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#Admissions2022: College Profile – Hansraj College

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With the commencement of the 2022 admission season, many DU aspirants are in a state of confusion and panic over which college to choose, and what would be best for them. Here we present the college profile of Hansraj College of the University of Delhi to make taking an informed choice easier for you.

Hansraj College was established in 1948. It is located in the University of Delhi’s North Campus. It has been ranked 14th in the college rankings of NIRF 2022. The college is known for having produced several alumni who have excelled in their respective fields. Notable alumni include Shah Rukh Khan, Naveen Jindal, and Kiren Rijiju.

Courses & Placements

The college offers the following undergraduate course:-

  • B.A. (Honours)
    • Economics
    • English
    • Hindi
    • History
    • Philosophy
    • Sanskrit
  • B.A. (Programme)
  • B.Com (Honours)
  • B.Sc (Honours)
    • Anthropology
    • Botany
    • Chemistry
    • Computer Science
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • Mathematics
    • Physics
    • Zoology
  • B.Sc (Programme)

In the 2021 placement drive, the highest package offered in Hansraj College was 20.25 LPA. The average package was 5.7 LPA. 115 companies participated in the placement drive, and over 185 offers were made. The top recruiters were McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, DE Shaw & Co., and United Airlines.

Scholarships

Merit and need-based Scholarships are given by the college. The Student Welfare Committee holds interviews for the same. The number of students that benefit is usually around 100 but varies as per the students’ requirements. The college also has the facility to give fee concessions from 50% to 100%, based on annual income, family background, girl child, etc.

Other Scholarships: The students are also offered scholarships by DAV, Single Girl Child policy, NCERT, and FAEA to name a few. In addition to these scholarships, students also benefit from the Inspire scholarships by the Department of Science and Technology and the scholarships extended by CBSE.

Scholarship for the Enabling Unit: Two awards of Rs.5000 and Rs.3000 are given to the meritorious students of the Enabling Unit every year by the College Alumni Association.

Scholarship for Differently-Abled Students: Every student belonging to the differently-abled category gets a full fee waiver and is required to contribute to the Students’ Union fund and some other minimal charges only.

Note: additional information about the scholarships can be found on the respective college websites.

Societies

The college has several societies. These include:

  • Hansraj Dramatics Society
  • English Debating Society
  • Illuminati, the quiz society
  • Kalakriti, the fine arts society
  • Nishtha, the civil services society

Note: Further information about the societies can be found on the respective college website. 

Facilities

  • Library: The library comprises four sections: the Main Library, individual Departmental Libraries (Sciences), the Periodicals, and the Textbook Sections.
  • Amphitheatre and Auditorium: The College has a feature-rich air-conditioned auditorium having a seating capacity of around 600 which makes it one of the largest auditoriums in the University.
  • Canteen
  • Sports Facilities: The College has facilities for both outdoor and indoor games. The College has a huge sports ground and a basketball court between the college and the hostel premises.
  • Laboratories: This includes laboratories for Chemistry, Physics, Electronics, Botany, Zoology, and Computer Labs.
  • Seminar Room
  • Common Room
  • Yoga Room
  • Medical Facilities: College has a medical room with all the necessary first aid and a mobile stretcher. Hansraj is well connected to a hospital that is within 500m of its main gate.
  • Yagyashala: The college has an established Vishwa Bandhu Centre of Indian Culture (Delhi Unit). The VVRI centre now works in alliance with the research department of D.A.V. College Management for the collection, preservation, and publication of ancient texts.
  • Computer Facilities: The college campus is Wi-Fi enabled with access to all the resources that the University provides centrally.
  • Hostel Facilities: The College accommodates around 200 undergraduate male students in its hostel. It has a common room, a multifaceted gym, and arrangements for indoor and outdoor games. The building of a women’s hostel has recently been sanctioned by the college administration.
  • Enabling Unit: This cell consists of more than 100 volunteers to assist students with physical disabilities, with their regular course of studies. An Enabling Unit Room with audio aids, computer facility, etc. is available in the college. Ramps and a foot-over bridge connecting two different blocks of the college have been constructed.
  • Photostat cum Stationery Shop
  • Language Lab and Media Centre: It’s an acoustically efficient media centre that is soundproofed. It has sturdy walls to keep any disturbance out. The rooms are outfitted with the most up-to-date computer systems as well as other necessary equipment such as printers, microphone systems, and audio mixer soundboard consoles.

What do Students Say About their College?

The constant chatter at Lover’s Point, coffee brewing at the Nescafe, sitting on the path beside the office – Hansraj is an emotion. Walking around the red walls, one can spot students getting their books to the library, the dogs eating their food, and the casual drop of SRK’s name in conversations under the C-block trees. This is Hansraj.

Shiuli Sural, a 3rd year student.

Read Also: ‘Beyond The Obvious: Hansraj College‘

Featured Image Credits: DU Beat Archives

Urmi Maitra

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Campus Central

ECA Profile: Quiz

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Our Indian education system’s school boards can be as temperamental as Simon Cowell’s manner of judging contestants at the X Factor: Whimsical and capricious. Acknowledging this anomaly, the University of Delhi (DU) allows scope for admission through the Extra Curricular Activities (ECA) quota.

In which year did the Battle of Lepanto take place? Who was the first black footballer to play for England at any level? What is autarky? Who discovered the element polonium? Which actor was dubbed the Man of a Thousand Faces? Which tempo in music is slower – andante or adagio? If you wish to fight your way to the top of the ECA merit list for Quiz, you would need to know the answers to the aforementioned questions and much more.

In a phone call conversation with the DU Beat correspondent, Varun S., an ECA candidate who was admitted to DU through the ECA quota in 2015 said, “The ECA trials can be described as nerve-racking and competitive, to say the least.”

PERSONALISED EXPERIENCE

Rishabh Bora, who had appeared for the Quiz trials in 2017, claimed that he “completely unprepared” for the prelims of the ECA trials. In spite of that, when he found his name in the merit list of candidates shortlisted for the finals, he was ecstatic. Almost a year later, he recalls, “One of the questions asked in the prelims was: “Which US spy ship was captured by North Korea in 1968?” In an instant, I remembered flicking through an article in Reader’s Digest when I was a kid. It was about the USS Pueblo. That journey back to my childhood took place in a quarter of a second. And after that quarter had ended, I found myself back in the room with a dozen other quizzes. I remember the expression of wonder on the face of the quiz-master when I gave the answer. At that moment, I knew I had made it.”

COMMON ECA GUIDELINES

1. Trials will be held at two levels: (i) Preliminary trials (ii) Final trials
2. The trials of both these levels shall be the conducted by an ECA Committee appointed by the University Admission Committee.
3. “Candidates will get a relaxation of only up to 15% in cut-offs if they apply for the ECA quota,” says Suchitra Gupta, Deputy Dean of Culture and Youth Affairs in DU.
This implies that not more than 15% relaxation in academic merit vis-à-vis unreserved category applicants (for the last relevant cut-off) may be given for admission to specific programmes. In simpler terms, if the cut-off for a particular course is 90%, then the ECA candidate will get a relaxation of upto 15%. This means, to be eligible for admission to a course whose last relevant cut-off was 90%, the candidate must have scored at least 75% in his qualifying examination.

SPECIFIC GUIDELINES FOR QUIZ

1. In both preliminary and final rounds, questions are usually asked on topics such as history, sports, current affairs, arts, popular culture, business, science, literature, and politics.
2. The preliminary round may either consist of a written round or a verbal question and answer round. In case of the former, three kinds of questions are generally asked- (a) Multiple-choice questions (b) Generic questions (c) True/False statements
3. Late entry would lead to penalisation of the candidate.
4. The University ECA Admissions Committee is usually very strict with mobile phones not being allowed into the premises, and bags are also thoroughly checked.
5. Candidates are supposed to carry a writing board and a blue or a black pen.

SOME TIPS TO ACE THE ECA TRIALS FOR CATEGORY ‘QUIZ’

As told to the DU Beat correspondent by Anukul Mishra, an ECA candidate of 2016, a fair number of questions come from the magazine ‘Competition Success Review’, especially the objective-type questions given on the last pages.
Many of the questions are also derived from the archives of the Bournvita Quiz and Samvidhan Quiz of the preceding years.
Read. Record. Recollect: These are the famous 3Rs of quizzing as laid down by Neil O’Brien. One has to read, whether on the iPad, smartphone, or the good old newspapers, magazines, books, and journals.
Take reference from the online resources available on the ‘Quiz Zone’ and Trivia.fyi. Many of the questions found in these sites overlap with the questions asked in the ECA trials.

THE TRIALS

1. The preliminary round for Quiz will be held on the 20th and 21st of June 2018, from 9 a.m., at Ram Lal Anand College. The preliminary rounds usually get over by 11:30 a.m. on the same day.
2. Following the prelims, the list of short-listed candidates for the final round will be notified on the university website. Final round will be held on 30th June.
3. In the final round, the applicants must carry all the relevant certificates in original (and a self-attested photocopy) for evaluation. The certificates will account for 25% of the total weight while the trials in the final round will account for 75% of the weightage.

OBLIGATIONS AND COLLEGE SOCIETIES

1. The selected candidates will have to submit an Undertaking at the time of admission stating that the candidate will perform for the College for the entire period of the candidate‘s undergraduate programme of study. The college has a right to cancel their admissions if they violate the undertaking during their stay in college.
2. The candidates who are admitted through the Instrumental Category mostly get incorporated into the Quiz Societies of the colleges.
3. Candidates who secure admission through Category ‘Quiz’ in DU are almost always under immense pressure of performing well as their competitors come from a wide range of people, not confined to a particular age group. In other words, most quizzes held in the Delhi-NCR region receive participants from the age group of 17 to 71.
Feature Image Credits: The Spectator
Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak
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Horizon Conducts its Sixth Annual Internship and Placement Fair

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Horizon, The Placement Cell of Maitreyi College, organised the sixth edition  of its annual Internship and Job fair, Envision  in hybrid mode at NSB seminar hall; Maitreyi College, University of Delhi. Serving as an indispensable intermediary between students and potential employers, Horizon is committed to facilitating job placements and internships. The placement cell aims at offering invaluable guidance on career  trajectories, hosts recruitment events, and conducts skill development workshops to enhance students’  job readiness.

The event was organised to provide students from Maitreyi College and other undergraduate institutions with a comprehensive exposure to a wide array of employment and internship opportunities spanning over 70+ renowned companies, including prominent  organisations like Bajaj Capital and Lenskart. The representatives of over 40 companies attended the fair at Maitreyi College in person while other companies conducted their recruitment in an online  manner. Diverse profiles across finance, HR, graphic design, sales, among others, were offered  by these 70 firms. Notably, the highest placement package of 20 LPA was extended by Cookie, a  startup founded by IIT Kanpur alumni.

The fair was graced by the presence of Professor Vijaya Laxmi Singh, the Chairperson of the governing body of Maitreyi College as the Guest of honour and Professor Haritma Chopra, the  Principal of the College. The Fair was officially inaugurated with a traditional lamp lighting ceremony post which, Ms. Tanvi Mittal, President and Mr. Ginmunlal Khongsai, Convenor of the Placement Cell both; extended their warm welcome to the attendees. Subsequently, Prof. Haritma Chopra, Principal of Maitreyi College, highlighted the institution’s academic and non-academic advancements, including innovative short-term courses and engaging society and department fairs aimed at enhancing student skills. “These skill development initiatives have contributed to increased student selections, improving the Cell’s performance which is evident in selections of  80+ students at the graduation level for job opportunities at different organisations brought in by the Placement Cell throughout the year.” She added. Professor Vijaya Laxmi Singh thereafter emphasised on the developments at Maitreyi College which are evident in its enhanced NAAC accreditation and addressed how the continual integration and coordination among faculty members and students underscores  the institution’s commitment to providing optimal opportunities for its students.

A number of participating organisations in the fair were startups and micro, small and medium Enterprises (MSMEs) which took the opportunity to recruit suitable students for the expansion of their organisations. Through Horizon-the Placement Cell, Maitreyi College has consistently worked towards promoting startups and facilitating the expansion of such enterprises. Assistance is also provided to young entrepreneurs with the resources, mentoring and support to hone their skills through Meraki – The Entrepreneurship Cell of Maitreyi College. Initiatives like Placement & Internship Fairs resonate with India’s vision for self-reliance and empowerment, and also nurture students to consider entrepreneurship as a viable career option.

The Placement fair was formally concluded by the evening with over 300+ registrations from students across different undergraduate universities. The fair facilitated meaningful interactions between these organisations and a plethora of potential candidates, fostering a conducive environment for networking and recruitment. Moreover, the candidates expressed satisfaction with the diverse array of opportunities presented by the Placement Cell. The event not only served as a platform for bridging the gap between industry and academia but also underscored Horizon’s unwavering commitment to facilitating fruitful career opportunities for students.

DU Beat

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DUB Speak

The Hidden Economy of Hate

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Every day, we come across a wide range of content on social media. From news updates to political opinions to personal blogs, content creation acts as a source of income for many. In many cases, this has unfortunately facilitated the development of media that capitalises on polarising social issues and caters to the “majority,” even at the cost of being offensive or discriminatory towards particular groups. Read ahead to find out what fuels social media’s “economy of hate” and the alarming impacts this has on our society.

The use of social media is on the rise in the contemporary digital era. Following the boom in usage, it has now acquired the function of a community space for news updates, political ideas, and the development of online communities of individuals with shared interests. Being a social media celebrity comes with the added benefit of monetization. This content plays a major role in our daily discussions and the formation of personal opinions. With the added advantage of anonymity, this freedom of speech or expression of thoughts can go unchecked and develop a dark side too.

Cyberbullying or cyberharassment is becoming increasingly common among teenagers and adolescents, as well as in nations with fragile democratic structures and diverse social and religious groups. According to the Pew Research Centre, in 2022, at least half of the young people in the United States had experienced bullying at some point in their lives. India has one of the highest rates of cyberbullying. As per a study by McAfee, 85% of children in India have experienced cyberbullying or have perpetrated it themselves. This rate is nearly twice as high as the global average.

Content creators have a significant role in the perpetuation of cyberbullying. Targeting an individual or community for a few likes in order to grow an account is all too common on Instagram and X (previously Twitter). Some people post discriminatory content as a “joke,” while others post it as a social or political viewpoint. In India, social media is one of the most powerful tools used by politicians to propagate political messaging, which often includes ideological propoganda and hatred towards certain communities. Not only this, but social media has been employed to mould public opinion and cover up the true situation in areas such as Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370, the current conversion of Uttrakhand into “devbhoomi”, ethnic violence in Manipur, and ethnic cleansing of Muslims in various parts of the country in the name of illegal encroachment. There are various social media accounts on X (formerly Twitter) dedicated entirely to spreading such malicious content.

Along with using social media for political purposes, another major issue is the use of social media to propagate disinformation about particular subjects such as reservation, gender discrimination, and the queer community. Multiple individuals on X (previously Twitter) grew their accounts by posting abusive and false information about these issues. Engaging in such posts (even if you disagree with the viewpoint being tweeted) helps such tweets develop reach, making it easier for the user to reach wider audiences who may be uneducated on such issues and gullible to misinformation.

The Centre for Countering Digital Hate strives to halt the dissemination of hate speech and false information online. It is a nonprofit organisation that works to defend internet civil liberties and human rights. The Centre for Countering Digital Hate was recently sued by Elon Musk. According to a report in the Washington Post, X filed a complaint in the U.S. Federal Court for the Northern District of California, alleging that CCDH engaged in a number of unlawful acts in an effort to inappropriately access protected X Corp. data. Here are a few citations from CCDH reports:

Anti-LGBT Hate Content

TW// Queerphobia

According to a report by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate, over 1.7 million tweets and retweets since the start of 2022 mention the LGBTQ+ community via a keyword such as “LGBT”, “gay”, “homosexual” or “trans” alongside slurs including “groomer”, “predator” and “paedophile”. The hateful ‘grooming’ narrative online is driven by a small number of influential accounts with large followings. Now new estimates from the Centre show that just five of these accounts are set to generate up to $6.4 million per year in ad revenues for Twitter.

Anti-Muslim Hate Content

TW// Islamophobia

A study by TRT World revealed that 86% of anti-Muslim content originates in the United States, the United Kingdom, and India. According to the research, such hostile content and disinformation led to violent attacks on Muslims and mosques.

According to a report by CCDH, social media companies, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube, failed to act on 89% of posts containing anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobic content reported to them. CCDH researchers, using platforms’ own reporting tools, reported 530 posts that contain disturbing, bigoted, and dehumanising content that targets Muslim people through racist caricatures, conspiracies, and false claims. These posts were viewed at least 25 million times. Many of the abusive contents were easily identifiable, yet there was still inaction. Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter allow users to use hashtags such as #deathtoislam, #islamiscancer and #raghead. Content spread using the hashtags received at least 1.3 million impressions.

Misogyny and Sexism on Social Media

TW// Misogyny, Sexual Harrasement, and Mentions of Rape

CCDH exposed the most influential and largest incel forum (incel, standing for ‘involunatry celibate,’ a self-assigned social media term for mostly cis-gendered heterosexual men who consider themselves “denied” of sex by women and actively spread misogynistic, sexist, hostile content directed towards women and even men who they consider more sexually accomplished than themselves). This new in-depth study by the CCDH’s Quant Lab shows a 59% increase in mentions of mass attacks, widespread approval of sexual violence against women, with 9 in 10 posters supportive, and support for paedophilia, with the rules explicitly changing in March 2022 to permit the sexualization of ‘pubescent minors’. The ‘Incel Forum’ receives an average of 2.6 million monthly visits and has 17,000 members. Discourse is driven by 406 ‘power users, who produce 74.6% of all posts on the forum, some spending upwards of 10 hours a day on the forum. In some cases, boys as young as 15 are being led down a rabbit hole of hatred and extremism. An analysis of almost 1.2 million posts made over an 18-month period found:

  • A 59% increase in the use of terms and codewords relating to acts of mass violence.
  • Mention of rape every 29 minutes. 9 in 10 (89%) of posters in relevant discussions were supportive of sexual violence against women. The forum’s rules changed to permit the sexualization of “pubescent minors”. 
  • Analysis of discussions of paedophilia on the forum shows that 53% of posters are supportive of sexual violence against children.
  • One in five posts on the forum features misogynistic, racist, antisemitic, or anti-LGBTQ+ language.
  • Mainstream social media platforms like YouTube and Google are enabling pathways to the ‘Incelosphere’.

Casteist Content

From misogyny to queerphobia to caste and race, social issues across the world are being capitalized on under this “economy of hate.” Take, for instance, the Twitter account by the name of “Anuradha Tiwari,” which often posts defamatory and hateful content on reservations. Her whole X and LinkedIn profiles are packed with anti-reservation content. This kind of content fosters young people’s development of hateful opinions and prejudice. A report by The Centre for Internet & Society titled “Online Caste-Hate Speech: Pervasive Discrimination and Humiliation on Social Media” talks about the anti-reservation and casteist content across various social media platforms. Furthermore, it discusses how casteism on campuses is greatly impacted by such online hatred.

In conclusion, the economics of hate create a shadow that undermines our social fabric in the complex network of digital places. Creators are often motivated by financial gain to take advantage of conflicts and controversy by posting systematically discriminatory content online. This exploitation breeds bias, misinformation, and harassment, in addition to eroding empathy. A cycle of hatred is fueled by the pernicious attraction of money because attention-grabbing stories draw attention and increase the wealth of those who spread them. A holistic strategy that includes stronger content regulation, media literacy instruction, and ethical digital citizenship is necessary to combat this destructive influence. We may strive to create a digital environment that is based on respect, understanding, and true connection by eliminating the financial motivations for hatred.

Featured Image Credits: Article-14

Read Also: Decoding Deceptive Deepfake

Dhruv Bhati
[email protected]

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Offbeat

Top 10 (guilt-free) Ways to Celebrate Independence Day

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The following piece promises the top 10 ways to celebrate this Independence Day that you won’t even find on your most favourite blog, read more to find out!

Come August and we see the fervour of patriotism reach it’s crescendo. From spending a lazy holiday with your family at home to extravagantly announcing your patriotism, everyone has a different way of celebrating Independence Day and exercising their own freedom of expression (ahem). So, what are your plans for the day? Finishing all the laundry? Or simply scroll through your Instagram feed for hours on end? Here is a list that might help out.

1. Update your social media with “Happy Independence Day”
The first thing you must do is post a loud and clear “Happy Independence Day” on your page. Next, spam all your contacts (even the ones you don’t really care about) with Independence Day WhatsApp forwards. Remember, the number of Independence Day messages you send and receive is inversely proportional to you being called an anti-national. Do NOT forget to put up the tricolour as your profile picture. Your personality should be entirely “tricolourised” to match with the aesthetic of patriotism.

2. Wear Tri-colour
The next thing you should do after you’ve bombarded all your social media with tricolours and swiped through all the Instagram stories screaming patriotism (read jingoism), you should go and wear the tricolour. Make special efforts to match your outfit with our honourable Prime Minister’s turban, it will add extra punch to your patriotism. Wear the tricolour and while you take pride in its long history of struggle and sacrifice, conveniently  forget the sacrifice of those whose tricolours are stained by the blood of pogroms and genocides. Cheers.

3. Listen to our beloved PM’s speech
Even though it’s a holiday and you can sleep till late, you should wake up at 8 am in the morning and get yourself ready, of course you can sacrifice your sleep for your country, right? Switch on the TV and listen to the whole speech by our honorable Prime Minister from the ramparts of the Red Fort. Take special notice of how many times he mentions about Manipur burning, or the recent killings of Muslims in Nuh, Haryana and Gurgaon or even gives cognizance to the fact that so many of our daughters are raped every day. Once you watch the whole speech, just turn to one of your favorite news channels (read Godi Media) for a more detailed analysis of the speech. And don’t miss out on the part where they show yet another record set by the PM for the longest speech (with empty rhetoric). Haha love you Modi Ji.

4. Attend/watch the Independence Day parade
Try your best to attend the parade in person at Lal Quila. If not, you must make up for it by playing it on the television and sitting through the entire event. The parade would give you a sense of glory and charm of the military and developmental prowess of India and you MUST take pride in it (at all costs). As you watch the defence forces march, do not let thoughts of military excesses and humanitarian crimes committed in ‘disturbed’ areas intrude on your national pride in the army.

While you enjoy the glorious parade, do not let anybody remind you of the Kuki woman being paraded naked in Manipur. Let the loud band and shrill music make you deaf to the rage of resistance and shroud the silence of the state. Love for one’s country after all must mean complete complacency with institutions of power. India is a democracy, yes. One that has come to value submission to authority as a mark of national pride. Be sure to uphold that on this Independence Day.

5. Hoist flags

If you don’t live in Delhi and can’t go in person to see the flag hoisting, hoist your own flags. Hang the flag all around the neighbourhood, Wave the flag all around while you take the tour of the neighborhood on your bike. Chant “hyper-nationalist Hindutva” slogans for special effects! Make sure you catch the attention of everyone, the number of people who will see is equally proportional to how strong your identity as a citizen of India is. Christians are advised to take at least two rounds on their bikes, not any less than three is recommended for
Muslims (beware of those who might try to snatch your tricolour, pun intended.)

6. Watch patriotic movies
You must spend the rest of your day with the same patriotic zeal. And what’s a better way of instilling national pride than to consume movies – Bollywood patriotic movies that have just the right amount of tadka, thrill, romance, and an overdose of desh bhakti. Watch the story of an exceptionally talented military officer/ RAW agent whose entire personality revolves around an internalised macho saviour complex and the villain is most likely Pakistan or Pakistani terrorists (let’s learn from phantom). Or you can choose to watch something like Uri
to witness the proficiency and swiftness with which vengeful military decisions are made and mindless violence is presented as defence (indeed similar immediacy in action was absent when Manipur burnt unnoticed and migrant workers died of exhaustion and starvation during Covid. But let’s not remind ourselves of that, lest we hurt our national ego). Well, if you are the dissenter anti-national type, and both of these options are too problematic for you, just watch Veer Zaara (Hopefully it is subversive enough) and call it a day.

7. Reminisce about the freedom fighters
There is no way you can celebrate the present without revisiting the past. Our freedom fighters would indeed be very happy to see the current state of affairs in the country. Our freedom fighters are the personification of the past that is used to amplify and legitimise the hunger for nationalism in today’s India. No, you are not allowed to question or critique them. However, while you praise Gandhi’s plea for non-violence, watch the nation tread the path of militant Hindutva. While you praise Nehru’s plea for secularism, watch India take the alternate road-that to development and yoga of course. Praise Bhagat Singh’s violent resistance to British rule, but do not be a dissenter like him because those who adopted his ways to fight state-sanctioned oppression faced UAPA or death in today’s India. Savarkar must not be absent from the list of great freedom fighters, because who else reflects the idea of India better than him? Gulp in the hypocrisy because embracing apathy and blindness helps you celebrate a wonderfully guiltless Independence Day.

8. Flying kites

Flying kites on Independence Day is one of the most sought out activities amongst children, especially in the northern part of India. So after you’re bored of feeding (manufactured) nationalism and (jingoistic) patriotism, you should try your hands at flying kites. For adults flying kites is an effective leisurely activity to distract themselves from all the next day’s work problems, just like how the government conveniently ignores all the real world problems in parliamentary discussions. Be ambitious like our honourable Prime Minister and cut all the kites soaring higher than you (even if it requires unfair means). All the best!

9. Listen to patriotic songs
Your ears should, at all times, ring with patriotic songs. Be it Lata Mangeshkar’s ode to soldiers at the border in “aye mere watan ke logo”, or the uniting tune of “Kandho se milte hai kandhe” that stirs the army pride within us and asserts “hum chalte hai jab aise toh dil dushman ke hilte hai” (the identity of said dushman is hugely relevant to the creation of the national unity of India along socio-political lines). The idea is to play these songs and dance to them in glamorous Independence Day celebrations at your schools and offices. The idea is to sing them but pay attention to only selective words and messages. While collective thinking, pride, and national glory deserve attention, messages of unity in diversity and pluralism as reflected in some of these songs do not need to be stressed upon. Play these songs on loudspeakers and sing along so you become deaf to the sound of bulldozers uprooting lives.

10. Sing the National Anthem
Sing the National Anthem with great pride and vigour. Stand up for it and make others stand for it too (forcefully and violently at times). This is your duty as a “true” citizen of India. Stand up for the National Anthem, stand up for each other. Yes, you’re not mistaken but maybe for a change try standing up for each other this time. While we nonchalantly sing and repeat those 52 seconds yet again, let us try to absorb and internalize each and every word that we say.

When the whole country stands up in respect, the values of unity amongst all castes, creeds, gender, race, sex, and religion reverberates in unison. Let those words of unity, equality and fraternity not fall prey to any empty electoral rhetorics. Let not any effort to saffronise our national tricolour come to fruition. Working towards and taking pride in an India that is free of all social evils, where everyone feels equally at home and treated with equal respect and dignity. So as we celebrate our 77th Independence Day, let our values reflect the long history and the sacrifices of those who made this day possible. This day is not about a nostalgic romanticisation of the past but about a hope for a better India.

Happy Independence Day!

Read Also: Hollering for the wrong kind of Azaadi: That one, tiny, essential point skipped in P.M. Modi’s Independence Day speech Independence Day Celebrations in Delhi University

Featured Image Credits: Bar and Bench

Tulip Banerjee
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Samra Iqbal
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“Circle of Suspicion”: AISA Activists Put on House Arrest During PM’s Visit to DU

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Student activists of the All India Students’ Association (AISA), a student organisation affiliated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, alleged that they were detained when the Prime Minister visited the University on Friday. In an exclusive conversation with AISA Delhi President Abhigyan, DU Beat discovered how the events transpired on June 30.

On June 30, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Delhi University as the Chief Guest for the closing ceremony of the University’s centenary celebrations. As celebrations were in full swing, a few kilometres away, Abhigyan and Anjali, student activists of the All India Students Association (AISA), were allegedly detained inside their homes without any warrant or notice.

At around 8 a.m. on the day of the ceremony, AISA Delhi University President Abhigyan Gandhi was reportedly running a few errands when he received word that 5–6 police personnel were looking for him in Vijay Nagar. By 9.30, they had arrived at his locality and demanded that he either go with them to the Model Town Police Station or be placed under house arrest and have his movements monitored for the next four to five hours. Anjali Sharma, the AISA DU Secretary, was also placed under house arrest. Reportedly, the police warned them that they were in a “circle of suspicion” and were under surveillance in order to stop any “protests or dissents from violating the discipline within the University.”

Citing the PM’s visit as a reason, I and AISA DU Secretary Anjali have been held in detention in our flat and are not allowed to go on campus.

– Abhigyan, AISA Delhi President

Abhigyan asserted that the police were present in their flat from 9:30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m., during the entirety of PM Modi’s presence at the University for the closing ceremony. He claimed that when the police placed him under house arrest, neither a warrant nor an order were displayed. Following the 4-hour detention, a letter bearing the signatures of AISA functionaries was sent to the Sub Divisional Magistrate of Delhi (SDM) questioning the “illegal detention” of the student activists and stating that it was “a breach of personal space”. However, the Model Town Police Station house officer, Lalit Kumar, reportedly denied all allegations made by the activists.

AISA Secretary's Twitter Account

AISA Secretary's Twitter Account
In contrast to the denial of allegations, AISA activists shared photos showing the police seated in their hallway.
(Image Credits: Twitter account of Anjali, Secretary of AISA DU (@anjali1_27))

In conversation with DU Beat, the student activists revealed the entire situation through their lenses.

On being informed of the PM’s visit to the University, AISA DU had put up ‘Modi is coming to our campus!’ posters on the walls of North Campus, demanding accountability on behalf of the students. These posters posed relevant questions to the PM regarding the consistent fee hike, the rise in the unemployment rate to 8.1%, and the deletion of the chapters on Ambedkar and Gandhi from the curriculum. Allegedly, these posters were stripped off by the administration and members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) soon enough.

Primarily, I feel that the Prime Minister should have taken questions. Instead of having a crowd which claps when the teacher directs them to or instead of turning the campus into a cantonment ; he should have had a genuine engagement with the students. What ‘safety’ of the Prime Minister is being threatened and by whom?

– Abhigyan, AISA Delhi President

AISA put up posters across the University asking PM Modi certain questions.
AISA put up posters across the University asking PM Modi certain questions.
(Image Credits: AISA DU on Instagram (@aisa_du))

He also discussed the “FYUP KA REPORT CARD” campaign that AISA had launched in response to students’ disapproval regarding the implementation of the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 as well as the recruitment and ad-hoc crises that have repeatedly rocked the University.

We were trying to convey how the students should have their say in the policymaking on education. Yet, this is something the PM does not seem interested in. What he does seem interested in is ignoring the real questions of students, teachers and stakeholders. It is unfortunate how many respectable teachers have been lost by the University because of the hijacking of the appointment scheme by RSS and BJP.

As students across the University continue to express dissent over the hurried implementation of NEP, considering it a failure, the AISA Delhi President discussed the concerns and burdens of the policy for freshers and how the student organisation is actively trying to reclaim democratic discussion spaces within the University.

The way the students of DU are suffering right now, the way they are making their assignments, the way they are forced to study courses like Fit India and Swachh Bharat, is something that should concern all of us. Every student should feel the anger that the Prime Minister can come, simply ignore us by detaining those raising their voices, and leave without addressing anything pertinent. We are finding ways to bring back the democratic culture of dissent and debate within the University.

Highlighting the disturbing behaviour of Delhi Police in educational spaces, he further questioned the entire culture and definition of what a university stands for.

The way the Government, the administration and the Delhi Police is acting in our universities like DU, JNU and Jamia is highly terrifying. For the last 3 years, they have turned Jamia into a cantonment- any form of student movement or student gathering has become impossible. Detaining people without a notice or a warrant, by simply stating that you are in a list of people under a ‘circle of suspicion’- what does this signify?

In conversation with DU Beat, Anjali, Secretary of AISA DU, described how their detention came as a sudden shock.

The entire thing was very surprising to us. We are also students of the University and to be treated as criminals while being accused of potentially causing ruckus and being told that the PM is “unsafe” by our mere presence was highly shocking. The questions we raised through the postering across the University were a basis for them to house arrest us. On one hand they are painting a picture that is rosy and perfect, but it is clearly covering up the work that was going on behind this- attendance equivalent to 5 classes, no black clothes, and a strict code of conduct by colleges. Be it Kamla Nagar, Mukherjee Nagar or Vijay Nagar, police were heavily stationed at all these places to protect the PM from the students- the students he was supposedly coming to meet. 

They further talked about the “dual behaviour” being displayed by the University and the administration.

It was scary how they had our exact flat numbers. Comrades who called us before the arrival of the police told us how the officers were roaming in Vijay Nagar with our Facebook profiles, questioning students about us and our whereabouts. Within 5 minutes, they were at our doors. The larger question here is if we will be deprived of our spaces within the University only because of our political affiliation or just because we disagree?’

-Anjali, Secretary of AISA DU

As students across different colleges witnessed the Prime Minister on livestream, an online protest staged by the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) and joined by AISA and other student organisations, displaying placards with #GoBackModi, was witnessed. Miranda House professor and Secretary of the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), Abha Dev Habib, stated that the incident involving the AISA students was “highly regrettable”. 

AISA #GoBackModi Campaign
Students shared photos asking questions to the Prime Minister in regard to the ad-hoc crisis, cut down in fellowships and the ongoing violence in Manipur.
(Image Credits: AISA DU on Instagram (@aisa_du))

Featured Image Credits: Outlook India

Read also: ABVP Stages Protest at Aryabhatta College

Manvi Goel
[email protected]

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DU Beat 21 Under 21: Of Dreams and Determination

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From time to time, we come across talented and awe-inspiring individuals who deserve their stories to be told. So here is to 21 such amazing individuals who have achieved great feats in their lives before even tasting the 21st year of their life.

Ankita Singh Gujjar

Ankita is a 2022 graduate of Lady Shri Ram College for Women. She was selected for the Harvard US- India Conference 2021 and has been a research intern at the Asian Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs, Foreign Policy Research Centre, and Centre for Land Warfare Studies. She is also serving as the council president of WICCI India France Council and has published multiple papers.

 

Vikramaditya Kumar Taneja, Founder of DU Connect and Blue-Leaves Community

Vikramaditya is an economics student at Shaheed Bhagat Singh College and is the founder of DU Connect and Blue-Leaves Community— platforms that aim to help out students. He has also interned at NITI Aayog, Nykaa, and Ernst & Young, and has been recognised by the CSO at Ogilvy for his contribution and by IIM Shillong for the acceptance of 2+ papers in International journals.

 

Paridhi Puri, Diana Award Winner

Paridhi Puri, who recently graduated from Jesus and Mary College, has been awarded the Student of the Year award, TIMES NIE (2017-18); World Enterprising Student award (2018); and the Diana award (2021). She has also interned with AVPN, Invest India, Central Square Foundation, and UNICEF India (National representative at G20 World Summit 2018). 

 

Naman Khanna, Magician and Mind Reader

Naman Khanna is a Political Science Honours Student from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College. A winner of the Idol Hunt India 2020, he has been invited to perform by SpideyHypnosis twice. He has also collaborated with YouTubers such as Karan Singh Magic, Gamerfleet, The Jhumroo Tal Entertainer, Payal Gaming, etc., and has performed in numerous colleges and events.

 

Uttkarsh Sachdeva, Co-founder of eduPaper

Uttkarsh Sachdeva is a 2022 graduated B.Sc. Honours student from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, who is also the co-founder of eduPaper. In addition, he has also interned with various names such as Invest India, NITI Aayog, India Today Group, Concord Collective, and Ernst & Young.

 

Himanshu K

Himanshu is an EY scholarship winner (2021-22). He also received a 100% scholarship to attend Sakura High School Program in Japan in 2018. In addition, he was a winner at the International Robotronics Competition (IRC) held at Singapore University of Technology and Design in 2017 and qualified for IRC in 2016 and 2018 as well.

 

Ishita Arora, Founder of HOPE

Ishita Arora is pursuing B.Com (Hons.) in Hindu College and is the founder of HOPE, a mental health project which aims to make help more accessible. She is also a founding member of Paalan Foundation and the Entrepreneurship Student Council, and has authored the book ‘The Unspoken: A Romance Novella’.

 

Sanya Gupta, Aspiring Journalist

An aspiring journalist looking to explore and experiment with the different shades of the media industry, Sanya is a final-year student studying Journalism at Kamla Nehru College. Sanya has interned with industry big-guns including Times Now, Outlook India and is a staunch believer in journalism for a cause.

 

Soniyal Bajaj

Soniyal is a final year undergraduate political science honours student at SGTB Khalsa College. A true-blue believer in empathy-backed courage leading to revolutionary changes, Soniyal has contributed significantly in different capacities to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Project and has been a leading voice in the mission to better healthcare. 

 

Palak Verma

Palak is a student of English at Kalindi College and a content creator and writer for formidable organisations like POPxo and LinkedIn. Palak has worked extensively with Social Media and Content Management throughout her time in college. She is also The Community Services Director of the Rotaract Club of D-town.

 

Samya Verma

An international diplomacy and foreign affairs enthusiast, Samya is a student of History at Hindu College. With prominent institutions like Harvard and Kootneeti to her name, she has been an active writer on Asia’s relations with the world at various forums. Samya’s interests include women’s history and international relations.

 

Lubna Malhotra

Lubna is an Economics Hons. graduate from Lady Shri Ram College for Women. With a 31000-strong profile on LinkedIn and internship experience at BW Business World and Meesho to her name, Lubna’s primary interests lie in product, finance, and marketing. She was also one of the founding members of Aghaaz, NSS LSR.

 

Abhinav Sardesai

A third-year student studying Commerce at Hindu College, Abhinav’s experience on the global stage includes working closely with a UN-constituted team for a Lebanese client. He describes himself as a passionate finance and consulting enthusiast with a penchant for problem-solving in the economics and corporate sector.

 

Surbhi Siwach, Intern at Ministry of Commerce and Industry, GOI

Surbhi is a recent graduate of DU with a degree in Economics and Commerce. Currently completing her time as a research intern at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, Surbhi is better known for her workshops on Canva and for helping students find their footing in the world of startups and entrepreneurship. 

 

Ridhima Singh

Ridhima Singh, an LSR alumnus, co-wrote India’s first comic book on child rights. She has worked extensively in the field of social work through co-founding ImpactEd, a social leadership academy focused on enabling student changemakers,  and UN Youth Action Hub India, which became the largest hub across 36 nations. They will be joining McKinsey and Company this year as a business analyst. 

 

Aastha Mohapatra, First Opera Singer of Odisha

Aastha Mohapatra , alumnus of Lady Shri Ram College for Women, is the first opera singer from Odisha. They have devoted their life to the art form by performing and winning  over 50 accolades in the field of opera. Their journey has been covered by reputed media channels like Odisha TV and Geo TV. 

 

Priyanshi Chawrasiya, Content Creator

Priyanshi Chawrasiya is student of Gargi college. They are a content creator who use their platform to spread awareness about health and fitness. They have also worked with Media Monks as a chef and hand model on set for creating recipes for Cadbury. 

 

Siddhi Joshi

Siddhi is currently the President of Global Youth Miranda House and is representing India in the Global Village on The Move Program by Lehigh University in collaboration with the US DOS and the American Council. An alumnus of the Kennedy Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program, she is a cultural exchange and social-impact activist. She has won the Dr. Kamala Prasad Pathak Memorial National Fellowship for Peace and Learning 2022 and Best Speaker and All-Rounder Award at the Global Peace Youth Summit. A certified tutor under the Global Competency Certificate by AFS India and Global Peace Institute, UK, she is an active social worker and conducts sessions for school students along with heading developmental projects. An award-winning poet and writer, her works have been featured in The Remnant Archive, Headcanon Magazine, The Pinnacle Palette, and others.

 

Shanya Das, Director of Writers Community Freelancers Private Limited

Shanya Das is a Gargi student who owns a company as a director named Writers Community Freelancers Private Limited, an indian freelance marketplace that supports freelancers to get freelance work opportunities. They are passionate about writing and have worked with many news sites as well. 

 

Laqshay Gupta and Harivansh Gahlot, Founders of Baywise

Laqshay Gupta and Harivansh Gahlot are students from Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies who have founded together a revolutionary startup called Baywise, an ed-tech startup created with the aim of providing students with the professional skills and advice they need to have successful careers. Baywise had featured on the social media handles of Bloombuzz, garnering a reach of 15000+. 

Muskan Sabharwal and Kanika Chauhan, Started Social Alliance for Impact Research (SAIR)

Muskan Sabharwal and Kanika Chauhan are students from the College of Vocational Studies and Dyal Singh College respectively. Together, they have started the outstanding project of Social Alliance for Impact Research (SAIR), which aims to give every undergraduate student exposure in research and consulting irrespective of their course and college. SAIR continues to grow and build its community of pan-Indian students.

 

 

DU Beat would like to congratulate everyone who made it to the list. For the ones who didn’t, this list is not exhaustive. You are a star as well.

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Qatar 2022: the Ugly Truth of the Beautiful Game

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The FIFA World Cup is a global sensation. The Qatar edition happens to be the most expensive one yet – financially and morally.

Eight years ago, in June 2014, a phenomenon was taking the planet by storm. The FIFA World Cup was taking place in Brazil – the home of flair, samba and carnival. Like any other 10 year old, I found myself glued to the TV to figure out what all the fuss was about. The aforementioned TV was broadcasting a match between Spain and the Netherlands. Well, the little boy version of me knew Spain was supposedly a big deal that had won the last World Cup and that one of the players in the Dutch team played for Manchester United and wore my birthday number. All I knew was that his shirt said “v. Persie” with the number 20 and it was enough to change my allegiance. And then, he shocked the world (and little me) by scoring one of the most outrageous goals in the history of the sport.

That was the day, dear reader, that this boy found a new thing to obsess over for almost an entire decade. I wasn’t alone either, football or “the beautiful game” is the most widespread sport on the planet. For context, there are 195 nations on Earth, with 193 being member nations of the United Nations. FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) has 211 recognised national football associations – 192 of which are fully recognised independent nations.

The FIFA World Cup is the culmination of this obsession with kicking a ball into a net and it takes place every four years. It is a celebration of the sport and a month-long tournament that invites the 32 best footballing nations across the globe to represent their national teams and take home the golden trophy. This week, on the 20th of November, 2022 the 22nd edition of the competition was kickstarted in Qatar.

In 2014, the World Cup was played in Brazil – the home of the record five time champions. Since then, it has been played in Russia in 2018 and now, in Qatar in 2022 and both these editions of the legendary competition have seen allegations of corruption and general backlash. Qatar, though, has been especially ensnared by a web of scandals surrounding the entire tournament.

The first scandal took place way back in 2010, when FIFA was deciding where to host the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups amongst the nations that had bid for the opportunity. Two months before the organisation was supposed to announce the winner, it had to suspend 2 of its 24 member executive committee – that was in charge of selecting the host nation – due to them being accused of offering to sell their votes. The two men would later receive temporary bans from FIFA. Four years later, leaked emails implied that Qatari football official and former FIFA executive committee member, Mohammed bin Hammam had allegedly bribed FIFA officials to ensure the success of Qatar’s bid. At the time, he had already received a lifetime ban from FIFA in 2011 for unrelated corruption charges. There were subsequent investigations by both: the US Department of Justice and the Swiss authorities into FIFA’s alleged corruption. Over the next few years, several FIFA officials were convicted of corruption charges and were arrested, banned from football or forced to go on the run. The most prominent of these was then FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, resigning shortly after winning a reelection campaign to his fifth consecutive term. In April 2020, the Department of Justice released new evidence that again implied that three FIFA officials had received bribes from unnamed intermediaries to vote for Qatar. However, while almost all of the then FIFA executives were arrested, fined or banned in police raids and prosecutions, neither the US Department of Justice nor the Swiss authorities could ever connect the other end of the bribery string to Qatar.

Fair or not, Qatar had won its bid in 2010 and that meant preparing to welcome the best players of the world in 2022. One problem, though: the small Middle-Eastern nation wasn’t equipped to play a tournament as big as the World Cup yet – and that meant investing. And invest it did – the Qatar World Cup is the most expensive World Cup in history. The country had the cash for it and thus went on to spend 220 billion USD in building seven stadiums, a new airport, a series of roads, metro system and about 100 new hotels. An entire city was built around the stadium that will host the final match. Qatar’s government says that over 30,000 migrant workers from countries like India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and more were hired to build the infrastructure for the event. In 2021, The Guardian reported that, according to numbers provided by the aforementioned countries’ embassies, over 6,500 migrant workers had died working on the event since Qatar had won its bid in 2010.

Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers is not new. It is a result of poor labour laws and the kafala system (a sponsorship system where workers are tethered to their sponsors in legally binding contracts). In 2016, a non profit organisation, Amnesty International, accused Qatar of using forced labour by withholding wages and passports. Migrant workers told Amnesty International that they received verbal abuses and threats when they complained about not being paid for several months. Nepali workers were not even allowed to return home after the 2015 Nepal earthquakes. Amnesty further accused FIFA of failing to stop the stadium being built on “human rights abuses”. Qatar did go on to implement reforms such as implementing a monthly minimum wage and reforming the kafala system. However, these reforms have still been described as too little too late by human rights organisations across the globe. 6,500 people had still needlessly died in the 11 years before, the new minimum wage was still too less for Qatar’s high living costs and abuses were still taking place albeit to a lesser degree. These abuses have seen backlash from other football associations as well, especially the US, England and the Netherlands. Various professional footballers have regularly talked about the long list of allegations against the country. England and the Dutch national team have even invited migrant workers to train with the squad in a show of support. While Qatar has definitely taken steps to address the situation, one must wonder if a country that needs global backlash to start changing its abusive ways is a good candidate to host an event that is supposed to bring the world together.

I think for what we Europeans have been doing for 3,000 years around the world, we should be apologising for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people.”- Gianni Infantino, FIFA President defending Qatar

With a history of human rights abuses, it was not long before the world would show up at Qatar’s door accusing them of sportswashing. “Sportswashing” is a term coined by human rights activists in the 2010s to describe regimes with a reputation of oppression and cruelty using sporting events to clear up their reputation. In recent years, there have been many accusations of sportswashing made in the football world. The previous World Cup held in Russia was accused of it, and so was the Russian oligarch and one of Vladimir Putin’s trusted advisors, Roman Abramovich. Abramovich was the former owner of Chelsea Football Club and his regular millions of dollars of investments into the club brought it much success over the past decade. In Abramovich’s case, it worked: after Russia invaded Ukraine, the British government forced Abramovich to sell the club due to his involvement as a close advisor of Putin. During the momentary applause before Premier League games in solidarity with Ukraine that was conducted at the time, Chelsea fans sang Abramovich’s name as a show of support – completely disregarding his involvement with the aggressors of Ukraine. We are yet to see if Qatar’s alleged sportswashing attempts have worked – although some experts fear it might have but for a reason far removed from actual football.

The unfortunate reality of this “beautiful game” is that football fans can be incredibly bigoted. Sexism exists as keyboard warriors do their best to undermine women’s football at every turn, mocking demands of fair pay. Racism has only seen a real decline in recent years but still rears its heads whenever a person of colour cannot perform on the pitch. Homophobia is rampant – to the point where there is exactly one footballer who belongs to the LGBTQ community and is heading to the FIFA World Cup (Josh Cavallo for Australia). This unfortunate characteristic has made fans support Qatar’s anti LGBTQ stance while disguising these archaic and dystopian beliefs as “respecting their culture” and accusing the west of “shoving woke propaganda down everyone’s throats”. Qatar happens to have a history of curtailing the rights of the LGBTQ community and women. The country has draconian laws that criminalise sexual intercourse between individuals of the same sex and forces transgender people to undergo conversion therapy. Qatari members of the LGBTQ community have reported being intimidated and harassed by the police regularly. An environment like this has made many fans from the community reluctant to attend the World Cup for fear of punishment by Qatari authorities simply for their identities. In 2010, when asked about Qatar’s inclusion of the LGBTQ community, Sepp Blatter had told the community that they “should refrain from any sexual activities.” While FIFA then issued an apology at the time, and has recently assured fans they would not be prosecuted for such a situation, the atmosphere is still too hostile to risk for most people.

This situation has also seen backlash from various footballing nations. Eight European nations had announced that they would be wearing “One Love” armbands in support of the LGBTQ community. FIFA, however, warned the teams that should they go along with the plan, they would immediately be cautioned with yellow cards when the game kicks off. This has forced the countries to step down from their decision but not without criticising FIFA’s decisions. Fans have allegedly been targeted when wearing rainbow flags or hats in the stadiums. A US reporter was allegedly denied entry by security due to him wearing a rainbow shirt. The President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino has repeatedly defended Qatar in various statements and has also insisted that the country’s leadership welcomed people with open arms regardless of their sexuality, sex or race. Yet, the experiences of the fans in the actual stadiums beg to differ.

Seeing you have banned all teams to wear the One Love armband to actively support LGBTQ+ at the World Cup. You have lost my respect. All the work my fellow allies and the LGBTQ+ community are doing to make football inclusive, you have shown that football isn’t a place for everyone.” – Australian footballer Josh Cavallo, a member of the LGBTQ community, addressing FIFA

Even if somehow you can get rid of human empathy and move past the human rights abuses, corruption and stigma surrounding the tournament, the actual match-watching experiences aren’t satisfactory either. The World Cup saw the construction of “fan villages” such as the Rawdat Al Jahhaniya which have been extremely criticised. The issue is, these so-called fan villages are made out of shipping containers and cost 300$ a night. Shipping containers in the desert with malfunctioning air conditioners for 300 USD a night – ah yes, the football fan’s utopia.

The match-watching experience for many fans also involves a lot of alcohol and FIFA knows that. After all, there is a reason that Budweiser is a main sponsor for the tournament. Despite Qatari laws prohibiting the sale of alcohol, FIFA had assured fans that alcohol would be served around the stadium. Budweiser was given designated areas in stadiums where alcohol could be sold and fans could be allowed to consume it. However, eight days before the event, Qatari officials informed Budweiser that their tents would be moved to less prominent locations and were no longer allowed inside the stadium itself but could be sold within the perimeter. Two days before the tournament, FIFA announced that all points of sale of alcoholic beverages would be removed from the stadiums in direct contradiction of the Qatari bid in 2010. This was a surprise, since in 2014 FIFA had forced Brazil to alter its previously stricter laws to allow World Cup fans to consume alcoholic beverages in the stadium freely – at the grave risk to safety and security.

I think personally, if for three hours a day you cannot drink a beer, you will survive.” – Gianni Infantino, FIFA President

This tournament has not proved to be a good proposition for the professionals that compete in it either. Traditionally, the World Cup takes place for an entire month in June, while players play for domestic leagues and cups from August to May. However, due to Qatar’s desert climate, the tournament was shifted to November-December as the climate would be too harsh on the players in June. The issue with this scenario is that the normal league seasons had been conducted as usual. However, with a FIFA World Cup sandwiched in between the normal league season the amount of games that players have to play during the same duration has increased by a lot. Throughout a normal season, teams often play more than 50 matches and it is normal for various players to be out with minor injuries for a game or two. With so many matches to play, though, it is expected that many players will suffer injuries that’ll keep them off the pitch for longer periods of time. While Qatar might be far from a fair World Cup, it is still a World Cup and most players do not often get the chance to represent their country at the biggest stage more than twice or thrice in their careers. It is thus, a huge blow to miss out on Qatar 2022 for anyone. Yet, this unusual tournament has led to a significant number of high profile players missing it such as Timo Werner, Christopher Nkunku, Lo Celso and more. The defending champions, France, have been especially unlucky with a number of their most important players such as Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba, Raphael Varane, N’Golo Kante and others missing the entire tournament.

These are unfortunately, still not the end of the things wrong with the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup. Qatar doesn’t allow free speech against its government, nor does it allow practice of any religion other than Islam in public spaces. There have been reports over the past few weeks that the country has hired people from Pakistan to play the role of fake fans to make up for the lack of travelling fans to the tournament. Qatar’s initial promises of sustainable stadiums and air conditioning for players on the pitch and the fans have started to be exposed as being hollow. The opener between Qatar and Ecuador was surrounded by rumours that Qatar had allegedly bribed 8 Ecuador players to lose the match (Ecuador won that by 2-0). Many Western nations have regularly hit back against the various controversies surrounding the tournament and Qatar at large. Denmark has decided to wear black jerseys instead of their usual red to mourn the deaths of the migrant workers who died in the past decade. FIFA has addressed these complaints by telling nations to “stick to football not politics” insisting that “FIFA is not in the business of giving moral lessons to the rest of the world”; a statement that the nations have openly expressed their displeasure for. An especially ironic statement considering FIFA chose to ban Russia from the FIFA World Cup after its occupation of Ukraine, showing that geopolitics in football only seem to matter when the party in the wrong is not currently generating revenue for FIFA.

The one good outcome of this is that the backlash is working even if only to a certain extent. There are positive steps being taken too. The Netherlands pledged on Friday to press FIFA into creating a long term resource centre for migrant workers in Doha. Several coaches and federations have backed calls to create a compensation fund for migrant workers. As mentioned before, eight European teams have done their best to show solidarity with the LGBTQ community, even publicly speaking out against FIFA’s attempts to stop them from doing so and despite homophobia prevailing in a majority of their fanbases. Even if too little and too late, Qatar did make some reforms to their predatory labour laws and hopefully further steps are not far behind.

I am no longer the 10 year old who fell in love with football thanks to the Flying Dutchman in 2014. I am 19 now and know way more about this beautiful game and somehow love it even more. This version of the FIFA World Cup is strange though; it doesn’t quite fill you with the same feeling of unity through a shared love for a game where magic is real. Maybe that’s because it simply doesn’t seek unity anymore, instead choosing to discriminate, oppress and alienate. Perhaps, for me and over a billion other fans, it is simply impossible to look past the ugliness of the beautiful game anymore.

Siddharth Kumar

[email protected]

Image credits: Sky Sports, Yahoo Sports, The Hindu, FIFA

Read Also: Sports and its Legions of Fanatics

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Coronavirus

Quarantine is Not a Productivity Contest

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The existing peer pressure online to be “productive” is bound to make you question your futility and lack of productivity during the quarantine period. But, who said that the quarantine period is a contest? 

“If you have not learnt any new skills during this lockdown, you lack discipline!” 

“Learn how to use your time productively and amp your CV!”

“How do I use my free time during the lockdown?”

“How can I be more productive?”

LinkedIn overflows with enthusiastic students and professionals uploading tons of certification courses and virtual internships. Instagram overflows with budding chefs, YouTubers and content creators displaying their latest dish, video and DIYs. The existent peer pressure is bound to make you question your futility and lack of productivity during the quarantine period. However, the question that thus arises is, have we given in to the productivity guilt or not?

With an ample amount of time to spare, the idle mind surely cooks up conspiracy theories and fan fiction and that is alright! We have spent days and nights working, hoping to get the perfect CV ready. Over-work, over-stress, this is a much-needed break. The quarantine is nature’s way to ask us to calm down, to take a break, re-think and pause. 

Rhea Dsouza, a student of Jesus and Mary College reminds us to take a break amidst this world-shaking pandemic, “Think of all the times you have had to overwork yourself and do the extra deed. Look at this as a well-deserved break from all the times you overdid yourself.”

People are on the streets, dying. People are on the hospital beds, dying. It is a pandemic, a historical event which defines the course of history. Crude oil hits below USD 0, we await a global recession, world-leaders have tested positive, the world today is anything but normal. Some have the perseverance and strength to continue with their day’s work without any intrusive thoughts. 

As an individual with anxiety, it is not easy. The fear is not intermittent; it is constant, consistent, steady and staring right into your eyes. I too believed let’s work on that CV, managing over four jobs, two internships, assignments, societies, a stable relationship, an unstable family and mental health later, I quit. Life is more than aiming to ace the perfect CV, sacrifice your family and social life to work, work and work! 

A student of Ramjas College, Pranjal Gupta juggles amidst six jobs and internships and fails to draw the line between academics and productivity. “Ever since the lockdown, I’ve been checking people’s profile on LinkedIn. When I see them doing so many things, achieving so much at this stage of their lives there is this constant fear that haunts me, “Am I not giving my best?”, “Why did I miss this opportunity?”, “Shall I enrol in this or that?”  I have involved myself in so much that I seem to be lost somewhere and not know what my hobbies are.”

The relationship between productivity and capitalism is an old, toxic one. The hustle culture points towards a notion that those who don’t hustle, they cannot succeed. There is no harm in staring at the wall for day’s ends, binge-watching the same show countless times, experimenting in the kitchen, bonding over board games with your family, you have the rein to your life in your palms, only you can direct it, not social media gimmicks. 

Pranjal continues, “Lockdown hasn’t given me a chance to be bored and actually fuel me with a drive to do something new, I’m just running like a sheep. Is this how I’m going to be different from the crowd? Without any introspection in such historic times?”

We need to be gentle with ourselves, there is only so much that our body and brain is capable of, without the burnout phase. Some people thrive under stress, some don’t. Some can learn a new language, some take multiple efforts in simply getting out of the bed. Some seek solace in working relentlessly, some can hardly breathe. Today, if you have taken a deep breath filling yourself with the rejuvenating air, that is enough. Just breath. 

Featured Image Credits: Instagram

Anandi Sen

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Arts & Culture

Editorial: Sixth Semester, Too Soon?

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The even semester has begun, and so has the countdown to live your life as the final-year college students.

‘Knock knock’

‘Who’s there?’

‘Your last semester is here’

These must be hard-hitti ng lines for every third-year student right now. Applications, entrance exams, scholarships, internships, placements, interviews, and expectations-these are the words which define the life of a final year student. Most of us are stuck with the question of “Aage kya karna hai” (What should I do in future?). Days pass by and we still can’t find an answer to it. Most students define the last year of their college as stressful and exhausting. Some of us are applying for a job, some are preparing for entrance exams, and some are still trying to figure it out. With the beginning of the last semester of your college life, it is important to take a step back, breathe, and relax. If I look back, I don’t know how these three years passed by.

It is said that college really transforms you. It feels like yesterday when we were filling out the registration form to be a part of the University. Remember how we entered college with heavy bags of expectations and immaturity? First-year goes by completing assignments, attending morning lectures, and ‘trying to fit in the university culture’. The second-year brings about a more settled person in you. You are no longer a ‘fresher’ now, you are probably the one giving advice to the ‘freshers’. By the beginning of third-year, you have transformed into a mature, responsible adult, making decisions for yourself. The final-year of college is an emotional roller coaster ride, where your life will revolve around the happiness of graduating, and the sadness of leaving your college life behind. This phase is often accompanied by self-doubt, anxiety, insecurities, and nostalgia. Everyone around you will have only one question: ‘What next?’, and before you realize, you are already sailing in the sea of disquietude.

So how to keep yourself calm in this storm? My only advice will be to take one step at a ti me. Francis Assisi quoted, “Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” I think this is probably the solution we are looking for. Most of us are also stuck in the dilemma of whether to pursue a Master’s degree or a job. While all of us have preferences, this decision is extremely important and can define how your life shapes up. Enlist the pros and cons, talk to your family and friends. Don’t take such critical decisions in haste. As a final-year student, there are some important lessons that I would like to share with the juniors. Firstly, utilise the ti me you have in your college days. Take up any activity which helps you build contacts, be it joining the Placement Cell of your college or a work from home internship. College is the best ti me to build your resume. Secondly, use the internet for activities that do not involve Netflix and Instagram. You can probably set-up your LinkedIn profile or enroll yourself in an online course. Participate and attend events or gatherings. The events don’t have to be related to your field of study. It can also be a seminar on the involvement of youth in politics or a talk on a completely different subject like Botany. Lastly, give yourself some ti me and space. Most of us while struggling with applications and placements, forget enjoying the last year as a college student. Sometimes we make ourselves “too busy” to enjoy the moments we will cherish once we graduate. Don’t forget to live the wholesome experience of the University of Delhi. In the end, my fellow thirdyear students, whether you have figured it out or are still clueless, remember to breathe. Take each day as it comes.

Anoushka Sharma

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