Sakshi Arora, Author at DU Beat - Delhi University's Independent Student Newspaper

Interviews

Katihar To Kennedy: The Road Less Travelled with Dr. Sanjay Kumar

By Sakshi Arora October 1, 2019

DU Beat engaged in a conversation with Dr. Sanjay Kumar, India Country Director, The Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute, Harvard University.

Priyanshu: Many students come from small towns and villages with dreams to pursue something big in life. But due to lack of exposure and good role models, they get stuck preparing for Government jobs or follow the conventional career path. As an academician and a social activist who went all the way from a small town in Bihar, Katihar, to Harvard Kennedy School, what can you suggest to these young minds?

Dr. Kumar: To begin with, it comes from parents initially. They try to condition you in a way that you should take up a particular line of action. To the students, I would like to suggest that each student is different and each human being has unique potential and, thus, they should explore that unique potential. Somehow, we believe that if the neighbour’s son is doing this, you should also be following the same. I faced this a lot. Even with my cousin brother my father used to say, “Yeh dekho CA ki padhai kar raha hai. Woh padhaai kar raha hai, usme bhi usko CA bana dete the. (Look at him, he is preparing to become a Chartered Accountant. If he is simply studying as well, then too they would make him a CA.)” It’s a wrong approach and every human being has a separate talent; and following the conventional path you do not get an opportunity to explore thing which you can explore as an individual. You don’t want to take chances in your life. At this age, I think one can definitely take chances. It is after midage that one requires security in life but early in life, one should try to discover what they are looking for. And nowadays, I am very happy to see that a few students from Delhi University are taking a break after their undergrad to explore themselves, which is a very Western concept. So, my answer to your question is: young students should explore various career paths, and career is not the end. Unfortunately, in our country everyone thinks that UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) is the goal. I am sorry to say but this is a big misconception. Being a civil servant can be a means to serve the end, but it cannot be the end. I would strongly suggest (that) the students should identify the purpose in life as early as possible. And purposes can be changed as well. It can be edited and altered. But then one can accordingly find means to serve the purpose.

Priyanshu: What opportunities does the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute, Harvard University, provide to young students who come from underprivileged backgrounds?

Dr. Kumar: So, since last two years, Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute, Harvard University India office is the connector and convenor of the Harvard Programme in South Asia and it has a number of programmes but for youngsters we have a specific programme called ‘Crossroads’ where two of the Harvard faculties from Harvard Business School have come up with this idea of bringing youngsters from all over the world (it started from south Asia but now it’s all over the world) and we organise this in Dubai. It’s a fully funded programme. There are donors based out of Dubai. It’s a one-week training for students around leadership and exposing them towards the Harvard method of education and teaching. This is only for students who are first in their family to go to college. In a way, the programme is targeting underprivileged youngsters and the best thing about the programme is that all of them fly to Dubai and meet other students and teachers. (The link to apply for the programme is: https://mittalsouthasiainstitute. harvard.edu/crossroads/)

Priyanshu: You have talked about this in your book too and this concerns the nation at large as well. The decline of public education in our country is quite worrisome. Who do you blame for this? The Government or the private education ecosystem? How do you perceive this and what has your organisation, Edjustice, achieved in resolving this issue?

Dr. Kumar: It’s definitely the Government! Because the idea of privatisation comes from the Government, and the market always sees the opportunity. You cannot blame the private educators. If they see the opportunity, they will come forward. I don’t think it’s (privatisation) a good idea. For a country like India, we still need to continue with public education for 30 to 40 years, because a lot of people are still lagging behind in education and they can’t afford costly private education. The indicators are not good, and the kind of fees that the private universities charge – I am not taking about quality – not everyone can afford. What stops us to strengthen our public education system which can provide quality education? If you see, 20 years ago, all the big names were coming from public colleges. Even now, some of the big names are coming from public universities only. So, it’s just that the Government doesn’t wish to put attention on public colleges. I don’t blame the private players. I blame the Government. And, people also need to be blamed. We are not talking or protesting about it. We want the good pie in everything. For health, we want five star health-care. Our aim is to earn good money, so that we can avail good facilities and our children can go to good schools. Our aim is not to fix the system which used to exist. Take an example: when we talk about quality of air, we know that it is affecting everyone – the rich, the poor, and the middle class – everyone is harassed by air pollution. So, everyone is talking about the air pollution, but education is something which is not bothering them; no one is talking about that. So, if public education is not affecting my kid or my family, then I am not going to talk about it. But I am talking about air as it used to be very good. But then our public education also used to be very good. If we are taking about reviving or cleaning the air, why can’t we talk about reviving the public education system? So, the public is also responsible. I also wonder why students studying in DU colleges and the students’ unions do not raise the issue of high-quality teaching in colleges? Since you mentioned about my book, I would encourage students to read my book, Katihar To Kennedy: The Road Less Travelled. It depicts my life at DU and what all I gained being a DU student. It’s available on Amazon.

Priyanshu: A lot of students dream to pursue higher education from Ivy League or Russell group colleges after their graduation. The exorbitant fee and sustaining in foreign countries make scholarships a viable option. As a student who has fetched a scholarship to study in Harvard Kennedy School, can you suggest how an average student can grab one for themselves?

Dr. Kumar: For that, I think these universities look (at) leadership skills in you, how good you are at extracurricular activities, how good you are in the field you are pursuing, and what leadership role you have played. And it’s also important to let them know how your learning is going to help the humanity, at large. So, when you are writing your SOP (statement of purpose), these things matter a lot and it should come naturally. You can’t decide today that you want to apply for Harvard or Princeton, and someone suggest that you have to write an SOP and you start writing . That’s not a good thing to do. You need to start as early as possible. I don’t mean you have to start writing as early as possible, but you have to build your personality like that. You have to build your profile like that. There are a lot of scholarships available. One thing that I have observed is that if you have to go to foreign counties for higher studies and if you have the right intent, then nobody can stop you.

Priyanshu: How can a student be a part of your Edjustice People’s Campaign and contribute to the development of underprivileged children?

Dr. Kumar: So, Edjustice is a campaign to rejuvenate public education system in India. It’s an all-volunteer run campaign, so it’s quite unique. The campaign started from Bihar, but the model is quite relicable and scalable, hence we will move to other states next year. So, any student from Delhi University who wants to be a part of this education camping and believes in strengthening and rejuvenating the public education system is very much welcome to join us. For more information, one can visit www.edjustice.in and the Facebook page is @edjusticeindia and if you want to write, the e-mail ID is [email protected]. With the active volunteers, the campaign expects eight hours per week, which is mostly off-site and we have meetings every week, and that too in the evening so that it suits everyone. The volunteers also travel to field areas like Bihar once in a while, but they also support us with designing the campaign and various programmes. Volunteers can join for one year and they can always renew after that. This is a very good opportunity for young students, especially for DU students and since I come from this varsity, I feel that students are very bright in DU and they can contribute a lot. Many students from LSR (Lady Shri Ram), Hindu, and Venkateswara College are a part of this campaign.

Feature Image Credits: Mr. Sanjay Kumar

Interviewed by Priyanshu and Maumil Mehraj for DU Beat

[email protected] [email protected]

Interview transcribed by Priyanshu for DU Beat

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In Solidarity with Professor Hany Babu: Knowledge Deemed Crime

By Sakshi Arora October 1, 2019

On Tuesday, 10th September, the Pune Police searched the residence of Hany Babu, an Associate Professor in the Department of English of the University of Delhi (DU), in relation to the Elgar Parishad Koregaon Bhima case.

On 11th September, students from the Department of English organised a protest near Faculty of Arts, to express their anger and condemn the “illegal raid” at the residence of an Associate Professor from their department, Professor Hany Babu. Professor Babu has been a professor in the varsity for over a decade and has come under the scrutiny of the Pune Police due to his alleged links with the Maoist ideology that incited violence in Koregaon Bhima villages of Maharashtra in 2017.

In his public statement, Professor Babu said, “The search went on for six hours, at the end of which they said they (the Pune Police officials) would be seizing my laptop, my hard disks, my pen drives, and books. They made me change the passwords of my social media accounts and my e-mail account. They have complete access to my accounts now through the changed passwords and I no longer have access to these accounts. I would like to state that as a teacher, my work is heavily dependent on what I’ve saved in my laptops and external hard disks. It also contains the research work that I’ve been pursuing for years. This work is not something which can be duplicated in days. These are years of my hard work. I don’t understand how a government agency can seize my work without providing me the reasons for it, or the basis on which a search was conducted at my residence. They did not have a search warrant with them and they did not explain further as to why they don’t possess the same.”

The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) condemned the act. In two separate statements, signatories including staff members and teachers of the varsity have criticised the Pune police and wrote, “The fact that legally obtained and publicly available documents may be imagined by the state as containing traces of one’s culpability is worse than declared attempts at censorship. It effectively means that any text may now become a pretext for the state to snoop into and invade our homes, our bookshelves, our lives and our families. Is the act of reading itself proscribed in what is numerically the world’s largest democracy?” Further, Professor Babu’s students also released a statement aptly titled “Professor, He is Our Professor” which reads, “While we feel that the law must take its own course, we also make it clear that these surprise searches without warrants are illegal and amount to extreme harassment. It is incumbent upon legal institutions to oppose such arbitrary raids and prevent/oppose the misuse of inherently dangerous laws such as the UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act).” Importantly, the statement also noted, “Hany Babu’s demand for language equality is allied to his demand for breaking caste exclusions in how knowledge is organised,” as Babu is also a part of the Alliance for Social Justice, a forum for opposing caste discrimination in the University.

The subjugation of voices, the strong opposition of ideas, and vulnerability of those who are knowledgeable becomes a trend in the times when a country’s strong voices are subdued to pave way for the façade of calmness and democracy. A professor explicitly claimed in one of their classes that with this advancement, most of the academicians who, over the years, have developed the intellect and voice to speak out, are afraid. Professor Babu’s case hits home in every regard. As respectable figures in the Department, both he and his wife, Mrs. Jenny Rowena, amass strong support, but most of it is under the protective layer of secrecy and confidentiality. For, even the ones with knowledge want to stay safe from the starkness of this dangerous world of misinterpretation and hypocrisy.

Feature Image Credits: Sabrang India

Bhavya Pandey

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Arts & Culture

Auburn Umbrella: Styling Tips for Hot and Humid Weather

By Sakshi Arora October 1, 2019

We bring to you some tips for styling your attire comfortably in the hot and humid weather of Delhi.

Dressing up is a task in this weather, where the temperature is usually more than 35 degree Celsius and the humidity levels do not drop below 70 percent. All the cute outfits get ruined by sweat as soon as you step out of your home. Still, there are ways to save the day by being comfortable yet stylish even on the hottest days. Here are some tips to handle the heatwave in style:

Go Light and Bright

An important thing to consider while picking an outfit is the colour of your clothes. Dark shades are a big no-no. Opt for lighter shades that will reflect heat and light, and keep you cooler. Choose pastel shades or floral prints which are in vogue these days. White shirts and dresses are not a bad option either.

Flowy over Sticky

On the humid days, opt for clothes that do not stick to your body. Such clothes allow for the much-needed ventilation; think flowy dresses, loose-fitting jumpsuits, palazzo pants, etc. Choose straight-fit pants over slim-fit ones. Avoid wearing clothes that are tight or hug your physique uncomfortably, if you wish to stay away from sweat marks.

Do Away with Synthetics

Choose cotton, linen, or rayon fabrics if you wish to avoid being sweaty and itchy all day. These fibres absorb moisture and let some air in, allowing you to feel cooler.

Cut-outs are in

Tops and dresses with cut-out designs are a good option to consider as they help your skin breathe by letting some air in. Besides being summer-friendly, these clothes are fashionable too.

What’s on Your Feet?

It is said by our grandmas and grandpas that heat escapes through our head and our feet. So, choosing the right footwear is important too. Try wearing sandals or slip-on’s as much as possible. Avoid choosing closed-toe footwear that leads to sweating in the feet and does not let your feet breathe. If you wish to wear shoes, then go for canvas shoes rather than leather ones. Uncomfortable footwear in humidity can lead to foot-sores, making life more troublesome than it already is in the long hours at the University of Delhi.

Accessories to Consider

Sunglasses, hats, or umbrellas are a must in this weather. Choose bright-coloured frames of sunglasses, hats, or caps. Pick small stud earrings rather than bigger ones, and prefer not wearing bigger neckpieces.

Feature Image Credits: Purnima PV for DU Beat

Priya Chauhan

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Arts & Culture

Students Strike for Action Against Climate Change

By Sakshi Arora September 30, 2019

This September, the youth, especially students from all over the world are organising strikes for action against climate change. Let us take a look at this movement in India.

Inspired by the sixteen-year-old Climate Change activist Greta Thunberg, the first Friday school striker who started to miss her school on Fridays and protest outside the Swedish Parliament for action against climate change, on 20th September 2019, students and adults all over the world gathered to strike for action against climate change. This strike took place ahead of the United Nations Climate Action Summit that took place on 23rd September 2019.

In India, this citizens’ movement began on 15th March 2019, when about eight hundered students gathered in solidarity for action against climate change. Bhavreen Kandhari, a social environmentalist, said, “I got a tweet from Extinction Rebellion when this global movement began asking me why the movement had not taken over Delhi, considering that it is one of the most polluted cities in the world. Slowly, awareness about the movement spread and we had our first strike during examination season, with a lot of support from many parents and schools.” People from over 85 cities and towns in India took part in the Global Climate Strike, which is going to continue till 27th September 2019.

However, considering our population, more people need to become aware of the climate crisis and join the movement for action against climate change if we want to save our planet which, according to studies, only has 11 years of sustainability left. The Government also needs to realise the reality of this crisis and take actions to save the environment. Asheer Kandhari, an active student participant of the movement, said, “Is this the kind of future our parents want to leave us, their children, with? As someone who is facing the consequences of the decisions made by the previous generations, I feel it is my duty to fight for my future and planet. I believe one needs to take a peaceful but direct and firm urgent action to seek our objective.” Aman Sharma, another student who has been very active with the climate change movement, said, “I speak for every child of India. We have come to a point where breathing air is making us sick. Air, which is supposed to be the nectar of life, is now challenging our very existence on earth. Climate change is happening all around us and we know it. Denying or ignoring this crisis situation for years has only made us lose valuable time and us kids can now see the present situation as the beginning of the end. I want the policy and decision-makers to take note that the time for action is now. My home, my city, New Delhi is set to join the list of Indian cities to have no groundwater by 2020. If little children can understand how grave the situation is and what the solutions are, I find it funny that the adults cannot. We already have all the solutions as we have the science, facts and figures we need, but we lack the will, mindset, and compassion to go with it. It is shameful that we children have to tell policy-makers how to save the planet, beg leaders to secure our future and miss school to educate them on this crisis.”

Greta Thunberg recently said that she did not want people to hope, but to panic as if their house was on fire, because it is. Climate change is as real and poisonous as the air that we breathe in Delhi. Massive action needs to be taken now, not only by world Governments and big corporations but by each and every one of us, if we want to even have hope for a greener and safer future.

Feature Image Credits: Rishabh Gogoi for DU Beat

Juhi Bhargava

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Arts & Culture

Thighs Attract Boys: The Curious Case of St. Francis College

By Sakshi Arora September 30, 2019

Education is meant to liberate the educated. Read on to know what happens when there exists a polarity between the two.

Recently, a video of St. Francis College, Hyderabad, had made rounds on the internet. The video was received with widespread outrage across different social media platforms. The protesting students alleged that a faculty member had shamed a student for wearing a sleeveless dress. “The head of my department gave the example of actors who are paid to wear ‘such clothes’. That statement affected me. I have written down this incident verbatim in my book,” an enraged student said. “Sr. Sandra announced a new dress code change in the middle of the year and her colleagues told our representatives that a long kurta would get us good marriage proposals. They told our representatives that standing up for a cause is blasphemous, raising your voice is blasphemous.

This went against the very grain of our values as millennials of the 21st Century. Things got worse, every day we were all humiliated for wearing a kurta that was just an inch or less above the knee, we were made to stand outside the college, losing out on classes and tests. Things did not stop there, the college went ahead and hired female security guards in the pretext of security, these female guards were checking the length of our kurtas, they went ahead and pulled girls by their ID (identity) cards and even pulled their kurtas,” Zanobia Tumbi, who is a student at St. Francis, posted on her Facebook profile, along with the video. Eventually, the women decided to protest and were finally allowed to wear “long tops” to college. But that does not even begin to end the discourse. The Indian education system, specifically talking about higher education, has a way of putting unnecessary obligations on students.

Be it a certain way of dressing, a mandatory minimum attendance, or a particular way of writing the papers to fetch more marks, they all contribute to cease the liberty of students. What is worrying is that the students of these institutions have internalised this behaviour, and do not really seem to have a problem with it. When I asked a few students studying in a reputed college which followed the same practice, their answers ranged from, “I have never given it a thought,” to “No, I don’t have anything to say about it.” When humans are fed a diet of entirely problematic substances, they stop dissecting the reality to find out the truth.

Something similar seems to be happening with the Indian youth, and this is a cause of concern. Education is supposed to make them distinguish between real and false virtues, but in such cases, it is robbing them of it. When there is an imposition of uncalled-for rules, it tends to hamper with the real issues plaguing the country and the world as communities. India lags behind when it comes to research, innovations, and modifications in education. Instead of sanitising the post-millenials of their ungodly ways, the system should take a long, critical look within its cracks and make amends to the damage. While the whole world is progressing to form a more holistic approach towards education, actions such as these put a big question mark on the system.

There is also a debate about what the parents’ reaction is. According to the management of St. Francis, most of the parents had received this decision of their daughters wearing a kurta in a positive light. In this situation, dissent, and not the narrative of “disobedience” that we have been fed, is necessary. Across colleges, and especially in women’s educational institutions, patriarchy or moral policing should have no space. Such places in Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, or across smaller cities, have given the country women that the world is proud of. If we limit them to, and define them by what they wear, these places will stop producing the kind of talent that they have. In an educational institution of the present time, moral policing on women’s bodies and clothing should be the topic of criticism and not a notice issued by the authorities who hold power. When it comes to learning, steps like these comply with the misogyny and sexism women in our country, and from all over the world, have actively been fighting to put in the past.

Feature Image Credits: The Hindu

Maumil Mehraj

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DUB Speak

Understanding the Business of Education in India

By Sakshi Arora September 30, 2019

As the opportunities in the service sector and manufacturing sector increased for the educated youth, the demand for educational institutions grew, and hence, education is turning into a business in our country.
In India, it is not legal to run educational institutions as business organisations, since only trusts can run such institutions on a non-profit basis. However, there appears to be a systemic method by which many trusts turn these non-profit institutions into their profit-making centres.
The entrepreneurs, taking advantage of the high demand for education, generally get land allotted at a nominal cost in the name of an educational community. In the initial stages, some temporary structures are put up. Later on, as students are admitted, funds begin to flow in the form of development fee, building fee, tuition fee, cultural event fee, etc. These institutions charge cost plus pricing for the services rendered by them. Therefore, over a period of time, these institutions were able to construct huge buildings and purchase costly equipment to modernise their establishments. In this way, a large percentage of unaided private schools and colleges have converted education into a business enterprise.

Earlier, these institutions were confined to metropolitan areas and big cities, but now they are spreading even to smaller towns. “This seriously undermines the selfless nature of education, especially in a country like ours where students are supposed to consider their teachers as Gods,” opined Bhavya, a first-year student pursuing B.A. (Honours) Economics from Daulat Ram College. Of late, the issue of charging capitation fee by educational institutions has also become a sensational topic of disccussion. The Supreme Court, in its judgement on the Mohini Jain versus the Government of Karnataka case in 1992, declared that the Right to Education was a fundamental right, and that the charging of capitation fee was arbitrary, unfair, and, therefore, in violation of the fundamental Right to Equality contained in Article 14 of the Constitution. Mohini Jain, the petitioner in the case, was admitted to the medical college in Karnataka, but she could not take advantage of admission as she could not pay INR 60,000 per year as capitation fee.

A distinction has to be made between privatisation and commercialisation of education. India has a long tradition of privatisation of higher education. Tilak, Karve, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, and many other charitable trusts started educational institutions to widen educational opportunity in the society. But modern educational entrepreneurs are not guided by philanthropic motives of the earlier reformers. They intend to invest in educational institutions to maximise profits, because the demand for professional education is very high and the risk involved in this investment is minimal.
There have also been many instances of promoters of educational institutions getting involved in tax evasion and money laundering cases. Politicians and other investors create trust funds, citing education as the motive.

Corporate Social Responsibility funds flow into the trust through legitimate banking channels. These funds are returned to the promoters in cash, and the actual expenditure on the institution is met with the illicit hoard of black money. The expenditure is then inflated, helping launder the black money. In spite of these negative aspects, there are many positive aspects as well that have been brought in by the private investments in the education sector. They have filled up the investment deficit in the education sector. They have increased the availability of seats, creative subjects, and also developed the other centres including the urban areas.

Any development without proper regulations is hazardous for the society. Hence, there should be a strong regulatory body across India for the regulation of these institutions regularly. Benjamin Franklin wisely said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” One can sincerely hope the investment is not made to run education as a business to a point of extreme capitalistic individualism and exploitation, but in order to increase knowledge for the building of a stronger and a more reformed society.

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Abhinandan Kaul

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Campus Central

St. Stephen’s Supreme Council Row Escalates, Delhi High Court Seeks Response

By Sakshi Arora September 27, 2019

In response to the petition filed by the professors of St. Stephens College, opposing the inclusion of a member from the Church of North India (CNI) in the admission process of Christian students, the Delhi High Court has sought response from the Varsity.

The Delhi High Court, on Tuesday, 24th September, requested a response from the Delhi University (DU) and St. Stephen’s College on a plea opposing the inclusion of a members from the Institute’s Supreme Council in the interview panel for admission of Christian students.

The Delhi High Court sent a notice to St. Stephen’s College following a plea by three faculty members challenging the decision of the College to have an additional member, from its Supreme Council, in the interview panel for admissions of students.

The decision was challenged in the High Court by the members of the Governing Body of the college- Nandita Narain, Associate Professor from Department of Mathematics, N.P. Ashley, Assistant Professor from the Department of English, and Abhishek Singh, Assistant Professor from the Department of Economics, for allegedly going against the Constitution of the College.

A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C. Hari Shankar has issued a notice to the DU, the College, its Supreme Council, its Principal, and the University Grants Commission (UGC) seeking their stand by 16^th October on the petition by three professors of the institute.

The petition filed by the Governing Body opposed the increased involvement of the CNI in the admission process by including a member of the Supreme Council in the interview panel. The Supreme Council includes six members from the Governing Body of the CNI. The Chairperson of both the Governing Body and the Supreme Council is the Bishop of Delhi, Bishop Warris K. Massih, and the Member Secretary of both is the Principal of the college, Professor John Varghese.

According to the petitioners this decision is in direct violation of the Clause 4 and 5 of the Constitution of the College, which reads

The Supreme Council of the college shall have the control of the religious and moral instruction of students of the college and of all matters affecting its religious character as a Christian College of the Church of North India; and, in addition, shall appoint, after proper advertisement, the Principal of the College who shall be a member of the Church of North India or of a church that is in communion with the Church of North India.”
The Supreme Council of the college shall have no jurisdiction over the administration of the college.”

The response by the University, St. Stephens College, Supreme Council, and the UGC is awaited, which would be clear only by 16^th October.

Feature Image Credits: Surbhit Rastogi for DU Beat

SriyaRane

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The Politics of Renaming: Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium

By Sakshi Arora September 26, 2019

The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) decided to rename Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium as Arun Jaitley Stadium in memory of its former President, who passed away on 24th August 2019.

Renaming landmarks and cities is a global phenomenon, especially in the postcolonial era, as nations, one after the other, became independent post the end of the Second World War. Understandably, they wished to leave their oppressed colonial baggage behind. The objective of renaming being the elimination of the prevailing memories associated with those places, and the liberation of the nation from the painful times of the colonisation. India was a colony of the British and the Mughals for centuries, who, during their rule, redefined the cities and gave abundant historical landmarks that have generated reasonable tourism, etc. But for the past few years, Indians are witnessing the act of redefining these landmarks by changing their names. After the demise of Arun Jaitley, former Union Minister of Finance, the prominent cricket stadium of Delhi, the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium was renamed the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

The motive behind this embodiment was said to be an expression of gratitude towards Late Arun Jaitley, who served as the President of the cricketing body for 13 years, and his love for cricket was well known and certified. This change was made three days after his death. While the cricket ground retained its original name, Feroz Shah Kotla Ground; the name of the stadium was changed without any complexities or questions of why this was not done when Jaitley was alive and could see it for himself. This raises a debate: does this act of renaming places even have an impact on the general public, or are they indifferent and ignorant towards it? According to some people, this practice of altering names does nothing but disrupt the originality of the place and erases a slice of history from the lives of the people who share a connection with them.

Contrary to this, others have said that change is the only constant. They appear to believe that it was high time for India to gain a perspective of what the country was before it was “invaded” and ruled by the people of other nations. India has provided some great leaders, who deserve recognition and a mark of respect that lives for ages, renaming landmarks in their names instead of rulers who deprived us of freedom for long is nowhere wrong and is a progressive step that does not spread hatred. Another example of this manifestation is the renaming of different cities in West India – Allahabad being changed to Prayagraj, Faizabad being changed to Ayodhya, among numerous others. This decision that took place last year in October had the people of India shook. The authorities claim that they only corrected the history as it was Akbar, who changed Prayagraj’s name to Allahabad in 1583. But the residents of the city were not very pleased with the decision. Professor Farooqui, former Vice Chancellor of Allahabad University, said, “You can’t just erase the history of 500 years. Allahabad is not just a name – it’s a feeling that every person who grew up in the city carries, it’s like killing the city’s soul.” India is a secular country, with diverse cultures and demands.

With each new decision, there are going to be people standing by it, and people criticising it. It is hard to say what is in the best interest and what is not, as the nation does not wish to regress with time. A student, who requested to be anonymous, said, “The Government should adhere to the issues that require vigilance rather than altering history or rectifying what should have been done, the locals will always prefer the former name as name simply changes the title but does not resolve the long term issues prevailing in the country.”

Feature Image Credits: India Today

Avni Dhawan

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Arts & Culture

Auburn Umbrella: The Pervasive Print Culture

By Sakshi Arora September 26, 2019

Traditional clothing like kurtas, palazzos, dupattas, and sarees are a new favourite for many students at the University of Delhi (DU).

The richness of the culture and heritage of India is oozing out of the patterns that have made a comeback in fashion trends. These patterns can be seen accessorised with jhumkas, monochrome kurta salwar with colourful Bandhani or Leheriya dupattas, or it can be worn in contrasting combinations. These can also be styled to create an Indo Western look by wearing a pair of jeans with kurti, printed tee with a palazzo, or a short kurti with shorts.

Kalamkari

This ancient style of hand-printing is a popular choice among the University students, and can be found in all items of traditional clothing, as it is suitable for all occasions. It is available in the classic tamarind colour, khadi colour, blue, green, orange, and yellow. From adorning an oriental Kalamkari saree on your farewell to a casual Kalamkari kurti in college, you can pick your occasion to slay in this style.

Indigo

This light cloth is an all-time favourite for many. Blue colour comes naturally from Indigo. It comes with dabu or block prints of flowers, designs, umbrellas, and much more. These prints can be enhanced by coordinating them with whites; for example, a simple, plain white blouse with a traditional Indigo saree, or an Indigo kurti with a white palazzo.

Ikat

This dyeing technique, found mainly in men’s fashion, is used to pattern kurtas. It is a very toned-down pattern that adds a subtle touch to liven up your usual clothes. Ikat designs can go from being simplistic to loud, colourful, or abstract. It catches the eye due to its unique ethnic tribal art, setting a trend that many fashion brands have incorporated.

Batik

You can identify this technique with its distinct lines, dots, and heavy floral designs. This is suitable to be worn on a special occasion or a day-out. The best way to style a Batik is to let it be the star of the outfit and stand out, with simple accessories or add-ons. This design can help you look your best for any cultural event or celebration!

While these patterned clothes are entering our wardrobes, one has to spend a lot to buy these. The good news is that cheaper alternatives to Dilli Haat, Fabindia, and Global Desi, and others like Big Bazaar, Pantaloons, Rangmanch, and Westside are also launching these designs to cater to our fashion needs. Markets like Janpath, Sarojini Nagar, Lajpat Nagar, and Kamla Nagar are every DU student’s all-time favourites for affordable fashion where these prints can be easily found.

Feature Image Credits: Namrata Randhawa for DU Beat

Shivani Dadhwal

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Campus Central

All Male Panel at KMC’s Women Conclave’19 Sparks Controversy

By Sakshi Arora September 25, 2019

A look at the controversy and the arguments surrounding the decision to field an all male panel during Day 1 of Kirori Mal College’s Women Conclave, organised by National Service Scheme unit’s Women Empowerment Cell, Sahas.

The annual Kirori Mal Women Conclave was held on the 23^rd and 24^th September in the college campus. However, when the speakers for the panel discussion to be conducted on Day 1 was revealed, it turned out that an event which claimed to celebrate ‘Women and womenhood’ did not have a single female panelist, with the only one keynote speaker being female, Ms. Ira Singhal. The speakers announced for the panel discussion on Day 1 were Mr. Kanishk Priyadarshi and Mr. Pavitra Paruthi from Scoopwhoop, and Mr. Ankush Bahugana from MensXP. This decision was heavily criticized profusely on social media, as many came forward with the irony in representation in an event organized by the Women’s Develpoment Cell, and on the topic “Women and womenhood”

The repercussions of this event were felt on Day 1 itself, when Mr. Bahugana backed out from the event, citing that the panel discussion should have had female representation. Alongside this, the event was also met with protestors holding up banners during the panel session protesting against the lack of female representation. On speaking to one of the protestors, Adrija, a first-year student, she said, “In every panel, every field around the world, men are the dominant people who are part of these discussions, so I feel that in places like women conclaves which is on women’s issues, women are severely needed, So kya point hai discussion ka (What’s the point of a discussion).” She also stated that the discussion got derailed because the panel didn’t talk about major issues. She mentioned that there was no representation of transwomen or the queer community in this year’s event.

On 23rd September, the instagram handle of Sahas uploaded a post reaffirming their ideas, and justifying their decisions.

View this post on Instagram

We have witnessed a certain backlash regarding our all male panel for the day 1 of the Women Conclave 2019. Yes, it is true that the panel consists of all men but we took this subsequently intentional and bold step to convey and put forward certain views. Firstly, we believe that it is not only women who have the responsibility to empower other women. Voices of women are heard. But is not only the duty of other women to echo those voices. Next, Women Conclave is simply about celebrating womenhood and supporting hardworking women. Is women empowerment so sacred that only women have the right to talk about it? We certainly disagree. Furthermore, we did try to contact certain women we thought would make this panel even more admirable than it already is. However, due to certain reasons and their prior commitments, it could not happen. We cannot ignore the fact that for the past 2 Conclaves, we have had only women talking about women’s issues. This year also, majority of the sessions are dominated by strong women. The all male panel is indeed a controversial step but we do not regret it and are rather excited about it because at the end of the day, everyone has something to say. Nevertheless, we do have a female panellist who will be moderating this panel. So we request you all to kindly attend the session. We promise to answer all your questions. Yours sincerely, Arshita Chaurasia Head Coordinator

A post shared by SAHAS (@sahas_wec) on Sep 22, 2019 at 9:07am PDT

On speaking to Arshita Chaurasia, the head event coordinator for the event and the treasurer of the NSS unit, it was mentioned that women speakers were invited for Day 1, but they weren’t available. She stated that the idea of all male panel was taken to the Convenor and the Principal and they felt there was no such issue, as men should speak on these issues and be educated as well on women empowerment. Dr. Benu Gupta, the program officer for NSS said “What we are looking for is of course women empowerment and capacity building of women. But ultimately society is made equally by men and women so if we only keep on empowering women and not sensitizing the men and we won’t hear men about what they are experiencing, then it doesn’t make any sense. You are biased if you are not taking men on board.” It was also pointed out that six of the ten speakers were women, when taking into consideration both days of the event. To strengthen her argument, Dr. Gupta also pointed out that for something like the keynote session held by Mr. Rakshit Tandon on Day 1, on the topic of cyber security, expertise and knowledge was the determining factor and not gender.

Feature Image Credits: Stuti Srivastava for La Voice KMC

Prabhanu Kumar Das

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