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Female student grabbed by the throat: Harassment in South campus

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How safe is Delhi University for women? The very recent incident that occurred in the South Campus area of DU near LSR seems to state the answer. A student being harassed in a public place is not just terrifying but also shameful. It is high time that DU takes women safety seriously.

In a very shocking incident near the crowded space of Moolchand Metro Station, a female student was harassed by two men. She was grabbed by the throat by one of them and would have seriously injured her, had she not shouted for help. This bizarre incident is not the only one. In fact, two other incidents have also been reported before in the same campus vicinity. Such incidents have been occurring specifically near the back-gate area of LSR college and on the lane leading to Moolchand Metro Station.

“That road which connects the station to the college has certain patches that are shady and lonely and I personally have seen drunken men who are gambling there. It feels very unsafe and we hardly see any police men circling that area. So yes, it is unsafe” an LSR hostler who did not wish to be named commented while speaking about the incident. This road that connects the metro station to LSR is not just lacking street lights at certain spots but is also a constant hub for drunken men. Female students are constantly exposed to eve-teasing and catcalling on their way. Incidents of men openly masturbating in front of passing women is beyond inexpressible and a haunting reminder of all that women have to face on a daily basis and to what extent. A mysterious van was also witnessed by the hostlers, circling the area on multiple occasions. It seems that Police is not taking such cases seriously.

DU Beat tried contacting the ICC representative from LSR, Ms Priya. She was unavailable to comment on the issue. DU Beat also spoke the hostel warden Mrs Ujjayini, She refused to comment .

According to sources the ICC has contacted Amar Colony police Station and assurance has been provided that an official would be posted to patrol in and around the affected area. What is appalling is the fact that the Internal Complaints committee of the college was not ready to take this issue. “There is a clause in the internal complaints committee that states that they would deal with sexual harassment only if it happens inside the college. Even if it happens on the pavement of the college it does not lie in their jurisdiction moreover the clause also says that only heterosexual harassments alone shall be dealt with” A source who wished to remain anonymous voiced while conversing about steps taken by the college on the issue.

Though it is genuinely pathetic and unjust but carrying pepper sprays and learning defense mechanisms seems to be the only option left with the girls now. The fact that the students have to engage in such activities is not only disgraceful but reveals the sad reality of the lack of concern shared by authorities about issues as sensitive and significant as women’s safety.

This incident has surely put students on guard. “We are even being prohibited to go out of the hostel even to fetch food ordered online. My friend was refused permission by the superintendent of the hostel to go out to collect her food post 10:30. What kind of precaution is this?” Manisha (name changed on purpose) expressed while scrutinizing the steps taken by hostel authorities.” They are enforcing regressive rules on us instead of catching the culprits” she further added.

It is crucial that effective measures are taken up to deal with such issues. The police needs to station more officials on surveillance in and around the campus and it’s important that CCTV cameras are also installed. A safe space needs to be created for both women and men alike. The fact that education comes at a cost greater than ones safety and security poses a challenge that DU management needs to acknowledge and deal with.


Image credit: Indian Express

Stephen Mathew
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Netflix's Sex Education- The Pros and the Cons

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Netflix’s Sex Education: A Class We Wish We had in School Netflix’s new series ‘Sex Education’ is what you need in a world where conversations around sex, boundaries and consent are being defined and talked about. The Pros Who knew the day would come when a TV series could actually talk about sex and navigate through its nuances without escaping the realities of dealing with it? ‘Sex Education’ on Netflix doesn’t check all the boxes for a typical teenage romantic-comedy-drama series. While scaling the uneven slopes of sex and sexuality, it starts with a bit of awkwardness and over-enthusiasm but then gets a lot more fun when it calms down a bit. It’s a show that can frankly discuss sex but also make jokes about it, like normal people do. The series revolves around a socially awkward high school student Otis who lives with his mom Jean, a sex therapist. Being surrounded by manuals, videos and tediously open conversations about sex, Otis has become a reluctant expert on the subject. Maeve, the smart and intelligent classmate of Otis notices the ease with which he can help people with their tricky sexual problems and so, together they start an underground sex therapy business for their schoolmates. The show has a diverse cast who plays it’s part up to perfection. It’s liberating to see a brown Muslim gay boy who confidently bosses around the school on his stylish outfits and sarcastic attitude, to see girls discovering masturbation, and at the same time the lead character being uncomfortable with his genitals. It accurately conveys that having or not having sex is hardly ever the only problem for kids who’re trying to figure out what they want and like. Outside that, there’s sexuality and compatibility. It involves figuring out what you need and learning how to speak up for it. There’s so much more than the vast majority of those teen comedies ever truly touch, and so it’s wonderfully refreshing to watch ‘Sex Education’. Yes, sex can be thrilling, horrifying, terribly awkward and wonderfully adventurous and yes, it’s completely okay to not know everything about it. The Cons How Sex Education got it wrong is in two occasions. In episode five, Ruby, a mean girl who routinely harasses and chides her friends and those around her, finds herself in a spot when a picture her vagina is leaked, but no one knows that it’s her picture. The culprit who leaks the picture announces that he will disclose the name of the person if the she doesn’t apologies for her behaviour. In an overtly defensive demeanour, Ruby spreads the rumour that the picture is of Maeve, who already has a reputation as a slut. Despite this nefarious behaviour, Ruby seeks Maeve’s help to find the culprit. Maeve, in a gesture of unrealistic sainthood, agrees to help her because she is knows how difficult it is to live with a social redicule. If this wasn’t enough, Maeve, who has cash shortage, refuses to accept any money when Ruby offers to pay for her services. In the course of the investigation it is found out that Olivia, Ruby’s friend is the blackmailer who, tired of being disrespected wanted to teach Ruby a lesson. Maeve, who is a badge wearing feminist comes to a conclusion that since the blackmailer is seeking an apology then it must be a girl because “Emotional blackmail, demanding an apology This is some girl shit.” This statement panders to the stereotype that a girl is a girl’s worse enemy and is only capable of inflicting sneaky drama like typical spiteful bitches. This supposedly brilliant statement totally negates how men overwhelmingly engage in revenge porn and blackmails revolving nudes which has caused its victims to commit suicide. Just as you think you have a good complex female character, thw writers put something like this in the script. Anyway, Olivia confesses to the crime and apologises to Ruby, while Ruby in her haughty fashion rebuffs her with “I hate you.” Next day in the assembly it’s eventually revealed that the picture is of Ruby but Olivia announces that it’s her and then suddenly everyone starts saying that it’s their picture, in a spontaneous show of solidarity against slut shaming. While, we would agree that no one deserves to be blackmailed, but at the same time a rumour mongering bully gets to have support from all quarters but isn’t held accountable for her own behaviour is problematic. The fact that Olivia is first one to take the bullet for Ruby also shows that she is in a toxic friendship. Ruby gets to benefit from the progressive practices of those around her, but yet continues to belittle those who hold less social capital than her. In the same episode, Otis bails on Eric on his birthday due to the ongoing investigation. It’s not shown clearly but it’s assumed that Eric is sexually assaulted by a group of homophobic/transphobic guys. Instead of comforting his friend after ruining his elaborate birthday tradition and hearing about how Eric was robbed of his phone, Otis jumps to regale the time he spent with Maeve. This enrages Eric who calls out Otis for being self centered, Otis in return calls accuses Eric of being jealous. When Eric barges out, Otis make no attempt to reunite further into the show. What appeared to be a mature, understanding, and equal friendship between a straight and a gay guy is diluted into a cheap plot line where Eric is reduced to a sidekick. No explanation is offered for Eric’s assault and Otis continues to have his adventures. Featured Image Credits- Netflix Disha Saxena [email protected] Niharika Dabral [email protected]]]>

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Netflix’s Sex Education- The Pros and the Cons

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Netflix’s Sex Education: A Class We Wish We had in School


Netflix’s new series ‘Sex Education’ is what you need in a world where conversations around sex, boundaries and consent are being defined and talked about.

The Pros

Who knew the day would come when a TV series could actually talk about sex and navigate through its nuances without escaping the realities of dealing with it? ‘Sex Education’ on Netflix doesn’t check all the boxes for a typical teenage romantic-comedy-drama series. While scaling the uneven slopes of sex and sexuality, it starts with a bit of awkwardness and over-enthusiasm but then gets a lot more fun when it calms down a bit. It’s a show that can frankly discuss sex but also make jokes about it, like normal people do.

The series revolves around a socially awkward high school student Otis who lives with his mom Jean, a sex therapist. Being surrounded by manuals, videos and tediously open conversations about sex, Otis has become a reluctant expert on the subject. Maeve, the smart and intelligent classmate of Otis notices the ease with which he can help people with their tricky sexual problems and so, together they start an underground sex therapy business for their schoolmates.

The show has a diverse cast who plays it’s part up to perfection. It’s liberating to see a brown Muslim gay boy who confidently bosses around the school on his stylish outfits and sarcastic attitude, to see girls discovering masturbation, and at the same time the lead character being uncomfortable with his genitals.

It accurately conveys that having or not having sex is hardly ever the only problem for kids who’re trying to figure out what they want and like. Outside that, there’s sexuality and compatibility. It involves figuring out what you need and learning how to speak up for it. There’s so much more than the vast majority of those teen comedies ever truly touch, and so it’s wonderfully refreshing to watch ‘Sex Education’. Yes, sex can be thrilling, horrifying, terribly awkward and wonderfully adventurous and yes, it’s completely okay to not know everything about it.


The Cons

How Sex Education got it wrong is in two occasions. In episode five, Ruby, a mean girl who routinely harasses and chides her friends and those around her, finds herself in a spot when a picture her vagina is leaked, but no one knows that it’s her picture. The culprit who leaks the picture announces that he will disclose the name of the person if the she doesn’t apologies for her behaviour. In an overtly defensive demeanour, Ruby spreads the rumour that the picture is of Maeve, who already has a reputation as a slut.

Despite this nefarious behaviour, Ruby seeks Maeve’s help to find the culprit. Maeve, in a gesture of unrealistic sainthood, agrees to help her because she is knows how difficult it is to live with a social redicule. If this wasn’t enough, Maeve, who has cash shortage, refuses to accept any money when Ruby offers to pay for her services.

In the course of the investigation it is found out that Olivia, Ruby’s friend is the blackmailer who, tired of being disrespected wanted to teach Ruby a lesson. Maeve, who is a badge wearing feminist comes to a conclusion that since the blackmailer is seeking an apology then it must be a girl because “Emotional blackmail, demanding an apology This is some girl shit.” This statement panders to the stereotype that a girl is a girl’s worse enemy and is only capable of inflicting sneaky drama like typical spiteful bitches. This supposedly brilliant statement totally negates how men overwhelmingly engage in revenge porn and blackmails revolving nudes which has caused its victims to commit suicide. Just as you think you have a good complex female character, thw writers put something like this in the script. Anyway, Olivia confesses to the crime and apologises to Ruby, while Ruby in her haughty fashion rebuffs her with “I hate you.”

Next day in the assembly it’s eventually revealed that the picture is of Ruby but Olivia announces that it’s her and then suddenly everyone starts saying that it’s their picture, in a spontaneous show of solidarity against slut shaming.

While, we would agree that no one deserves to be blackmailed, but at the same time a rumour mongering bully gets to have support from all quarters but isn’t held accountable for her own behaviour is problematic. The fact that Olivia is first one to take the bullet for Ruby also shows that she is in a toxic friendship. Ruby gets to benefit from the progressive practices of those around her, but yet continues to belittle those who hold less social capital than her.

In the same episode, Otis bails on Eric on his birthday due to the ongoing investigation. It’s not shown clearly but it’s assumed that Eric is sexually assaulted by a group of homophobic/transphobic guys. Instead of comforting his friend after ruining his elaborate birthday tradition and hearing about how Eric was robbed of his phone, Otis jumps to regale the time he spent with Maeve. This enrages Eric who calls out Otis for being self centered, Otis in return calls accuses Eric of being jealous. When Eric barges out, Otis make no attempt to reunite further into the show. What appeared to be a mature, understanding, and equal friendship between a straight and a gay guy is diluted into a cheap plot line where Eric is reduced to a sidekick. No explanation is offered for Eric’s assault and Otis continues to have his adventures.

Featured Image Credits- Netflix

Disha Saxena
[email protected]

Niharika Dabral
[email protected]

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Dilli Boy: College Rap Unwrapped in Delhi

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‘Aankh khol,upar dekh . Pankho ko faila aur bhar Udaan’ (Open your eyes, look up to the sky. Spread your wings and take flight). That’s how the hook of a Seedhe Maut song called Pankh goes. And maybe that can be the future of a few young Delhi MCs if times go right. Here’s an account of a recent hip-hop event at Aryabhatta College.

Aryabhatta College is a humble education institution scattered somewhere in South Campus of the University of Delhi (DU). Last week on 21st February, their fest was in full swing with the usual dance teams and a Punjabi singer as the highlight of the star night. Just another generic DU fest.

However, at noon, in front of the college’s generic looking canteen, something original was brewing. A hand with a mic was drawn on a sheet of power with the words ‘Tera Bhai Seedhe Maut’ written on it. For one who’s slightly acquainted with hip hop music in Delhi, Seedhe Maut, a local duo who’re out with a new album, is essential listening.

Soon, you could see the members of Seedhe Maut showing up here along with another trending rap duo, Full Power, as mics and speakers were being set. This was an event (a pun called ‘Rap-sody’) cut off from the rest of the fest. This was pure hip hop.

Rappers from all colleges in Delhi had assembled to first showcase their freestyles on a chosen beat while battling their colleagues in between. But the enthusiasm was being spit out on the mic even before the event started. Beatboxers and MCs huddled up in a circle and began rapping their best bars. Right then, an aura was born. A rap cypher was born. And probably for the future, several stars were born.

They were dressed in loose jeans, looser hoodies, Yankee caps, chains and some even came with skateboards. It might seem like a pretentious cosplay of 90s hip hoppers but most of the people over there had a flow and spirit, made in India.

From rising rappers in the scene like Smoke and Saby, to many first timers like an Amity student going under moniker Psya, rapped out their original freestyles. ‘Man, I feel nervous as it’s my first performance and my slot also comes early on the list. Yet I feel the crowd here is supportive so I might just pass with a decent performance.’ Psya said, before the showcase started.

The event started with such a showcase of rappers with some battles in between. There were a few memorable moments as mentioned before but not every freestyle was fiery as a few rappers got a mixed reaction too. There were a few raps on a generic ‘boy meets girl-girl breaks heart’ story and one on a ‘gangster party’! Cringe was induced indeed at times.

But that also indicates a certain diversity that underground hip-hop is not monotonous; everyone has something different to rap on. ‘Many of us might have common themes on which we write raps but still the best thing is that we all have a different way of interpreting these themes, different flows and styles to perform,’ said Tushar from Ambedkar University, who rapped a song on environmental degradation.

IMG_20190304_151647

The big guy, the judge, overseeing this was Kode. Kode, a pioneer in battle rapping in the capital city, hopped around encouraging the performers and hosting this show with vigour. ‘See this competition as Gully Boy and I’m Zoya Aktar in this shit.’ , he yelled on the mic.

Ideally, as a judge, he was supposed to give marks for everyone on the showcase and then select a few for some final rap battles. And that’s what Kode did till he walked again to the centre and did something that would make for a great third act on any Indian reality show episode.

‘This is hip-hop. We don’t do it like this. We gonna battle it out; none of this Javed Akhtar shit,’ Kode yelled again and tore the sheet of paper on which he had written down marks. He chose one of the competitors, another rapper from Swami Shradhanand College called Shantanu and gave the challenge for any rapper to defeat Shantnu in battle.
Three wordsmiths volunteered. The rest gathered around. And what followed was a rapid-fire exchange of personal insults and savage replies. This was no 8 Mile, this was no Gully Boy, this was real.

In the end, Shantanu still emerged victorious in these battles. However, the show wasn’t over. Some fragile canteen tables were arranged at that spot and an impromptu stage was made. Kode, Full Power and Seedhe Maut all took turns to perform. It turned out to be a final display of music for the public as they cheered, jumped, bobbed their heads, and repeated song hooks.

The crowd at Rap-sody wasn’t your typical jampacked college crowd but whoever was there, they got a genuine air of Delhi hip-hop’s present and future. A rap-battle took place at Ambedkar University a week later. And now, another one is upcoming at Hindu College as a part of the North East Society’s fest.

So, definitely, there are more chances now for unsigned student MCs in colleges in Delhi to shine and thrive in a clique of their own…

Featured Image credits- Shaurya Singh Thapa

Shaurya Singh Thapa
[email protected]

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DUTA’s call for human chain against ‘University in Crisis’ draws lukewarm response

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The Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) called on teachers and students to form a human chain on Monday to “highlight the crisis in the University”. The protest, however, couldn’t garner the expected participation.

The DUTA had called for a public meeting to be followed by the formation of a human chain at the Arts Faculty on Monday. The protest, labelled ‘University in Crisis’, was to focus on a plethora of issues including privatisation of education, the issues of ad-hoc teachers and the demand for revocation of the 13 point roster system of teachers’ appointments. However, not many teachers or students actually showed up and the programme never went beyond the public meeting.

Rajib Ray, President of DUTA, told DU Beat that the day’s programme was intended as a build-up for the protests planned for the coming days. A press release was made by DUTA today, which read, “This action programme is part of the ongoing mobilisation against the anti-education policies of the Government like Tripartite MoU, HEFA, Scheme of Autonomous Colleges, Tampering of DU Act, Imposition of CCS-ESMA, Contractual Employment, Drastic Cuts in Research Seats and the attack on the Reservation Policy in teachers’ appointment which has challenged the very ethos of the University system.”

Among the various issues, the controversy around the 13 point roster system seemed to be at the forefront. Abha Dev Habib, professor of Physics at Miranda House and former Executive Councillor of Delhi University, told DU Beat that the 13 point roster, which treats individual departments in colleges and not the whole college/university as a ‘unit’ for the appointment of teachers, would make it difficult for teachers from reserved categories to find entry into the University. “Hum kya bas ek Ambedkar aur Phule se khush hain? Hume aur Ambedkar aur Kancha Illaiah chahiye”, (Are we satisfied with just one Ambedkar and Phule? We want more Ambedkars and Kancha Illaiahs), she said.

Ms Habib also pointed to other issues against which the association was protesting – privatisation of education being one of them. According to her, even though the UPA-2 government had started pushing for privatisation, the current government had done it with much more “zeal”.

Some students had also showed up at the Arts Faculty. Abhigyan, a first year Political Science student at Ramjas College, said, “We see that policies like financial autonomy – basically privatisation under the garb of autonomy – are just trying to increase the fees of the colleges. They’ve (the government) brought a policy to give loans instead of grants (to colleges) and the only plausible solution to repay those loans is to increase the fees of the students. And that makes Delhi University, the premier public funded university of India, inaccessible to the real India.” When we ask Abhigyan if he’s willing to be a part of the subsequent protests, he says, “Definitely, every single one of them, because common students need to understand that it affects us.”
IMG_20190225_151034_529

Yet, the severity of these issues and the enthusiasm behind the slogans of ‘DUTA zindabad’, ‘Corrupt VC gaddi chhodo’ and ‘UGC pe halla bol’, didn’t seem to attract as many people as perhaps expected. Despite the DUTA press release mentioning that “Hundreds of teachers and students assembled today to form the Human Chain”, the actual turnout was lower, and in fact, the chain wasn’t even formed. Speakers also expressed concern over this, urging the protesters to call elected members and staff associations to gather support for subsequent protests. Mr Ray, in a closing remark said, “Make sure we have 10 times more, if not 50 times more (people) tomorrow at Mandi House”, referring to the next day’s programme.

Renu Bala, professor of Hindi at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College and Joint Secretary, Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) said the low turnout was because there was no cancellation of classes; the programme was scheduled from 2 PM when some teachers hold classes. She also said that the chain was called off in support of the students of Daulat Ram College who were conducting a protest next to the Arts Faculty. However, neither of this was mentioned during the public meeting.

Making it clear that the protests are set to continue, the DUTA press release also stated, “DUTA has decided to continue its protracted struggle by organising a ‘Candle Light’ Vigil tomorrow, i.e., Tuesday, Feb 26, 2019, at 4 pm at Mandi House. This will be followed by a total strike of 3 days – Feb 27, 28 & March 1 – to intensify the agitation against the MHRD and the DU VC. There will be a DUTA General Body Meeting at 11 am on Friday, March 1, 2019, to decide on future action programmes.”

Featured Image credits – Prateek Pankaj for DU Beat

Prateek Pankaj
[email protected]

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DU Landmarks – A Cinema called Amba

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Exploring Amba Cinema, the single screen theatre near North Campus and the people that make it.

The University of Delhi in general, and its North Campus in particular is like a brewery of cheap wine, brewing cheap thrills and sweet memories for the students that thrive in it. Kamala Nagar is one such prime destination, bustling with activity every day. On its outer edges, lie areas that start showing a family demographic rather than that of students. Just a few steps ahead of the market place’s ghantaghar (clock tower), and you’ll set foot to the gate of the only movie theatre in the campus area. This is Amba.

When I first arrived at Amba Cinema, I could see a diverse crowd before the evening show was to start. There were a couple of college couples, scattered all over the outer edges of the building, smiling sheepishly, waiting to exchange a kiss for a millisecond. Amidst this young love, I saw a small boy called Faizal pedalling an equally small bicycle.
He was cycling around, gazing at the movie posters with the fascination of a film connoisseur. As I stopped him for a conversation, he gave his verdict on the poster of the upcoming historical drama Manikarnika. ‘Bohot tagdi picture lag rahi hai. Par dekhke hi pata chalega ab.’, Faizal said. (‘It seems like a strong film. But I’ll get to know how it actually is, only after viewing’).

This little boy lives nearby and helps his brother at times, who sells vegetables on the street. Times aren’t easy for him but yet he smiles with his weekend entertainment when he comes to Amba with his brother. After all, Amba has two varieties of seats, wooden and recliner, both decently priced at 60 and 120 bucks (which is even lesser than what a bucket of popcorn in an ordinary multiplex would cost).

Amba has had a history with several generations of DU students now, as it has been more than fifty years since it was set up by certain old gentlemen Shiv Shanker Lall and Bhavani Shanker. The family runs the cinema till this day. Set up in 1963, the word ‘Amba’ (written in Devanagari) has survived, erected on a stand above the building, In the face of multiplexes, its single screen format has survived too in this part of the city.

However, it has accepted some modern changes along the way. The Dolby Atmos sound system was introduced a few years ago, as the staff says. And now, even English movies are being screened every once in a while, along with the usual Hindi ones. Hence, a cut out of Captain Marvel stood proudly, along with posters of Simmba and Manikarnika.

Turning it into a proper movie hall, the security has also been updated. The guards at the gate and the doors are hired on a temporary basis. However, nearly a year ago, the security scene reached a new level, with the controversial film Padmavat hit the screens. Rishabh Gogoi, a second-year student from Cluster Innovation Centre, recalls on how his experience was.
‘My first experience at Amba was remarkable as I had come to watch Padmavat. On the first day and the first show, there were at least three rounds of security checking before you actually sit inside. At one point, it even felt that there were more CRPF chaps than movie watchers.’

Talking about security, the hall is generally a quiet place without much ruckus. However, according to many students, the night shows are not advisable as the hall is rather filled with ‘uncivilised crowds’! Barring that, Amba Cinema is still a noteworthy landmark for the DU student. With a new outlet of H&M in Kamala Nagar, people are predicting that the wave of capitalism won’t stop till a privatised multiplex is set up. If that happens in the near future, some like Faizal and many more would still pray that Amba’s charm doesn’t die and it doesn’t shut down. Hope their prayers are answered…

Featured Image Credits: Rishabh Gogoi for DU Beat

Shaurya Singh Thapa
[email protected]

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Daulat Ram Hostel continues the fight

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The residents of the hostel stand firm with their demands and shift the protest to the Vice Chancellor’s office.

On the 24th of February, the residents of Daulat Ram College Hostel marched from their hostel gates towards the Vice Chancellors office to have their demands directly addressed by the Vice Chancellor. The residents spent the previous night protesting outside their hostel against the lack of concern shown by the hostel authorities regarding their issues. Seeing no other means of redressal and demanding an immediate removal of their hostel committee, they decided to approach the Vice Chancellor himself.

After being stopped at the gate of the Vice Chancellor’s office, the residents have decided to stage a sit in until they are given a chance to speak to the Vice Chancellor.
The hostel committee of Daulat Ram College consists of the Warden (Ms. Kavita Sharma), the Matron ( Dr. Sushma Tandon) and the Officer on Special Duty. All three of them have been accused of allegedly imposing arbitrary rules, moral policing and threatening the students which has led to the creation of a very suffocating environment in the hostel. The students refuse to go back into the same environment and insist on staying outside the VC gates for as long as they have to. The issues put forth go way beyond the hike in the fees and the curfew timings.

The residents have noticed that the breakdown of their fees presents numerous facilities; most of which are not provided to them. “Telephones, we are not allowed into the gardens but are told to watch them from afar, the AC works only for four days at a stretch, stationary”, a student complained. The residents are charged INR 1500 per head for garden facilities and INR 500 for stationary and telephone, all of which they are yet to use.

The regular moral policing seems to be a major factor fuelling this protest; a shocking four students have been removed from their hostel seats by the committee within a month. In one instance, a student got delayed because of her dance competition and exceeded the hostel deadline. Her parents and local guardian had prior information about this and had granted necessary permissions. Despite that, she was not allowed to enter into the hostel and was later removed from the hostel altogether. Another disturbing instance shows that the matron regularly inspects into the social media handles of the students and threatens to discuss this with their parents. “We are attacked because of the clothes we wear and she interrogates us every time she sees us with a boy”, a student added. Students have started wearing shawls to cloak their shorts/skirts for fear of being called out.

In a similar instance, despite receiving permission from her parents, a student was asked to explain why she did not spend the night in the hostel. On discovering that the student had gone on a trip with her friends, the matron has now asked her to voluntarily withdraw her position from the hostel by the 28th of February. Despicable comments such as “dhanda karne ja rahi hai kya?” and “kiska bistar garam karne ja rahi hain” are regularly used on the students.

On the night of the protest, the male guards were allowed to roam the corridors which the students felt was extremely inappropriate considering only a few students were inside the hostel. “The hypocrisy of the warden’s protectionism was on display as she claims to be protecting us from all the men outside but who would be responsible if something happened to those girls?”, a student mentioned.

The hostel residents have been continuously protesting for close to two days. Applications have been written addressing all these concerns for the past eight months but to no avail. The hostel facilities have not been improved and neither has the behavior of the hostel committee towards the students.

Featured Image Credits- Pragati Thapa for DU Beat

Pragati Thapa
[email protected]

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Pinjra Tod: Are the fault lines in this movement widening?

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“If you’re here to save me, then I’m not interested to work with you. But, if you understand that your freedom is intricately connected to mine, then let’s work together.”

On 20th February 2019, an article titled “Why we decided to leave Pinjra Tod” was published on the website Roundtable India. This was a detailed statement chronicling the experiences of nine former members of the collective who belonged to historically marginalized communities (SC/ST/OBC/Islamic) and provided a deep insight into their decision to leave Pinjra Tod.

Only four years into its existence, Pinjra Tod has already been extremely successful in fighting oppressive forms of patriarchal protectionism that have been intricately sewn into the rulebooks of Universities. Their success in Jamia Milla Islamia and the persistent nature of their questioning and protests have been a source of inspiration to Universities across the country leading to a mushrooming of similar units in places such as Banaras Hindu University, Punjab University and smaller towns like Thrissur, Cuttack and Raipur. This collective now holds a very important position in the feminist discourse within University spaces, being one of a kind; it has immense bargaining power as compared to smaller student groups.

For fear of weakening this very position, the signatories of the statement were extremely hesitant to publicly express their concerns. “In anxiety that future generations from our backgrounds need not go through what we did”, they decided to publish their experiences. This group of women belong to marginalized ethnic, religious and caste groups and have been active members of the organization. Their decision to quit as evidenced by the statement is fuelled by the superficial intersectionality that Pinjra Tod credits itself with. They have allegedly experienced a lack of concern for their issues and a systematic marginalization of their voices in the decision making process.

The primary concern reveals itself as a fundamental difference between what calls for protest for the privileged upper caste Hindu women and the rest. This was on display during the LSR protests last year wherein the collective pushed harder for the abolition of curfews whereas the OBC reservation was not prioritized by the movement. Many women felt that the reservation should have been their primary agenda as they represented a movement that fought for social justice and equality.

The statement points to the unsuccessful creation of a space where voices of other women hold equal prominence as that of upper caste women. In meetings, because of the dominance of upper caste voices, they expressed ” we have felt anxious, nervous to raise our concerns which were different from theirs and thus most of us have hardly spoken in any of these meetings.” The control of the social media handles also lay with the upper caste women and other women were only consulted when religion or caste specific statements were to be made (Hadiya, Delta, Jisha etc). They felt that these activities revealed a very tokenistic approach in dealing with their voices.
The collective’s position on religion is also a dominant theme explored in the statement.

A Kashmiri member of the movement says that she often felt like the predominantly held idea was that “religion was something that needed to be shrug off in order to attain ‘freedom’”. However, for women from the marginalized groups’ “religion has been an emancipatory force, a means of survival and a source of strength as well.” In one such instance, a few core members agitated against the fact that some posters included quotes by Prophet Mohammed and called these posters ‘regressive.’ This collective rejection of faith served to alienate and isolate women who value religion.

The statement also speaks of the confused politics of Pinjra Tod which often feels opposed only to Hindutva but not to those tenets of Hinduism which privileges one group of people over the other. This statement not only brings to the fore many issues in the functioning of the movement but also shines a light on the importance of intersectionality in thought and action.
The current leadership of Pinjra Tod is yet to formally address these allegations.

Featured Image Credits- Arshdeep Kaur

Pragati Thapa
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DUB News

People’s March to Save Public Funded Higher Education

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Students, teachers, organisations and unions marched in solidarity to protect Public-funded higher education. The march was led by DUTA along with various other organisations.

On the 19th of February, the People’s March organised by Joint Forum for Movement on Education, led by Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA), Federation of Central Universities’ Teachers’ Associations (FEDCUTA), and Delhi University Karamcharis Union (DUCKU), shook the national capital.

The march started at 11 AM from Mandi House and reached Parliament Street by 12:30. Seas of red, white, chants of azadi echoed as students, teachers, unions and organisations joined the march to protest the commodification of public funded higher education, the 13-point roster system and the current state of ad-hoc professors in public universities.

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The march was also supported by All India Students Association (AISA), Students Federation of India (SFI), All India Students Federation (AISF) and Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS).
2019 has seen repeated strikes by the DUTA, on asking professors about their struggle, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar from Zakir Husain Delhi College says, “We have come here under the fraternity of DUTA. The media has also turned a blind eye to our movement. We want justice, not just for our students but those who will be joining universities in the future.”

Professors from across Delhi University marched in solidarity. The staff associations of Lady Shri Ram College for women, Acharya Narayan Dev College and Zakir Husain Delhi College were also present.

“These protests aren’t the longest in DUTA’s history. The political events in the country have built up to the present scenario. Over the last 10 years, the MHRD has brought forth multiple changes like the annual system, FYUP and finally CBCS. With these abrupt changes,the teachers have finally realised that this is an attempt to dismantle public-funded education. It’s no longer about ‘privatization’ of education but ‘commodification’. There is an attack on pensions, teachers aren’t regularised, there are talks of getting teachers on a contract basis, financial grants have been taken away and replaced with education loans. All these are setting the conditions for the state to withdraw and capital to move in. We can’t fight just for DUTA’s demands if we don’t fight for commodification of education.” adds Mukul Mangalik, an Associate Professor of History from Ramjas College.

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The march saw student and teacher unions and organizations from across the country, many of them chanted slogans in their regional languages. The spirit of resistance surpassed linguistic boundaries and was united with a common cry for azaadi.

Non- teaching staff were present at the protest too. The non-teaching staff of Kuvempu University, Shimoga, Karnataka gathered to protest for equal salaries, permanent jobs and changes in the hierarchical order.

Demonstrators formed small groups of their own while chanting the slogans, students of Ramjas College took to art to resist. They drew ‘Save Education’ and ‘Knowledge is for all’ graffiti on the ground with chalks.

A counter- protest started on the other side of the barricade. Demonstrators with the Indian Flag and posters saying ‘Pakistan Murdabad’ gathered on the other side of the barricade. The posters were soon taken down but the flags remained. Police surrounded the barricaded area. There were no attempts to barge in or counter-sloganeer from either side.

Image Credits: Adithya Khanna, Aakarsh Gupta and Jaishree Kumar for DU Beat.

Jaishree Kumar
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Campus Central

Debating Tournaments: Spree and Security

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When debating is fun and an enriching activity, how do debating tournaments turn out to be strenuous and tardy?

One of the first things you learn after joining the debating circuit in the University of Delhi is how every tournament might be different, but they all have that one thing in common, they all run late. The schedules will always ask you to come at 8:30 or 9 am, and as a novice debater, you will go to the respective college on time. You will reach on time like me, 30 minutes before schedule, only to find the college empty or with other naïve fresher debaters as yourself. Despite Whatsapp messages from the Organizing Committee a night before the tournament, requesting you to be on time, the affair will, certainly, not start before 11 am.

Apart from the delays, what comprises a debating tournament are the jitters you get as you come with your entire college contingent, waiting for the roll call to end, seeing other teams, recognizing people- mostly the ones you lost against at the previous tournament and for the motions to come out.

As the round begins, you see people immediately fall into their teams, the serious whispers, arguments being constructed, people rushing towards their rooms. The tension in the room is self-evident. What is stressful about Parliamentary Debating is how you do not get to prepare a speech and do not know what the other side will bring to the table.

It is just you using the 20 minutes of preparation using all the training you have received in mocks, the news you were grilled to read up on by your seniors, the techniques you learned while missing classes; all these things culminate to determine whether you win or not. And this goes on till the five rounds come to an end.

Debates get more intense in senior tournaments, against people who are third years or, sometimes, Law students who are much older than you. Their age and experience are unfair assets they hold against you, which can often lead to them not taking you seriously. Post breaks. the pressure is quadrupled, because a single unrebutted argument or poor analysis does not mean you can go on to next round but you are out of the tournament itself.

Five rounds, usually spread over two days might sound like a comfortable schedule. However, the small delays gradually add up to massive interludes not allowing participants to leave before 8 pm. With some tournaments even ending around midnight, security is a major concern, given that there are no provisions for transportation.

Furthermore, it is rare that colleges provide accommodation only with higher registration fees. As it gets late, the college is closed and so you can find the last round being wrapped up in the college grounds or near the gates.
Being from a girls’ college, safety is an even bigger issue. It being a new experience, in the beginning, parents worry incessantly with frequent calls, texts, scolding and requests to reconsider this activity. Some even come to pick their children up on late nights. Gradually they become well acquainted with this pattern and you begin to hear about how you do not go to ‘college’ but to ‘debating society’.
You will come home to see stories of your friends out on weekends while you went to debate. And despite the stress, anxiety, mental and physical exhaustion and feelings of self-doubt you will be willing to compromise on your social life next weekend as well, and the reason is very simple. The feeling of learning, knowing, being smarter than the smartest and the thrill you experience is indomitable.

Featured Image credits- Hindustan Times

Shivani Dadhwal
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