen to flash the names of the companies up for grabs! The first round was bidding round, followed by the second round of inter-trading. The participants were in for a slight twist with the introduction of a previously undeclared casino changing the entire game plan.

Day 2 of HR connect at SRCC began with a speaker session. The first speaker is Mr.Samish Dalal,  an associate professor at SP Jain School of Global Management , who spoke about HR and entrepreneurship stating that “HR and entrepreneurship are very good friends”.  What was a very passionate speech about the importance of taking the jump in business and failure. He was able to catch the attention of the audience by giving real life examples such as that of sky diving  and linking them to business.

The second speaker was S Suresh, the managing director of E.I.D Parry Ltd. One of the leading sugar manufacturers in India.  Some of the topics he enlightens us about is self worth, industry expectations, and human Resources. Industry expectations and the expectations students joining the corporate sector have from their organisation forms a very important part of HR. He also spoke about the importance of getting feedback, saying that people believe that when they “start earning, learning stops”. He elucidated on how this is not the case and how important it is to continue practical learning while working through feedback.

The third speaker session was presided by Mr. Shyam Paliwal, the Head of operational effectiveness at Pfizer. He is also the director of  Valuevault consulting, a company which he launched in 2016.

He spoke on how to chase down our goals from the undergraduate level and the next “5-8″years. How to build a trajectory to become financially independent . He stressed on the importance of people skills and social skills while working professionally.  Another theme in his session was the importance of connectivity, stressing how we lived in a “connected world”. He stressed the importance of college in character building, how college can help improve our adaptability through extra curricular activities

Ankit Aggarwal, CEO and Founder of Dare2compete was the fourth speaker of the day who started his talked with an interesting topic of ‘Resume of deviations’.

“Grab all the opportunities that come to you”, said Aggarwal as he elaborated upon the chances he missed. From his first start-up which didn’t take off to the regret of turning down an important position in Deloitte, he encouraged students to make their own resume of mistakes and learn from the same. He also shared his journey of starting Dare2compete and its success making it a leading platform in India for competitions. He concluded by emphasizing on the importance of maintaining connections and building a personal brand.

Del-a-mark was a marketing based event held on Day 2. With the tagline “How you deliver your marketing skills” the event tested the marketing aptitude of its participants by giving them a company and asking to devise a marketing strategy for it.

The prelims were based on digital marketing, with emphasis on Social media. After careful scrutiny of their marketing plans, out of the 43 teams that applied, 17 were called for prelims and 3 were chosen to deliver their marketing strategies at finals held at HR connect.

The final three teams were :

  1. Team SRites, which had students of Shri Ram College of commerce
  2. Team Marverik, a cross college team of Daulat Ram College and Shri Ram College of commerce
  3. Team Anonymous, with students of Shri Ram College of commerce

The entire event was judged by Mr. Sudhanshu Yadav, Associate Professor, SRCC. All the teams were given 15 minutes to present their self-designed marketing strategies followed by a question and answer session. Team Anoymous from SRCC won the event.

Feature Image Credits: Navya Jindal for DU Beat

Prabhanu Kumar Das

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Politics of Environment: Class, Caste, and the Climate Change Movement

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Read our Print Editor’s take on entitled social media activism and its removed and elitist enforcement on ground.

A few weeks ago, the Global Climate Change Strike struck its momentum on the streets of Delhi, and organisations like Fridays for Future started marching to mobilise the population against the silence of Government authorities and policy-makers on environmental degradation plaguing our planet. Social media flooded with posters and invitations to partake in the various marches – at Lodhi Gardens, Faculty of Arts, Jantar Mantar, and any place in Delhi which could make the authorities in power take notice, and twist a little in their comfortable seats (on airplanes for some of them).

What appeared to be an excellent initiative and the righteous action in theory, however, raised unsettling questions when seen with a critical lens on ground. A security guard walked up to us during the march at Jantar Mantar, and he asked one of the protesters with sincerity, “Yeh morcha kisliye kar rahe ho aap logg? (What are you guys marching for?)” The person whom he addressed had been sloganeering a few moments ago, but fumbled to express the basic agenda of the protest. This is not to highlight that she herself was ignorant – which, in our millennial thirst for “wokeness”, may verily be an absurd possibility – but to showcase that she did not know the right words in the tongue of the guard (Hindi) to explain the enormity of the issue.

The slogans, cries, and popular references employed in these strikes are, if not monopolised by the English language, subservient to a mainstream understanding which is accessible to a rare few. The “rare few” does not refer to the number – these marches had plenty of people supporting what is a pressing cause – but the strata of the diverse Indian society this form of a movement caters to is, consciously or unconsciously, significantly English-speaking, upper/ middle class. In today’s time, social media has become the norm of propaganda and publicity, but there is an inevitable class and culture divide which makes it impossible for many to become aware, let alone partake, in the cause of the environmental movement.

There are many like the security guard in our country who do not have access to the Instagram stories of the English-speaking, highly privileged influencers, or even concerned educated youth, but that lack of access does not essentially translate to a lack of concern. The movement in India appears to take this language and culture divide for granted. When aspiring for the quintessential western values and standards of awareness, we often laugh at the typical Indian behaviour by equating it with callousness. Knowing at least a minimal level of the English language has become a prerequisite for being included within the ambit of environmental activism in India. The mainstream media and television channels’ non-existent contribution to a movement that is becoming the most threatening matter of survival to our generation, is questionable. While Indian politicians make statements in absolute disregard of science, facts, and anything logically acceptable to an informed brain, it is an unfortunate reality that informs the realms of knowledge for most Indians.

Mainstream media broadcasts the Prime Minister stating, “Climate has not changed. Our habits have changed,” or education ministers claiming that cows exhale oxygen. Media is no longer a vehicle for bringing in expert panels that dissect the threat of global warming and climate change. While Greta Thunberg is an inspiring figure for the movement, a Western icon cannot define the entirety of our understanding of the movement’s complex practicality in India. This becomes a tool for exclusionary caste politics of the movement, since Adivasis and other marginalised tribal communities have been on the streets, fighting for the cause before it became popular on social media. The movement for environmental conservation is not an individualistic fight, and it cannot be a successful one if we delude ourselves in believing so. As youth, these strikes and marches showcase the strength of collectivism and have the power to bring significant policy changes. However, all movements are rooted in the context of their times, or else they lose any real power of change. It is imperative for us, to keep our jargon aside, keep the banners down, and explain our cause to those who will then join their force with ours.

Anushree Joshi

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An Ode to School Friends

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One spends a chunk of their school lives making connections with classmates that continue for life, or do they?

School is indispensable. Most of the late-night stories my father used to recite to me involved him and his school buddies engaging in a ‘shaitaani (mischief)’ and then getting scolded by their Principal. Although, in the end, before sleeping he always used to wonder, where his friends are now?

We almost have every stereotypical trope in our classes in school. There is a fun gang, a notorious group, the rowdy boys, the toppers, the backbenchers, the teacher’s pet, the lover boy, everyone’s favourite, the snitch, and many more. Along with this, some experiences are also common to all- the infamous love-triangles (I am sure the teachers also bet on them), the made-for-each-other couples, the best friends forever, being the best class of the batch (every class felt that way), the most helpful kid in class, the birthday cakes cut in school in secret, the classes bunked to eat in the canteen, and many more.

School friends play an essential part in our lives. We experience our first bunks, first sprouts of rebelliousness, first crushes, first lies, first heartbreaks, and several other firsts alongside them. These memories shape one’s perspective in college makes the open to new ideas and people. However, the school also builds a wall of problematic bricks that we have to essentially break once we enter college. The infamous process of unlearning is a thing because of the problematic aspects one is fed in school.

Despite that, school friends still remain a close niche, a corner of our hearts is always filled with love for them. Be it that one friend with whom your ties loosened because you got into separate sections, that one annoying boy who used to crack lamest jokes ever, that topper who used to send you all the notes always, or the wittiest and wisest kid in school who is now studying across the sea, everyone is remembered in one way or the other.

Amongst all 120 kids in the batch, only five or six remain the ones whom you stay in touch with. They are safety-net you can always fall back on, a student from Gargi College calls them “her god-siblings”, she added that she could call them at 2 in the morning, crib about her day, and they will be willing to listen. “And I would do the same for them,” she said.

In spite of hectic college schedules, society meetings and practices, extra-curricular activities, and academic burdens, a connection among these friends stays, even if they live in the other part of the country. Social media plays an extensive role in this. It helps in staying connected and updated about each other’s lives, and helps bridge any communication gaps that may occur.

The influence of social media is such that now both my parents are back in touch with their school friends, reminiscing old days and crushing with nostalgia every now and then. My father now texts his school pals to ask how they doing, if he is curious about it.

Feature Image Source: Sakshi Arora for DU Beat

Sakshi Arora

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