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Kasab’s Death Sentence: To be or not to be?

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Picture source: sify.com

On 26th November 2008, Ajmal Kasab and his accomplice Abu Dera Ismail Khan carried out an attack at the excessively crowded Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai. Following this, they moved on to attack a police vehicle at Cama Hospital, where senior police officers Hemant Karkare, Vijay Salaskar and Ashok Kamte were killed in a shootout. The terrorists then reached Metro Cinema and Vidhan Bhavan where they continued with their shootings. A wounded Kasab was finally arrested when found trying to escape in a car at Girgaum Chowpatty.

The trial has been dragged for the past four years, during which an enraged India was forced to listen to Kasab’s whimsical desires that included being served Biryani. This prolonged sentence of justice finally reached its conclusion on 29th August 2012, when the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence for Kasab. However, this chapter is far from closed. The verdict for clemency still needs to be placed in front of the president before any action is taken.

“Well, it’s about time!” was one phrase chanted by most DU students when asked for their opinion. “I think this brings peace to a lot of people, especially the ones who have lost their loved ones. But this definitely doesn’t solve the question of security in India. Measures need to be taken to ensure that an incident like this doesn’t happen again,” said Madhurima, a student of Lady Shri Ram College. Others were not too satisfied. “It’s good to know that justice has been served, but it has been too long. If this had been declared four years ago, it would have meant a lot more,” stated Jay from Kirori Mal College. Lisha, a second year student from Hindu voiced an opinion on similar lines, “There’s still a long way to go. The appeal hasn’t been sent to the President yet, so only half the goal has been achieved. The Indian judicial system needs to be more efficient.”

Kasab belongs to a poor family in Faridkot, Pakistan. He got involved in petty crimes until he was finally taken in by the terrorist organisation, Lashkar-E-Taiba, at a very young age. For youth like him being brainwashed into the world of bloodshed at such an influenceable age, death sentence doesn’t seem like the best punishment to some. “I don’t think any human being or institution should have the right to command when someone else’s life ends. Kasab definitely deserves severe punishment for the pain he has caused, but I wish we could think of a better way of making him learn his lesson,” said Adita, a student of St. Stephen’s college.

While an impatient India waits for justice to be served in one way or the other, the verdict against our country’ most hated terrorist carries on at snail’s pace.

 

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DUB Speak

Snorting the Social Media Drug

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Picture source:  www.business2community.com

 

Think about the last time you read an important piece of information. More often than not, it comes from the status updates of your numerous friends on Facebook. When you put forward an opinion, a lot of it might have drawn inspiration from your favourite tweets on the same subject. Instead of flipping through the pages of your neatly organised notebook, you would rather zoom into the picture you saved of your college timetable on your phone. Information is now merely a click away, giving people from even the most remote corners of the world an opportunity to communicate easily and efficiently. However, a majority of us are now crippled by our continuous dependency on these virtual crutches.

In the light of the latest crackdown on social connectivity, consisting of the government restricting messaging to a meagre 5 per day due to the threat towards people from the North-East did not sit too well with a society that is completely in sync with the social networking era. Thus, what actually began as a somewhat reasonable ban to prevent rumours spreading on a wide scale is now being seen as another excuse by our country’s leaders to crack the whip on our freedom of expression, be it through the SMS or the more dangerous threat of control over sites like Facebook and Twitter. Agreed, a simple ban on texting will in no way stop malicious stories leaking into the public domain. However, what is also evident is the fact that the lack of proper texting facilities didn’t lead to the end of the world a good four months before December 21st, 2012. Life continued in the same fashion as it did when the rights of texting were more liberal. When the Telecom Authority of India had declared a ban of 100 SMSs a day, so many users received a reality check when they learnt of their addiction to a piece of electronic genius. However, just as we gradually got accustomed to this new regulation and our tired fingers were fortunate enough to be subjected to marginally less typing, the new ban for a short period of only 12 days is too insignificant a sacrifice being paid for the uproar it has caused.

With the messaging limit being later extended from 5 to 20, and finally the lift of the ban, social networking sites immediately saw the appearance of memes and statuses proclaiming happiness almost equal to a nation winning its first world cup. The excitement of being able to send 15 more messages a day seemed palpable as almost everyone had their phones out the next day, furiously typing as they stared into a mini screen that flickered with notifications received from their equally enthusiastic recipients. However, the comment that made me stop and re-evaluate how dependant we really have become to these social platforms was when someone casually remarked, “I don’t know about people with those outdated phones, but almost everyone has a Blackberry or a smart phone now. That keeps us connected through BBM, Whatsapp and Facebook. This ban on texts is just a minor glitch,” said one such addict with a beeping Blackberry in hand.

The number of times we refrain from using our electronic gadgets for practically everything can be counted off our fingers. When you start working on your super important project one day before the deadline, you thank the Google and Wikipedia gods for showering their blessings on you. Our internalisation of technology is evident from the use of phases like ‘I googled that information’ or ‘I saw that on her wall last week,’ while only a couple of decades ago, walls referred to those rectangular combinations of cement and plaster of Paris that form the outline of every structure. As for the future, this incessant need to be constantly linked to everyone around only seems to be growing as social media spreads its branches and reaches out to every single entity within and beyond its periphery. Social networking and technology provide us with an easier and more efficient lifestyle, but that doesn’t alter the reality that if our parasitic existence continues, we might just be witness to the dawn of a Matrix-inspired end to our civilisation.

 

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In Their Shoes

General Dyer

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Amritsar was in for a tragic jolt in early 1919 when Brigadier-General Dyer, along with 50 other soldiers, opened fire on a massive gathering of 15,000 to 20,000 Indians in Jallianwala Bagh. The main reason presumed for General Dyer seeing red was his psychological fear that this was an insurrection against the British government. The fact that not even one out of all the men, women, and children attacked had raised a gun to retaliate, failed to register in his slightly dim mind that this might have been a peaceful gathering to celebrate a festival alien to the clueless British.

On the morning of 13th April, Colonel Reginald Edward Harry Dyer woke up resolute and determined to shorten his name. With a title that puts tongue twisters to shame, no one could have blamed him for having recurring nightmares about the time when he was beaten at home, leading to his exceptionally frequent bouts of frustration. The most logical catharsis would obviously relate to aiming fifty .303 Lee-Enfield rifles at a large group of peaceful, unsuspecting Indians. Not only did he get (in)famous for what is now referred to as the Hindu Holocaust, he had an entire nation seething in anger and an iconic old man in flimsy white garments calling off a non-violent anti-cooperation movement. General Dyer, his name-shrinking dream now accomplishing the herculean task of ending his humiliation, would have been quite an inspiration to Hitler, had he not been blown to bits by angry young man Udham Singh. To add to his already swollen pride, he was awarded ‘The Most Honourable Order of the Bath’, the fourth-most senior honour of the British Orders of Chivalry. I guess all the men around should note that pulling chairs and opening doors is tame; try shooting your neighbours instead.

What Dyer sorely lacked was proper future planning. Despite the immediate loss of his duty as a Brigadier-General, he was showered with accolades back home, lulling him into a false sense of security. Little did he know that within a few years people would be jumping around bonfires, burning down massive effigies of him and everything that he stood for while shouting the filthiest abuses on top of their lungs.

If I were unfortunate enough to switch places with him, I would get my wife along with me to India. As hard as it might be to find one for a man like him, I think the introduction of sex might have brightened his mood. However, due to his foul temper, the poor soul might have faced BDSM almost a century before the release of the erotic 50 Shades trilogy. That would have surely led to him consulting a psychologist for anger management issues before deciding to lead a mini army into massacring thousands of innocents. Even if his mood swings did get the better of him, as Mister Dyer I wouldn’t have been illogical enough to fire at a gathering where I later used the defence of an insurrection being planned, with only 50 men against what could have been a well equipped army of ten thousand and more. A better excuse would have been instrumental in changing your case, General Dyer. However, if his temper had been moving towards the chillier side after a few counselling sessions, it might just be safe to say that so many lives wouldn’t have been lost on that fateful day.

In an alternate reality, Britain’s most famous chain of hair dressers, ‘Dy-yer-Hair’ would have been the product of a much calmer General retiring at a young age and seeing the wisdom in the Gandhian path of non-violence. Now that would have been a much better compliment to his name.

 

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Lady Shri Ram College for Women

No choice in Inter-disciplinary Courses at LSR

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Second year students of Lady Shri Ram College have a stream of complaints relating to the lack of choice given between the different inter-disciplinary courses offered by Delhi University. Most of the Honours courses in this college have no say when it comes to which subject they need to opt for, leading to indignation in some students. “We’re being forced to study Environmental History. This really beats the purpose of an ‘inter-disciplinary’ course as we’re still stuck with a subject linked to history. How is this one of the premier colleges of the country when a simple choice offered by the University itself is denied to us?” says Diwita Mathivanan, an angry second year student pursuing History Honours.

This is not just the case with one or two courses. Political Science, Sociology, Psychology and Philosophy Honours students are left with no option but to take up Individual and Society, an English Credit course. “Ideally, we were supposed to be offered a choice between so many subjects, but at the beginning of this semester we were given Individual and Society without any questions asked or opinions taken into consideration,” claims Aarushi Chugh, a second year Sociology student. English is one of the only courses that offers a choice between Gender studies and Philosophy as Individual and Society is a credit course they complete in their first year.

When the teachers were questioned, almost all of them had the same answer. Due to the impossible cut-offs that keep increasing each year, complimented by the equally ridiculous marks doled out by educational systems, the number of students in each course is increasing by a big margin every year. Due to a disproportionate ratio between the faculty available and the students, courses with a larger number of students like History and Political Science are not left with any options for their credit courses.

Another requirement put forward by the teaching staff is that at least one-fourth of the class must be in favour of a particular subject for it to be offered, subject to sufficient availability of teachers. This is leading to the faculty making the decisions themselves and no options are given to the students. There is talk of General Body Meetings being held within the different courses with all the students involved, so that the faculty gets a better idea of what subjects are preferred, but as of now, the students continue to resent the fact that they’re forced to read something  which they would rather not spend any time.

 

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Arts & Culture

The Nightingales of LSR

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A beautiful tune sails through the doors of a small green room packed with around 25 lively singers. Some touch high notes while others delve deep into lower scales. But despite the unique and textural differences in their voices, when strung together, they produce a beautiful melody that rings as one. This is the Western Music Society (WMS) of Lady Shri Ram College, a bunch of students brought together by their passion for music and their commitment to giving every event and competition their best shot. “It’s not just about winning. I auditioned for WMS mostly for the music. Apart from that, there seemed no better opportunity at getting a chance to nurture my talent and have fun at the same time,” Said Tanushree Sarkar, a core member of the WMS.

It seems like this society blossomed overnight, starting out as a small band singing during college assemblies, to a 25 plus choir, belting out complex and beautiful pieces, much to the awe and pleasure of the judges as well as the audience. The WMS reached its peak under the leadership of Grace Lalkhawngaihi and was continued under the guidance of Sadhvi Krishnamoorthy, the most recent president. Referred to as ‘Mother’ and ‘Compulsive Hugger’ by her troupe, Sadhvi’s warmth seemed to work its charm as the society members came together to shine not just individually, but more importantly as a group. The president for the coming year is Gitana Singh, who also promises to be as brilliant as her predecessors. When asked what her expectations for the year are, she said, “As president, what I hope for is to see every member giving in their best to the society. For the past two years WMS has become such a big part of me and we’ve had the best times together. I think that it is most important for everyone to enjoy being a part of the society, to feel a sense of belonging and a willingness to give in their best to it. I expect us to carry on this spirit of oneness and competition, friendship and most importantly, of music which we have upheld for all these years.”

Over the past one year, the list of laurels won by LSR for their Western Music Society has increased. Their annual piece was called ‘Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square’, a beautifully haunting jazz piece that took the crowd by storm. They won the first prize at the Stephen’s, Miranda, Venky, Gargi, CBS and Kirori Mal fests as well as LSR’s own Tarang. Apart from this, WMS came second at the IIT Delhi fest and third at the IP, JMC and the BITS Pilani-Goa fest. All of this, along with a special mention at the Kamala Nehru Fest. Many of the solos, duets and trios were also critically acclaimed. As for LSR’s rivals, Shruti Sharma had a point to add, “The toughest competition we have is from Venky and JMC. But some amount of competition is fun, it motivates you to do better, and you also learn a lot by observing and appreciating the other groups that perform.”

The competitive piece received a lot of praise as it was a unique and difficult composition to master. “This song was an exciting step for WMS LSR, towards the blue notes of jazz. I think it was a brave and brilliant idea put forth by our president, Sadhvi. As a team, both of us were happy about working on a versatile and well arranged song that gave all our members with different vocal ranges a fair shot at performing. As a singer, I enjoyed the challenge of the meter and key changing at certain parts of the song!” Said Shibani Budhraja, last year’s secretary of the WMS.

The strength of LSR’s Western Music Society lies in the bond they share with each other. The members work diligently, sometimes late into the day, just to perfect one paragraph, or the way a particular set of ‘OOHS’ sound. “I love the fact that we’re like a family. I personally believe that the group dynamics is brilliant. Everyone has got each other’s back. We may be a bit of a motley crew, as no two people are the same, nor do they have the same taste. But we all complement each other,” says Tanushree Sharma, a soon to be third year student who dreads the day she will have to leave the society for good.

Sure enough, the effect of watching these nightingales on stage is simply breath-taking as they stun you with their four part harmonies and soothing solos. There is definitely some ‘magic abroad in the air’ as you drift along with the music, mesmerized by their lilting tunes.

That certain night, the night we met,

There was magic abroad in the air.

There were angels dining at the Ritz,

And a nightingale sang, in Berkeley Square.

 

 

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DUB Speak

Kite Flying -The Evergreen Symbol of Freedom

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In Delhi, the arrival of 15th August brings with it a spectacular array of granduer and splendour. The streets are filled with festivities and the bright Indian sky is speckled with multicoloured kites. Young and old unite as one while each family tries to prove its mettle to their neighbours by taking them down in a fun-filled yet competitive ‘kite fight’. Big or small, cheap or costly, monochromatic or brightly coloured, these stringed machines reign the skies of our capital on the day we won our Independence.

Historically speaking, the relationship between Delhi and Kite flying goes back to the Mahabharata, where it is mentioned that Krishna spent his leisure time flying kites with the Gopikas. Kites have also played a significant role in the freedom struggle as they were used by the common people as a symbol of their unity against the oppressive Simon Commission, in 1928. The Indian skyline was filled with an army of paper birds, with the slogan ‘Go Back’ plastered over their bodies. Thus, it doesn’t come as a surprise that these kites are used, till date, to signify the freedom and Independence we have rightfully earned from our oppressors.

Kite Flying is more than just a yearly festival for people living in Old Delhi. Lal Kuan market, known for its large number of kite manufacturers and sellers, has seen families in which successive generations dedicate their life to a practice they consider a Kala-an art form. Delhi also boasts of close to 150 kite clubs, such as Evergreen Kite Flying Club and Galaxy Kite Flying Club to name a few. Members of such clubs often come together every Sunday, with bright kites and manjhas (Thread), all set to watch them soar into the sky. On some days, intense kite-matches are also held where groups are made and everyone comes together to enjoy a morning full of passionate team spirit and camaraderie.

Despite the existence of Kite clubs and enthusiasts, the unfortunate truth is that kite flying is now a dying sport due to ignorance and lack of cultural enthusiasm by the younger generations. Many attempts have been made in the recent past to revive the significance of this age-old game. 2011 saw the introduction of a kite-cutting competition organised at India Gate to encourage its revival. Many of the kite enthusiasts are now trying to promote their passion though the marketing of the already existing Kite clubs. Some blame the exorbitant price hikes as the main cause of this fading art, but a lot is left unsaid when today’s generation turns towards their computer and Play Stations instead of choosing to pursue something traditional and timeless.

No matter how disconnected we might be from this ancient sport, today on 15th August, a majority of people living in Delhi will bring out some thread and a colourful paper kite, ready to spray paint the blue canvas above with a splash of vibrant hues.

 

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Arts & Culture

Take a Step towards the next Revolution

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Director- Scott Speer

Cast- Kathryn McCormick, Ryan Guzman, Stephen Boss, Chadd Smith, Tommy Dewey

Writer’s Rating- 3/5

It’s that time of the year when you put on your dancing shoes, crank up the volume on your iPod and sway to the beats of yet another movie that makes you want to get off your seat and shake up some fun. The fourth instalment of the hugely popular Step Up series, Step Up Revolution, is here with the hopes of instilling dreams of dancing even in the most inflexible beings.

This time around, Step Up sets Miami on fire with its electric dance performances and funky rhythms. As a movie, Step Up doesn’t have much to offer when it comes to the script or the acting. The story is highly predictable, based around Emily (Kathryn McCormick), an aspiring dancer, completely enamoured by Sean (Ryan Guzman), a young waiter in a hotel belonging to a wealthy executive, Bill Anderson, who is quite obviously Emily’s father. Sean also secretly leads a talented dance ensemble called “The Mob”, whose main aim is to win an online video contest that will sow the seeds to their future as professional dancers. Then all hell breaks loose when Anderson threatens to develop The Mob’s historic neighbourhood into a hotel, destroying the homes of thousands residing in that area. As expected, Emily joins forces with Sean and The Mob as she stands against her father’s cause in a fight for the greater good.

Despite the fact that the lead actors are mostly incapable of expressing themselves through their acting abilities, they make up for this by their incredible dancing skills. While the other movies in the Step up series focused on dance as an art, in this movie it was definitely beyond the usual boundaries. For the first time, dance was used as a medium of protest, not just performance. Thus, the title ‘revolution’ sits well as ‘The Mob’, consisting of the common people, gives a voice to their neighbourhood. However, the sheer number of dances, breathtaking choreography, and stunning special effects fail to compensate for the fact that the dance sequences were cut short by an over-enthusiastic attempt to fit in more words and actions instead of dance. The chemistry between the lead actors Guzman and McCormick also lacked a spark that previous step up actors such as Chamming Tatum and Jenna Dewan clearly displayed.

A definite plus point of the fourth film is the soundtrack. With songs such as “Feel Alive (Revolution Remix)” by Fergie featuring Pitbull and DJ Poet, “Hands in the air” by Timbaland featuring Ne-Yo and “Dance without you (Ricky Luna Remix)” by Skylar Grey, the pulse of the movie definitely quickened as the beats served their purpose of making the audience dance without their realisation. Another shining moment is the cameo by two stars from the second Step Up movie, Moose (Adam Sevani) and Jenny Kido (Mari Koda). Their energising steps added to the passionate, albeit predictable, protest dance towards the end of the movie.

As a whole, the movie lacks good dialogues, polished acting skills and an interesting script, but it makes up for this with some highly pumped up dance sequences by exceptionally talented dancers. Watch if you just want to have some fun or if you consider yourself a major dance fan. You might just be inspired towards taking a step towards the next revolution.

 

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Campus Central

Society Auditions at LSR

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Photo credits:-Additi Seth The second week of college at LSR was bustling with activity as various societies were holding their annual auditions. The corridors were swarming with enthusiastic freshers as they hopped from one society board to another, furiously scribbling down the dates for the different auditions. “I am going to try out for as many societies as I can. There are so many options here, from music and dance to film appreciation and social work. I can’t wait to take part!” said an excited Nimisha, one of the many first years. Boasting of about 21 active societies, LSR offers a wide range of options when it comes to extra-curricular activities. The past week consisted of NSS recruitments, where students were assigned NGOs of their choice to work for a year. The coming of this week began with both the Indian Music Society as well as the Western Music Society holding their auditions on Tuesday, 31st July. “75 students showed up for the IMS Auditions, out of which we chose 22. This was the preliminary round, where the candidates will be singing for the Special assembly put up on Independence Day. We asked them to sing any song of their choice. However, the second round of auditions, which will be held on 16th August, are for the core group of the society. This will only be open to people with a classical background,” said Parampara, the president of the Indian Music Society. The Western Music Society had a similar story to share. The numbers were larger, with 90 students turning up, causing the auditions to be split across two days. Gitana Singh, the president of WMS, was in quite a dilemma, “I asked each student to sing one or two songs of their choice that best represent their talent. After that, I tested their range to see how high or how low they could go. The students who auditioned were very talented. I honestly found it very difficult to choose between so many singers. In the end, I settled for 16 singers and 6 instrumentalists. Out of these, a few will be added to the already existing core group after the Independence Day assembly, for inter-college and out-station competitions.” Close to 300 students turned up to shake a leg at the Dance Auditions held on Wednesday and Thursday. Anandini, the president of the Dance society, was issued the hard task of selecting the gems among the sea of candidates. When asked how the auditions were conducted, she said, “The LSR dance society is divided into four sub groups-Choreo, Western, Classical, and Folk. Each student could audition for all four, and to facilitate this, our dance team divided itself into four groups and asked each hopeful to approach the group for which they wanted to audition. They brought their own music and danced for 2-3 minutes. There is no preference given to freshers or ECA students, and we encourage everyone to take part.” The end of Thursday saw the first round of dance auditions close with 60 students chosen. Out of these, only 20 students will finally make it after the final round of auditions, scheduled for early next week. “We would love to take more students, but we have to be extremely selective when it comes to selecting for our college dance team,” says Anandini. The Debating society held its much-awaited auditions on Thursday. These began at 4 in the afternoon and stretched on until 7 in the evening. “They gave us 8 different topics early in the morning, such as whether Sarkozy banning the Burqa was justified, should the UN be disbanded, and so on. My topic was concerning the Censor Board of India and the fact that it oversteps boundaries. They threw many questions at me, and then asked me to turncoat after that. I was given 5 minutes, and it was probably the most nerve-wracking argument I have ever had to give,” says Harnidh Kaur, a first year History student who hopes to get in to the Debsoc. Friday saw the arrival of the Dramsoc auditions, where 124 expressive students couldn’t wait to put on an act for their judges. They were allowed to prepare a piece of their choice in either Hindi or English. “The drama society is divided into street plays and stage performances, as well as on the bases of language-English and Hindi. However, the initial auditions are taken only for events that are coming up, in this case Independence Day. This is an open society, only the union members are a permanent part of it. Hence, every actor needs to re-audition for a new production. From 124 candidates, we have chosen 37. The second round will be on Saturday, when we will bring this list down to 15,” say Yama, the president of Dramsoc, LSR. She continues, “This year, the quality of acting was extreme. Some performances were brilliant and we were awestruck by their acting and enunciation. On the other hand, we had to face some performances that we hoped would end immediately.” With many more Society orientations waiting in line next week, such as Projekt-the photography and film club, freshers as well as the seniors can’t wait to begin exploring what LSR has in store for them this year. With its dynamic and talented crowd, one can easily say that LSR societies are ready to take the DU world by storm!  ]]>

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DUB Speak

The Unsung Heroes of India

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Picture Source: Reuters

 

Four long years have passed since the last Olympic Games, and now they’re back with a bang. Set in London, this year promises to be filled with an expansive array of sports and powerful athletes from 204 nations across the world. With a spectacular three-hour opening ceremony directed by Danny Boyle, complete with a James Bond style sequence of the queen jumping off a helicopter, there is no doubt left in anyone’s mind that International sports is going to get bigger and better as the years go by. That stands true even when it comes to the athletes across the globe. Their training, fitness, and supporting equipment seem to be managed with utmost care and precision, leading to their shining performances on an international platform, no matter how unique their sport.

Turning the page to Indian athletes, the pitiful condition of past award winners is heart wrenching. Santhi Soundarajan, who bestowed a proud India with a silver medal at the Doha Asian Games, had no idea that her dignity would be reduced to dust eight years later. Stripped off her laurels and now working at a brick kiln, her achievements faded into oblivion after failing a gender test. Pinki Pramanik, who won a gold medal for her country at the Asian Games in 2006 and a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in the same year, now works as a ticket collector for the Indian Railways. Furthermore, her former housemate accused her of being a man and raping her. All that is left is a feeling of shock and disgrace when these events are contrasted to a similar situation in South Africa, where athlete Caster Semenya was also shamed for the same reason as Soundarajan. In this case, the ban on Semenya was revoked due to the overwhelming support given to her by her fellow citizens. Now she holds her head high, as she is the beaming flag bearer of South Africa at the Summer Olympics 2012, while our gifted athletes are suffering in abject poverty with their achievements gone to waste.

Athletes who fail the questionable gender tests are not the only ones suffering in India. Veterans such as the ‘Payyoli Express’, better known as P.T. Usha who has won almost 101 international awards and runs a school for athletes, now works for the Indian Railways and survives on a meagre pay. World cup Kabbadi coaches such as Majit Kaur fends for himself by begging on the streets as government organisations failed to honour him with the promise they had made of a permanent job after retirement. Usha Rani, who brought home a medal in Archery, was forced to sell her bow to provide food for her impoverished family. These heroes, along with many more gone unnoticed, who took the name of our country to soaring heights during their glory years, are now forced to fund their own way without any support or backup by the state, leaving such sports personnel in abysmal conditions.

When you flip to the other side of the spectrum, cricketing stars and elite athletes such as shooters and boxers are fortunate enough to be showered with a royal treatment. As much as they deserve it, when compared to the conditions of the poorer section of the society whose talented individuals are far removed from the fame, support and training they necessarily need, the public turns a blind eye on the fact that rural areas are actually a potential goldmine for sporting activities. Boxers such as Vijender Singh have been catapulted to celebrity status due to an astonishing gold at the last Olympics, making way for a cult of boxing aspirants ready to outshine him and make their country proud. However, the same cannot be said for the pre-mentioned forms of sport as no initiative is taken to extract the wealth from these athletes. Instead, they are left to prepare for their own accommodation and adjust to tattered equipment as they struggle to train for major sporting events.

Despite our country’s blissful ignorance to the plight of these sportsmen and women, they still keep the flag flying high as they push past their paralysing boundaries and break the thin thread that separates a win from a loss. With proper thought put into the upliftment of their condition and regulated training given to these rising heroes, they are sure to bring home innumerable trophies, another yardstick to measure the underlying talent hidden in every corner of India.

 

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Campus Central

Defining the To and Fro of Delhi University

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Rickshaws are a common sight at North Campus
The shining ray of hope is, of course, the jam-packed metro service. For all the students situated far away in their northern abode, Vishvavidyalaya station on the yellow line is the portal leading them away from the inconvenience of having to search for a way to get to North campus. Outside the station, hoards of cycle rickshaws stand, waiting to take you to your respective colleges. Shouts of “Rs. 20 only” being interrupted by another enthusiastic rickshaw wala rushing forward to offer you deals such as “Do Savari, Rs. 15” is a promising indication that you can get to your college on time for that dreaded first lesson. Apart from rickshaws, North campus also has a shuttle bus that takes passengers from the Vishvavidyalaya metro station to certain colleges around campus, such as Kirori Mal, Hansraj, Law Faculty and Arts Faculty. It also stops close to Stephen’s, Hindu and Ramjas.
The South Campus is scattered across various parts of Delhi, thus getting to these colleges might require the use of multiple forms of transportation. The good old metro always comes in handy, especially for students living at a distance, such as those in Gurgaon, Noida and the rest of the NCR. For colleges like JMC, getting off at the Race course station on the yellow line is the most feasible option, while its neighbour Venky prefers the AIIMS station as the college is down one straight road. With a little bit of bargaining, one can easily get an auto from any of these stations for 40-50 bucks. For colleges like Kamala Nehru and Gargi, Green Park station is a mere Rs. 25-30 ride away. LSR has Moolchand metro station on the purple line strategically placed behind it, leading to a brisk 7-8 minute walk to the main gate of the college. As for those who are unable to walk or simply lazy, there is no dearth of cycle rickshaws and autos. Bus routes ply all across Delhi too. For example, LSR has a BRT station right opposite its main gate. Various other south campus colleges are also easily accessible by many bus routes, mostly DTC. Bus, metro, auto, or your own vehicle, transportation in Delhi is easy and accessible. Moreover, it gives you a great opportunity to practice your haggling skills before you hit the famous Sarojini, Lajpat and Kamla Nagar markets. So hop on board and savour a memorable ride through your college years!  ]]>

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