On a typical Sunday in Daryaganj, one would fine streets hustling with book vendors, buyers negotiating the best cheapest price for their favourite books and the busy street packed with students from all walks of life. One order and a few officials were enough to make the place dead being almost impossible to recognize now.
The Delhi traffic police submitted a report to the High Court stating the NS Marg was a very busy road with high traffic volume at all times, and that booksellers occupied the footpath, leaving no space for pedestrians. On July 3 the high court issued an order to the North Delhi Municipal Corporation to ensure that weekly bazaars on Sundays were not permitted on Netaji Subhash Marg in Daryaganj.
This 50-year-old bazaar was brought down leaving the vendors unemployed for a period and a disheartening the avid book lovers especially in Delhi University. From Manga Comics to NCERTs it was the cheapest hot spot for a wide variety of books for students from the University. Moreover, it was a space where students could actually come out from their graduation textbooks and expand their horizons and just fall in love with books. While reading books becoming a rare activity in this fast-paced world, the 50-year-old ‘jungle’ kept the circle of book lovers alive with its trails of books. It had a cultural influence to make the place known for it and attracted thousands of people. It was about providing a safe space to cherish books and education and an escape from the tiresome world into the world of books. Jaishree Kumar, a final year student from Ramjas college reacted to the move saying
“Daryaganj was Delhi’s treasure chest of second hand affordable books. It was a place where students and readers of all ages could find what interests them. I’ve been there only once; I wish I visited it more frequently to relish its glory. I wonder how this shutdown will affect the small business owners who relied on selling these books.”
A vendor packing all the unsold books at Daryaganj Image Credits : Mayank Austen Soofi
Mayank Austen Soofi is popularly known as the “the delhi walla” wrote about the history of the place. He mentioned that, fifty years ago, a kabadi bazaar selling used clothes, sandals and furniture was held each Sunday near Jama Masjid in the Walled City. The shops lined both sides of what was once Delhi’s biggest fish market. In 1964, three men gate-crashed into the bazaar, set up stalls next to the Victoria Zenana Hospital (later renamed after Mahatma Gandhi’s wife, Kasturba) and started selling second-hand books. After five years, the kabadi bazaar was moved to what is called “Red Fort’s backside”. The ‘backside’ was not easily accessible by public transport; neither was there water or shade available for respite during sweltering summer afternoons. Within six months, Kuldeep Raj Nanda, one of the three original booksellers of Jama Masjid’s kabadi bazaar, left the place. He set up a Sunday stall just below the Lohe Walla Pul, the pedestrian over-bridge made of iron that was dismantled some years ago and became the first bookseller of Daryaganj’s weekly book bazaar. Thus, started this weekly affair of readers and books.
The evacuation has disturbed the student community and student collectives from DU are taking initiatives for its relocation and revival. The Books and Documentary Review Club of Economics department at LSR held a group discussion in the college to discuss the status-quo of Daryaganj book market. They helped mobilise people for the protest held on the previous Sunday by the Delhi Book Archive to advocate against the move and relocate the bazaar. They commented “The Daryaganj Bazaar issue has been very close to us. It’s time to give our love back to the books that like mosaic spread out on the pavements of Daryaganj and to the hundreds of men and women who made their lives on the pages of books that they sold.
Let’s not allow the forcible deconstruction of our spaces.”
Group discussion held in Lady Shri Ram College on Daryaganj Image Credits: bdrecon_lsr
While the decision of the court has been taken keeping in mind the traffic congestion issues, shutting down a place cannot be the solution to it. The cultural hubs and relationships one has formed over years with the place should not be washed away into dead streets with honking drivers. Such spaces have always been the identity of the place and hub for several students in the University. A collective voice should stand for its revival and keeping its identity alive.
The history and importance of protests and political expression in the University of Delhi (DU) after Vivekananda College released a notice warning students against taking part in political rallies becomes more significant.
DU is known for having an active and politically engaged student body, with protests, marches, and parades for various issues being an integral part of college life. Being a part of DU means being a part of a student body comprising people from all parts of the country, all sections of the society, and ideologies across the whole spectrum. In the varsity, students actively use responsible and peaceful forms of dissent to get one’s voice heard and bring student issues to the forefront. However, this freedom is slowly coming under attack due to certain groups of people trying to enforce their ideologies and stifle others who go against them. Recently, with Vivekananda College issuing a notice warning students against taking parts in political rallies and promising a disciplinary action for those who disobey, this suppression of voice has become more apparent and real.
Aahil sheikh, a first-year student of B.A (Honors) Political Science from Kirori Mal College, when asked for his opinion on Vivekananda College’s decision, stated “The current decision of Vivekananda College to ban political activities on campus takes away the autonomy of college students which completely goes against the right to protest. I believe that the Constitution has given everyone, including college students the right to mobilize and try to get something they believe in, so I am completely against the decision taken by Vivekananda College.”
On the importance of youth activism at college, Manvendra Krishna , another first-year student from Kirori Mal College said “Since the youth is the future of the country and college is the final stepping stone for students before they enter the real world, the exposure to politics at the college level is important because it produces educated student leaders and empowers the students to question the system, and provides them a medium to voice their opinions on the policies that impact them and fight the oppressors by making them aware of their rights as well as that of others and bring about a positive difference in the world.” Krishna quoted an example of Joshua Wong, who at a tender age of 14 was the face of the umbrella revolution: a pro-democracy movement that barricaded itself in downtown Hong Kong to emphasize that there are many such Joshua Wongs in the world but they according to him don’t get enough opportunities to speak. He also added that “This snatching away of student voices is aversive to the fundamentals that bind a democracy. Thus, I believe in advocating for a system that fosters the growth of many such young and educated student leaders so that the system becomes more responsible and accountable.”
College students are of the age and maturity to know how to show dissent and protest responsibly. They should be allowed to voice their opinions on campus since that is the fastest way to reach the eyes and ears of the administration. Democracy is constantly changing and evolving and students can and play an integral role in keeping the administration and the government in check.
Meet the band, When Chai Met Toast , that embodies happiness and performs it in their music.
Kartik: The band name is a very creative fusion of Indian roots meeting western elements, so what kind of musicians or bands from India and abroad influence your music? Ashwin: Actually, a lot of them! I mean, there is a lot of inspiration from English folk, but we are experimenting with a lot of other stuff as well, which includes English and European folk. Achyuth: Not really folk, more like pop. Ashwin: We do not want to really define ourselves into a category or genre, as such. Achyuth: Some of the artists that we have been listening include The 1975, Coldplay; Coldplay is an all-time favourite. Ashwin: There is Sufjan Stevens as well. There is a bunch of artists we listen to, and are inspired by.
Kartik:What qualifies as good music for you? Achyuth: Anything that sounds good, I guess. Ashwin: Very difficult question! Achyuth: Anything that is true, actually. Anything that comes from the people, whatever genre it is. Something that comes from within. Ashwin: I will be very honest. More than what qualifies as good music to me, what my ears hear as good music is what I like. For instance, you cannot really ‘name’ good music or music that you like. You are not very fond of something at one point, and other times you love something. You cannot really classify or clarify what good music is, and we have not really given it a thought, so I think there is no generic or specific category of good music. Achyuth: For me, it is anything that has some soul to it, in whatever way. It can be any artist, but as long as there is passion, there is good music.
Kartik: Your songs are multilingual. Notably, the transitions in the languages are very smooth in the songs, which make the composition very cohesive. How do you think the audience reacts to this aspect of your music? Achyuth: First of all, we are glad you think so! Ashwin: We have heard positive reviews till now, thankfully. Nobody has as yet, thrown anything negative at us. We try not to force the elements into a song just because the song has to carry out something which is multilingual or some meaning that has to be conveyed. We try to keep whatever we write as what it is. Achyuth: The fact that we all speak multiple languages helps. So, we are not really restricting ourselves. If we want to convey something through a song in Tamil, we have the freedom to do that, because Ashwin knows how to speak Tamil. It gives us many options, as a band.
Kartik:I was justlistening to your latest song, “Nee aara”, and I loved it! This is your first Malayalam single, please tell your listeners about the song and what it means. Achyuth: Thank you very much! It starts off with self-introspection, and then it moves into the ideas of new beginnings, in various metaphorical forms. Ashwin: In one sentence, it is like understanding your mistakes and then trying to rectify them, and finding what is wrong with you. It’s about finding the new you, to some extent.
Kartik: Do youguys have any just-the-band or personal rituals to do before performing on stage? Ashwin: We definitely pump each other up! Achyuth: There is like a band-huddle before the performance.
Kartik: How many shows have you done in the last one year? Which show has been the best in terms of audience and the derivative artistic gratification? Achyuth: Around 80-90 shows. All of them were great shows. Ashwin: As for the latter part of the question, I think both of us might have differing answers, let’s see. Achyuth: Weekender Pune 2018 was a great one. Ashwin: Oh, then it is the same. We played our 70s set for the second time at Weekender Pune. Achyuth: We were still learning our parts for that, but we managed to do well, I guess. Ashwin: Narayan on violin, Prashant on bass, along with trumpets, we had a proper ball of a time. It was great to see five thousand people in front of you, while Joe Satriani was playing on the other stage. The sound was amazing, thanks to Yogi for mixing that day, Guru did an amazing job with lights as well. It was a crazy good day for us, altogether.
Kartik: Can you describe what do you feel when you’re performing on stage and a massive crowd jams to your songs along with you? Achyuth: I think that’s what we live for. Ashwin: Yes, we dance with them. And live the moment, that’s it.
Kartik: So how would you describe this feeling in one word? Ashwin: D-E-D, DED, a very millennial term. (laughs)
Kartik: What are your views on failures and/or criticism? And what do you think stays with the audience, the artist or the art? Achyuth: The art definitely. Ashwin: I think both. Like when the artist feels the art is when the people feel the art.
Image Credits: Adithya Khanna for DU Beat
Kartik: All the band members have had professional training in Indian classical music. In times of rap and hip-hop, and pop rock, where do you think Indian Classical music is leading to? Ashwin: It’s leading to world music, buddy. Bands like Agam, and Shadow and Light and so many other independent artists are working on Carnatic and Hindustani music. There are a lot of jazz singers who are blending Carnatic music with jazz. Carnatic music is in a completely different scale altogether than what we think is Indie. Achyuth: There is immense potential in the genre. It’s already massive. Ashwin: Totally, I mean a Carnatic music show in Singapore selling more than 2500 tickets that is the substance of the genre.
Kartik: In a lot of your music videos, there is a running metaphor of creative and artistic blockade, and coming out of it. One of these videos that has stayed with me is that of the song “Believe“. What are your views on creative expression and its ability to transgress social obligations or expectations? Ashwin: That’s too tough for me, man! (laughs)
I have been doing music for ten years now (professionally), and I have been learning from almost twenty years. It is definitely a very difficult task coming from a state like Kerala, to build up something what we are trying to do. There is always this hurdle, always this blockade that hits you, and you don’t know what you have to do. You have to find out the right door to move across. It’s not like you sign with a label and you are there. It gets very difficult when you are independent, when you are doing everything by yourself. Within the band, all of us have certain roles, and it becomes this division of creative people, coming together and doing so much together. Everybody’s struggle to get out there speaks for freedom of creativity. We have also come from different social backgrounds. My father worked in a bank, and later retired as an architect. So, we have to tackle all that when we are doing something like curating music on a full-time basis.
Even though our parents and families support us in whatever ways they can, there’s always this element of social obligation that comes to the fore. Achyuth: Our listeners also relate to it. (the struggle) Ashwin: At the end of the day, whatever you are doing, you need to be happy with it.
Kartik: Which conveniently brings me to my next question. When Chai Met Toast identifies itself with ‘The Happy Project’, it focuses on creating music that makes the listener happy. How do you think it impacts your credibility and influence as a band in a Rockstar-world obsessed with romanticising sadness? Ashwin: Funny, funny part! (laughs)
See once you are broken, hope for one day that you will be happy. Life is all about it, is it not? I mean if there are songwriters who are writing about this state of being broken, we are trying to get out of it. Achyuth: I think you can call our music being on the ‘positive’ line. We are looking at the brighter side, even when we are talking about a break-up, for instance. Ashwin: There are a lot of other factors that get into you in the form of anxiety and depression, now that is entirely different. There is another thing. Generally, in music, we do not wish to depend on emotions too much, right? Every emotion has its own set of feelings that it gives out. But think of this: somebody for instance, thought that she would die of cancer, but having worked hard, she comes out of it. She has definitely channelised her positivity in that fight. She discovered herself, and fought it back. So, it’s always greener on the other side, we just have to look at the green from our side, and just go for it.
Image Credits: Saubhagya Saxena or DU Beat
Kartik: In an interview you talked about a school in Kashmir (Haji Public School) wherein your song “Firefly” is now sung by the students in assembly. What was your reaction to this discovery and how great of an achievement do you think it is for you? Achyuth: I think, things like these make what we do, all the more worthwhile. I cannot give it a word, for sure, but the spontaneous reaction to the news was: immensely gratifying. To see our art reaching out and being accepted and loved by people who are like miles away. There have been multiple schools across the country like Patna and Kerala, where students have sung our songs. This is another part that makes our music meaningful. There are no age barriers, our listeners’ ages range from six-year-olds to seventy-year-olds.
Kartik: Please tell us about your upcoming album, tours, and shows. Ashwin: We are working on the album. Pre-production is going on, song-writing is going on. We are trying to figure out when we are going to release it. We are also trying out different things, and experimenting with new elements and instruments. Achyuth: We do not know, as yet, when exactly it will be ready, but it is definitely on the cards. Ashwin: One thing that we know for sure is that we are all very stoked and looking forward to the fun that the process is going to be. Achyuth: As for the shows, we will be playing at three shows in North India this month. We have not played in North India in a while. We have performances in Delhi, Chandigarh, and Jaipur. Tours are still being planned out.
Kartik: How do you like performing in the North Indian states? Ashwin: There is no barrier such as North Indian states. We love performing everywhere. People accept our music, they come and dance, they have a happy time, we have a happy time. Everybody has their own share of happiness, and we just enjoy that whole ground of people singing and dancing. There is no differentiation as such. Achyuth: For us, we are equally happy when we are playing in any part of the country. Anybody who loves music is loved by us.
Kartik: Now that you have a huge following as a band, where do you see yourself in another five years? Achyuth: Hopefully playing outside India as well, I don’t know. Ashwin: To be honest, would love to win a Grammy, but that might be too much to ask for. We would love to play at international festivals, that would be great. Achyuth: Yes, spreading our vibe, now that we have reached many people in the country, and making difference in whatsoever way we can in the larger community.
Kartik: Will we be seeing you anytime soon in some University of Delhi fest? Achyuth: You should be telling us! (laughs) Kartik: We would love to have you! Ashwin: Oh, we would love to play there, as well! It is very mutual.
Feature Image Credits: When Chai Met Toast via Facebook
With Zomato delivery executives in Bengal protesting against the delivery of beef by Hindus and pork by Muslims, we see solidarity against the food delivery giant which finds itself in turmoil.
Another day in our secular country, another attempt made to communalise food on the religious grounds while the entire narrative on twitter shifts into countless debates on eating beef or pork.
However, for the students of the University of Delhi (DU), this opens up an interesting arena of speculation.
The majority of the student body considered animal cruelty as the reason for not eating beef/pork and very few considered religion to be behind this. A student stated, “I am against any sort of animal slaughter done for the sake of greed, taste or nutrition. They are sentient beings that deserve to live and we can survive without eating them.”
To further elaborate this point another student added, “I belong from a rural background, I am aware of the significance of livestock and cattle in shaping the life of village folks. Right from the agricultural activities, with the dung cakes used as fuel to cook food, to the dairy products used in everyday life, cattle form an essential part of their lives. I don’t consider religion to be the reason behind my choice.”
When religion comes into this narrative, the views are conflicting. Most of the students consider it as a matter of personal choice. However, it seems evident that family and upbringing plays an important role in influencing and strengthening one’s views. Some of them term it as a “disgraceful sin”, while others don’t associate themselves with this debate.
Another student came forward with a separate angle on this debate. She said, “It would be good if people try to understand why their religion tells them not to eat beef or pork, the idea behind it might still be relevant.” She further added that eating or not eating any kind of meat is a personal choice as long as one is not enforcing their opinions on others. According to her, if some religious institutions have certain rules about the consumption of meat then it should be followed while one is within the premises of that institution out of respect.
On the other hand, a part of the DU student body is much in the favour of consumption of beef and pork. “If it appeases the taste buds, it goes on top of the favourite food list” says a History student. The consensus either leans towards exploring the various delicacies that meat has to offer or rebelling against the societal diktats. As one student puts it, “I eat pork even though nobody in my family does. It’s my life and nobody can force me to not do something if I want to. I don’t eat beef because I never felt like trying it.”
Growing up it was hard to acknowledge the idea that beef can be eaten and God won’t smite you if you indulge in this practice. It was even harder to understand that people consume beef and it is perfectly normal for them as they are not indoctrinated into the belief that cow is a holy animal, the way I was from the age when my senses were not even fully developed. However, your beliefs and practices cannot be imposed on another person.
Like a rusty coin, with two alternative sides, this debate is going to be here for a long time much to the delight of the debating circuit of the varsity. Till then, I am here with my double-decker beef burger with a side of bacon to see how this whole debate moves forward.
With more than a hundred years of its humble existence, Ramjas College stands tall as one of the most integral and defining colleges of the University of Delhi. Dig in deep to know how Ramjas contributed during the freedom struggle of India and has left its impressions in the history of our country’s independence movement.
Founded by the great educationist and philanthropist, Rai Kedar Nath, Ramjas College, stands mighty, more than a hundred years after it opened its doors to the students. Being one of the oldest colleges of Delhi, it was initially affiliated with University of Punjab, Lahore up to intermediate level.
The college has played greatly when it comes to the independence struggle of India. During the Quit India Movement in the year 1942, a group of students from the college had participated in the Quit India movement and had to face the repercussions from the British. In order to honour their brave spirit, a plaque with their names had been put up in the college in their memory some years later after India attained its Independence.
A part of the plaque reads, “This plaque is being erected in the cherished memory of Ramjasians who valiantly and fearlessly participated in the Quit India Movement-1942 and suffered imprisonment and privatisations.”
A plaque at the Ramjas college which has the names of the students who took part in the independence movement
As a part of oral histories of the college, it is also believed that during the time of the freedom struggle, the famous freedom fighter Chandrashekhar Azad took refuge in the college by disguising himself as a Sikh student from Pakistan.
Two of the college’s students, Ram Bihari Mathur and Saxena have sentenced life imprisonment and were shipped off to the islands of Andaman by the British forces.
The college played a monumental role in education by running in two shifts during the Partition, much like IP College in order to cater to students who came from the Lahore University and had migrated as a result of the partition.
The college was later inaugurated at its new location by Mahatma Gandhi, thereby reinforcing the strong ties of nationalism and patriotism which are associated with the college.
With Dr B.R. Ambedkar as the Chairman of the Governing Body of the college, the institution had the honour of having him on the chair.
Amongst other dignitaries, Dr Rajendra Prasad had inaugurated the current building of the college.
Even after the independence struggle, the college continued to host people from varied political spectrums but with one common goal- of reaching the mission of leading lives with dignity and giving value to human life, no matter what race, colour or background a person might have. This was also emphasised in the late 1950s when the famous black American leader Dr Martin Luther King Junior paid a visit to the college and gave a memorable speech to the students.
As the college ventures into its 103rd year, it continues to be a living legacy which has stood the tests of times and continues to be a leading figure in the sphere of contemporary Indian politics and stands as a major turf for moulding students as leaders of tomorrow.
A look at the expectations of a fresher in the University of Delhi (DU) and the reality which sets in half a month into college.
After the mad scramble of getting a seat after the cut-offs came out settled, and there were a few weeks left until the beginning of life in college. Everyone began cultivating certain expectations from college, how they will fit in, how the culture would be different , how life would change after we got into DU. Two weeks into DU, have these expectations held or did reality turn out to be different?
DU is known nationwide for its academics, and everyone had expectation of a different level of education regardless of where they came from. Jason Patrick Gomes, a resident of West Bengal, and a first-year student at Kirori Mal College says “In Bengal, there is a big hype about the University and it is considered one of the best universities in India. However, expectations are different from the reality, so when I entered the college, the ambience and the crowd was good. After a while, the reality set in. The fans were not working and sometimes we couldn’t even hear teachers. But it’s still good, it’s okay.”
Sehaj Singh, another first-year student from Kirori Mal College expected college to be similar to school. He said, “Unlike schools, there are no compulsions about attending classes, and there is more freedom, you don’t have to attend classes. It’s your choice, you set your own priorities, whether its classes, societies, or maybe just sitting in the library, or working.”
In the university space, there is an air of diversity but also acceptance of everyone. While DU has not met all our expectations, it has thrown some surprises, some pleasant and some not so pleasant one’s.
As many in the country target a community in hatred, read the account of being marginalised and misunderstood in the country’s capital.
It is easy to protest when there are people to answer your slogans. While in Kashmir, I participated in some of the street protests. I protested when my friends got killed and blinded by the ‘non-lethal’ pellet guns. I knew the risks of participating in such gatherings; death, an injury, or a life full of misery. However, I had made peace with such possibilities under the belief that protesting was indispensable to a democracy. I had concluded that this equanimity was justified.
After shifting to Delhi four years ago, I found myself in a different situation. I came across people who knew little to nothing about the Kashmir conflict, and people who thought they knew everything. The latter was more difficult to deal with. Their primary source of knowledge about Kashmir was Bollywood movies and biased news media. I had two options- one, stay quiet and the other was to make them understand what the conflict is all about. I chose the latter.
As a Kashmiri studying in a premier Indian university, I have witnessed the cognitive dissonance of the supposedly intellectual lot of the country. Being a student of journalism, I cannot run away from these discussions. But it has been a daunting struggle to balance my safety and will to speak the truth. I can recall an event of my early days at college when a police officer was baffled to see Urdu on my Aadhar card. To quench his astonishing curiosity, I amicably mentioned that this is how Aadhar cards are in Kashmir. However, I had amplified his suspicion.“Kashmir se hai, phir toh acche se bag check karva” is what he said. Ignorance offers complete impunity to the perpetrators of intolerance.
Repeated shutdowns and curfews forced me to migrate. Delhi was not my first choice. However, I couldn’t get my passport on time because of the ‘thorough’ and slow verification process that only Kashmiris undergo. The conflict followed me to Delhi. I realised that no matter how quiet or non-opinionated I become, I will be attacked for who I am. My survival is a protest in itself. I and various Kashmiri students like me are the educational refugees who have made a decision to leave their homes for an education. Many Kashmiri students, in the past, have been charged with sedition for unjustified reasons. As Kashmiris, our each move is scrutinised, and each action is seen as for or against the state. We brave numerous odds to get an education but then it is our comrades back home who face the worst.
The recent attack in Pulwama unleashed the bigoted ‘reactionary violence’ on our community. A wave of suspensions and xenophobic attacks against Kashmiri students followed. Kashmiris like me who live in various Indian states for a decent education are being attacked on the pretext of supporting the militants in Kashmir. There have been repeated calls for violence against Kashmiris on social media and no action has been taken against the culprits. As a student who has been bearing the brunt of this conflict and the hate that it accompanies, I want peace more than anyone else does but this ‘blood for blood’ attitude will always result in more violence. We must not let this hate consume more blood.
In the end, we are just normal students with our own dreams to achieve. But we cannot afford to let our guard down at a time when our identity and our rights are being trampled upon. A life of normalcy is a distant dream for us but hope for a better future is what keeps us going.
After gaining prominence with his ground breaking reporting on shows like Prime Time, Hum Log, and Ravish Ki Report, NDTV Journalist and Senior Executive Editor, Ravish Kumar was conferred with the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award.
Being one of the five recipients of the 2019 Magsaysay Award, the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize, Kumar has been awarded the prize for “harnessing journalism to give voice to the voiceless” and his “unfaltering commitment to a professional, ethical journalism of the highest standards”.
Other recipients of this year’s Magsaysay include Ko Swe Win of Myanmar, Angkhana Neelapaijit from Thailand, Raymundo Pujante Cayabyab from Philippines, and Kim Jong-Ki from South Korea.
Ravish Kumar, an alumnus of the prestigious University of Delhi is a History Honours graduate from Deshbandhu College. Initially, he was interested in Public Affairs and further pursued a postgraduate diploma in Hindi Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, but dropped out eventually.
In 1996, he became a part of the New Delhi Television Group (NDTV) and rose to the top with his dealing of the common problems on Prime Time and influential reporting of the same criticising the Government and the authority coupled with professional attitude with a fluid explanation of critical issues presenting facts and figures substantially.
Established in 1957, the Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia’s highest honour. It celebrates the memory and leadership example of the third Philippine president after whom the award is named, and is given every year to individuals or organisations in Asia who manifest the same selfless service and transformative influence that ruled the life of the late and beloved leader.
“In electing Ravish Kumar to receive the 2019 Ramon Magsaysay Award, the board of trustees recognizes his unfaltering commitment to a professional, ethical journalism of the highest standards; his moral courage in standing up for truth, integrity, and independence; and his principled belief that it is in giving full and respectful voice to the voiceless, in speaking truth bravely yet soberly to power, that journalism fulfills its noblest aims to advance democracy,” says the citation by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation.
Previously, he has also been awarded the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award twice in the years 2013 and 2017 respectively. He has also won the Red Ink Journalist of the Year Award in 2016. Ravish Kumar is also a celebrated writer, who has authored books like The Free Voice India, Dekhte Rahiye , and Ishq mein Shehar Hona.
The Award will be presented in formal ceremony in Manila, Philippines on 31st August, the birth anniversary of the Philippines President whose ideals inspired the Award’s creation.
The University of Delhi (DU) commenced its new academic session 2019-20 on 20th July 2019, with over 62,000 freshers joining the Varsity this year. Here are a few thoughts, fears, and anxieties that may be numbing the minds of all freshers, and how to cope up with them.
Freshmen hailing from all parts of the country (and some even from outside the country!) have started on their three-year journey with immense zeal and excitement. Apparently, there are a million thoughts flocking in the minds of the new-comers to the Varsity. The diversity in the student composition of the University is immense, and so is in their thoughts. Some possess a desire to shine out in the crowd, while some are willing to remain just the way they are.
But don’t worry, we are here to help! In pursuance of a better understanding of dealing with these thoughts, here are a few things that we did to make ourselves feel comfortable in the same space.
Nostalgia– This is one feeling that has clenched us every time an era has come to an end, and a new phase of life has started. Sometimes, being nostalgic is soothing. But more often, nostalgia is depressive, and restricts our ability to initiate a new start. Kashvi Verma, a first-year student in Political Science at Kirorimal College said, “I’ve been missing school a lot lately! I really didn’t think that would happen because I was too excited for college, but reaching here, I started to miss all the busy work schedules I had in school, all my friends, etc. I felt welcomed in school, but here it’s all so different, suddenly, that it makes me want to go back. But I am trying, to be comfortable with it.”
Coping Mechanism:-
Make new friends from your own batch, they are all on the same page as you, and you are all going to make some ecstatic memories together.
Start getting involved in your college’s societies which will keep you engaged and you will get lesser time to think about how the past made you feel more comfortable. (And believe it, this is all going to settle down in a while, just give it some time, that’s all it needs!)
“I don’t know how to make friends, I’m lonely!”– This feeling need not be stressed over much because everyone has had this coming back to us multiple times for the entire duration of the first semester at least. A lot of times we’ve heard freshmen exclaiming, “What if they (fellow batchmates) judge me for my appearance?”, “Whether I’m impactful enough or not?”, “What if everybody hates me already?” This is something that all of us have struggled with at the beginning of college but we’ve all met the same conclusion, that it will end very soon, and the end is going to be beautiful. Garvit Goswami, a first-year student in Economics at Shri Ram College of Commerce said, “Thankfully, I managed to make quite a few friends on the day of my admission and on the orientation. But if that wouldn’t have happened, I can only imagine how lonely I would have been for the entire first week
Coping Mechanism:
You need not break out of your eggshell right in the beginning, but eventually, when you start feeling a little comfortable and confident you will have to make an effort, too, to be able to interact with the people around you and make a space for yourself in this ‘group’.
Don’t be afraid of being judged, everyone with you is in the same place as you and are entangled in the same thoughts as you.
Be firm and confident about what you are wearing, and how you are behaving.
Have a friendly appearance with a welcoming smile- you will end up making a bunch of friends.
Popularity– Bollywood has definitely created a very misleading impression about college life in its series of “Student of the Year”, “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” and “Main Hoon Na”. And let’s face it, everybody who’s been acing their fields in the micro-world of school, and comes to college thinking that the same will happen in the large world that you’re exposed to in college, actually has their hopes shattered as soon as the auditions and selection process for the co-curricular societies begins in the very first week. But by the time the third semester begins, the unknown ‘fuchchas’ start to make a name in the societies and in academics, and get to establish themselves in the place of their outgoing seniors. “I entered Hindu College as a little baby girl who needed real babysitting from her seniors. I was pissed at the very thought of having to speak to a senior for the smallest of things. Slowly when I started to realise what real college life was and joined the choreography society, I gathered the confidence to bunk classes, hang out with friends and have fun. The transformation from first-year to second-year is immense, and everyone going past this time will experience it for themselves,” said Urzica Chauhan, a second-year student of B.A. Program at Hindu College.
Coping Mechanism:
Join a Society! Societies not only help you polish your soft skills but also help you gain confidence and make a name for yourself.
Try and make friends with the seniors from your department. They’ll help you settle down in the department easily.
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)– Fear of Missing Out, or FOMO as we call it, is the anxiety and stress that almost every new-comer to college experiences. It is the stress of having missed out on seemingly important stuff while acquiring other tasks/goals. Mostly FOMO is linked to tasks/goals that your friends are pursuing. Since they’re different from the ones you are acquiring, you fear that you probably missed out on important and seemingly life-changing opportunities, and thus start to become prey to it.
Coping Mechanism:
Chill out a bit! College has millions of opportunities to offer, and all of them will come your way. It’s okay to have missed out on a few to prioritise the ones you chose in the first place.
You need to imperatively stop comparing yourself with your friends/batch mates. Understand, that they are different people, with different insights and interests, and it is not important that whatever comes your way, also comes their way, and vice versa. At the end of the day, you will have to prioritise yourself, your choices, and your lives over theirs.
With this being said, we hope that all of our readers who are undergoing these pressurising thoughts, will come out of them as stronger, more mature individuals, and be able to face the real world of college with a more courageous instinct.
Here is a note from our Editor summing up the next three years of your life-the rollercoaster ride.
Every year around 55,000 students take admission to the prestigious University of Delhi. Many leave the comfort of their home to pursue their academic goals and become the best version of themselves. Undoubtedly, the University is a breeding ground for personal growth. It is one place which gives you an experience of a lifetime- be it friendships, fun, extracurricular activities, or academics.
Every day you are going to meet a number of people who have different ideas and opinions, who differ from your political and societal views. You might be hesitant in the starting, but as months pass by, you will witness a change within yourself, a change which will make you realise how important inclusivity is. You will gradually empathise with the boy from North-east and his conditions back at home, and also understand the struggles of the girl from Kashmir.
It probably feels great to know that you are no more a child who has to wake up at 6 a.m. every morning, wear that boring school uniform, and go to school. The thought of having the freedom to walk in the college anytime without anyone to question or the freedom to attend classes, party with friends, and shop makes everyone excited. However, one must also realise that this image created by Bollywood will soon be busted. Not always will you have the freedom to walk in, sometimes you will have to reach as early as 8 a.m. for that one important lecture, or will have to sacrifice a get-together plan because you are too broke. All the NCERT books, guides, model test papers, and reference books will soon be replaced with a number of readings, heaps of xeroxed notes, neverending assignments, and ten-year books to study two days before the exam.
The people who you are friends with, or the groups you are a part of, will play a huge part in shaping your personality and character. In the coming months, you will pick and choose many people who you think will stay with you forever, with whom you will have all the fun. But let’s burst this balloon. This is not going to be the case. There will be happy days when all of you will chill and have fun in the cafes of Hudson Lane or Satya Niketan. But not all days bring sunshine, there will be gloomy days also; how you handle it will truly shape you as a person.
There will be situations where your college life will appear to be harsh and unwelcoming. You will experience situations where you will end up feeling that you don’t fit in the cultural space. Trust me, when I joined college, I felt the same. Most people feel the same. You might feel left out. But it is important to understand that every transition brings its own ups and downs. It is slow, gradual, and definitely challenging. And when we talk about the transition which can probably shape your entire career and personality, it is not going to be easy. You might leave the University with a completely transformed version of yourself, but I am sure that version would be a more refinied, responsible, and experienced one.
My advice to each one of you will be to simply invest in yourselves, join societies, question everything, apply for internships, meet new people from different cultural backgrounds, plan night stays and road trips, explore the night life, explore Delhi, and most importantly explore yourself. Choose your friends wisely and you will find your chosen family who will stick by you during the most adventurous and exciting years of your life
Christian D. Larson said, “Believe in yourself and all that you are. know that there is something greater inside you that is greater inside you that is greater than any obstacle.
So, fasten your seatbelts as you embark on the journey of a lifetime!
