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A Love Letter to Girls’ Colleges – The Torchbearers of Feminism

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Gargi, Daulat Ram, Kamala Nehru, Lady Shri Ram, and other girls’ colleges are not just institutions of higher education for women – they are symbols of resilience and strength; they are icons of feminism. 

The role of women’s colleges is to provide a space for women to learn and grow. These safe spaces help us tap into our hidden potential, which had earlier been buried by the heteronormative gender norms present all around us. Women are acutely aware of the baggage that comes with being women. The amount of scrutiny and censure that we go through across our lives is shocking. We are so accustomed, so numb to this omnipresent censorship, that we come to know of its existence only when it has been lifted. When college life began and I came to experience the freedom that came with being in a girls’ college, then and only then did I realise exactly how much I had been stifled by the outside world. Everything from our appearance and clothing, our language and behaviour, our social habits and ways of life, invite intrigue. We are ever so conscious of every aspect of our being and existence simply because we know we are constantly judged for it. Gargi College, Maitreyi College, Daulat Ram College, Miranda House, and every other women’s college out there in Delhi University and across the rest of the country does not just represent a place where women pursue higher education; these colleges act as symbols of strength, attesting to the resilience of women.

When students protested last year in my college, I saw women beating huge drums, chanting slogans and sitting in the sun for hours, without their spirit breaking because they were fighting for a greater cause. I learnt from professors who introduced me to feminist literature and to capitalism’s role in the subjugation of women, who made me write lengthy papers on how women had been relegated to a minor role for centuries. These conversations happen in co-educational institutions of higher education and I am more than certain that most of them do an excellent job talking about the aforementioned issues. But anyone who has set foot in a girls’ college knows that the walls of these colleges hum with the words Gloria Steinem and Mahasweta Devi. Conversation about feminism and gender roles is not limited to the classroom. Society practices, canteen breaks, and casual conversation revolve around topics that are not discussed enough in mainstream media and popular culture.

Another gift that a girls’ college education gave me was the gift of real life idols and heroines. My professors with their deep sense of idealism and duty turned out to be the most admirable of people who command immense respect. There were occasions when I all but wanted to climb on top of my desk and shout “O Captain! My Captain!” because of how fierce these lectures were. College presidents, seniors, classmates all turned into real life idols who constantly served as examples of women who win. Life was one giant Pinterest board coming to life, with both interesting outfit ideas and life-changing quotes being available at the same time.

I have begun to slowly shed the decadent remains of oppressive societal norms and expectations. The environment of a girls’ college was so “woke” and aware that it changed who I was. It told me that my opinion was relevant, that I must not let small things slide by, that every jibe or sexist joke that I ignore and do not call out contributed to a larger cycle of sexism and misogyny. A greater sense of self-esteem and pride came with learning in such a positive environment. As I carried heavy desks or climbed ladders to put up hoardings and banners – tasks which I hadn’t done before because they were traditionally physically challenging tasks automatically assigned to men – I realised how gender norms had limited and caged my potential. The realisation of my physical strength is merely a metaphor for every lesson that I learnt while being in a girls’ college. The idea of certain jobs being done by men and others by women is so deeply ingrained in our culture that we don’t really question it or realise how problematic it is. Recognising gender roles and actively fighting them was another life lesson that college taught me.

But it’s not all fair and sunny in the land of girls’ colleges. These colleges are often targets of various jokes being circulated on DU-related unofficial social media pages. Girls’ colleges are portrayed as gloomy places where the greatest concern that the student body has is the absence of men. Not only do such jokes undermine what these institutions stand for but also try to distill and limit the essence of our college life to the lack of interaction with members of the opposite gender. Ergo, men continue to influence and largely dictate the narrative surrounding our colleges even when they are not part of them. Not only that, recently, certain Facebook pages sharing DU-related content have been circulating problematic posts regarding girls’ colleges. These posts at best reiterate pre-existing negative stereotypes about girls’ colleges and at worst express outright violence, ridicule, and hate. This shows how our colleges are now under the same kind of scrutiny and judgment that we once were. It also tells us that the battle is far from won.

The respite gained by entering these institutions is temporary. The walls of these safe spaces shall not be home to us forever; life will once again go back to being what it once was when we graduate. The fight for gender equality will not be won by creating safe spaces for women in every street and corner. On the contrary, by reclaiming what is ours – the streets and public spaces and parks and libraries and markets – then and only then will we be able to truly live the way we want to. When co-educational colleges start talking about gender as frequently as people in girls’ colleges do, when these discussions do not just involve and concern women, then and only then will we truly be able to live in a free, liberated environment. Then we would not need safe havens from the outside world and the need and idea of educating people on the distinction of gender will die out. Perhaps then, girls’ colleges will lose their relevance, but they would fade out with glory, their contribution to the cause of feminism and in the fight for equality being fundamental.

 

Feature Image Credits: Debating Society of Daulat Ram College

Kinjal Pandey
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DUB Speak

The Other Side to The Story: Are Societies Always Learning Hubs?

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College societies are regarded with huge importance for giving exposure and bridging the gap between academics and fun. But is the end result always worthy of the effort? We probe into the matter.

Three months of time is enough to decrypt the nitty-gritties of college workings and to figure out which societies one wants to prioritise and which one wants to miss. Usually, freshers are told by their beloved seniors that the precursor to a happening and exciting college life is joining multiple societies, something which is baseless and definitely not a necessity. Why is it so, that the reason why Delhi University is so sought after, tantamounts to nothing by the end?

College societies are portals to the real world, they provide the right extent of exposure and push students to pursue their passions positively. While most performing societies work all-year round to put up a successful production or composition, it’s the academic societies that are abundant and pique interest of all students. Academic societies provide a much needed relief to many from hectic practice schedules and offer a platform for like-minded individuals to converse and deliberate on topics that interest them. Oftentimes, these societies are regarded with utmost importance as many conduct several rounds of recruitment and grill interviewees to the core. The international organisation, Enactus, is one such example of an academic society which foresees immense applications and has the potential to drive change through devoted hard work. Therefore, what matters is the effort taken and milestones achieved in terms of experience gained and lives affected.

Unfortunately, from a year’s experience of working in various academic societies, my learning outtake has been next to nil. While Enactus has established itself as a force to reckon with, other similar societies have had mixed responses. The obvious undercurrent for joining a society is almost always CV enhancement, something which ends up irking the very job interviewers it was meant to impress. Learning takes a backseat, and constructive criticism gets lost amid the mindless events churned out. The primary focus shifts to gathering footfall at an inter-college event over encouraging society members to learn from relevant examples. Interested students who joined the society because of the initial good impression, face the brunt and eventually get used to the farce.

It does not matter how many societies one is a part of – what bears fruit is what you learn from your time in one and how you see yourself growing further there. Fancy titles and exclusive posts matter little in front of all the learning that one can gain from discussions and knowledge shared. Exposure demands context; without purpose any society can fall apart. An Entrepreneurship Cell without any members interested in entrepreneurial pursuits is what results in a culture of lackluster learning. Prerequisites like ensuring likes on the Facebook page or forceful volunteerism hamper the effectiveness of this wonderful medium. The number of societies that focus on developing members is definitely rising, but so is the number of societies that solely aim to organise a few events the entire year and call it a day. A shift from the growing CV culture to knowledge-sharing can happen only if the person is in a position acknowledge this and members are willing to change from years of established patterns.

 

Feature Image Credits: Kuulpeeps.com

Vijeata Balani

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Events

Shri Ram College of Commerce Organises Youth Conference 2017

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With the theme “Bridges not Boundaries”, Shri Ram College of Commerce held the sixth edition of the annual Youth Conference on the 22nd and 23rd of September 2017. The two-day event saw a confluence of distinguished personalities from the fields of politics, cinema, music, and comedy.

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Day 1 kicked off with a with a lamp lighting ceremony by the Guest of Honour, General V.K. Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs. In her brief address, Professor Simrit Kaur, Principal of Shri Ram College of Commerce, thanked the sponsors, attendees, and speakers for participating in the conference and hoped for the enriching two-day extravaganza. General V.K. Singh spoke candidly about his early days in the army, power of entrepreneurship, and his transition from military to politics. “Confidence between the men and the officer wins wars. Be it an insurgency operation or a full-front war, the moment your team loses trust in each other, that moment you lose,” he said, asserting the need for teamwork. When asked about the difference between working in the army versus working in politics, he answered, “In the army you know who the enemy is, but in politics you don’t.”

The second speaker of the day was former Miss India, social activist, entrepreneur, and actress, Gul Panag. In a highly interactive session, she shared stories about her modeling career, education, aviation dreams, and her tryst with public speaking that started in Patiyala Government College and remains till date. She also invited a fan, who was named Gul after her, on the stage.

The second half of the day resumed with the coming of Aranya Johar, a Mumbai-based poet who recently came to limelight with her poems such as “A Brown Girl’s Guide to Beauty” and “A Brown Girl’s Guide to Discrimination”. She highlighted the misconceptions people have regarding feminism. She explained that feminism is not only about women but is also for men who are suppressed by the patriarchal conventions of the society. She also recited the aforementioned poems to the audience before ending her speech.

The ebullient crowd finally witnessed the much awaited speaker Usha Uthup. The legendary singer was humorous as ever from the minute she got onto the stage. She talked about her personal life, reminiscing her childhood days. It was only a matter of time before she started singing, bringing the auditorium to life. The crowd erupted in applause as she sang one song after the other. From “Skyfall” to “Kolaveri Di”, claps and cheers were all that could be heard inside the hall. Gurcharan Das, author, public intellect, and former CEO of Procter & Gamble, happened to arrive while Usha Uthup was still performing. He talked about how to find one’s passion and also shared a story addressing that the right attitude is essential for organisational success. He quoted “We learn how to make a living. We must know how to make a life.”

The day ended in disappointment after Mohit Chauhan did not arrive even after a long wait of more than two hours. To make do for his absence, a singing competition was organised, followed by performances by individuals and the music society of the college. It was later announced that Mohit Chauhan would come the next day instead. Delhi’s rains could not deter students of various colleges from turning up at SRCC Youth Conference’s second day. The auditorium was bustling with energy of the students. The first speaker, Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Aviation arrived in the auditorium with the Principal of the college, Simrat Kaur. He was felicitated and then rose to address the audience. He emphasised that the students of today are the leaders of change for the future. He said that the three complicated problems that these world leaders will have to solve are – global warming, shortage of natural resources, and urbanisation in a way that quality of life is ensured in all cities and villages. During the question-answer round, he descended from the stage to talk to the students one-on-one. He enthusiastically answered all the questions and even quoted John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your country has done for you but what you can do for your country.” He wants Indians to work for their own country rather than other countries where they go to study and settle down. He ended by teaching the students to dream big and think global.

Rega Jha, the Editor-in-Chief of BuzzFeed India, arrived at the venue clad in a bright yellow jumpsuit exuding energy. She started her speech by asking the audience if anybody had said anything really dumb on the Internet and to everyone’s surprise, the entire audience had done that. She narrated her own instances from the past of being trolled. While laughing, she commented that our generation has said the dumbest things on the Internet in history. She talked about Mira Rajput being trolled for her motherhood statement and none of the people trying to teach her in a courteous manner, and how the new song ‘Bol Na Aunty Aau Kya’ is immensely sexist, validates rape culture, and is simply obnoxious. People have gotten into the habit of calling out people online for something they had said ages ago. While interacting with the students, she said that nobody should be called a ‘Nazi’ in reference to terms like ‘grammar-nazi’ or femi-nazis’.  Before leaving, she taught everyone that one should be accepting of people changing and evolving because people’s perspectives change every day. She also stated that we shouldn’t make fun of people with weak English.

The next speaker was the most awaited guest, Mohit Chauhan. He was welcomed into the auditorium with claps and hoots by the students. He started his speech by saying that he didn’t think much of himself as a speaker and that speaking gives him jitters. He introduced the audience to his childhood living in Dharamshala, Kullu and such hill stations, how music took over his soul from a young age and how he would camp alone in the hills for peace and creativity. He told the youngsters that he chose science stream as he was a fine student and he went on to study B.Sc. and M.Sc. hoping to get a decent job hailing from a family of bureaucrats but deep down he wanted to make something of his own. He talked about meeting A.R. Rahman in November, 1998 in Delhi, hoping to work in Bombay soon but actually got a call to sing for the movie Rang De Basanti after 6 long years. His quote that touched the students was, “You don’t realise you are working hard when you are working with passion”. The audience roared when he finally picked up the guitar to sing ‘Dooba Dooba Rehta Hu’ and ‘Tumse Hi’ of Jab We Met while the students sang along. After the students’ chant of ‘Sadda Haq’, Mohit Chauhan relented and sang it for the eager audience at the end of which the auditorium reverberated with the thunderous claps and the singer left behind a chirpy audience.

dsc_3507The last speaker before the lunch break was Bimal Jalan, who has been in the advisory committee of the government, been the Chief Economic Advisor, and the Governor of RBI twice. In his speech, he talked about the cyclical movement of the economy, India’s literacy rate, incentives, the complex system of administration, rural development, UPSC’s selection criteria of candidates, India’s economy, and poverty. He jokingly mentioned in the answer to a question that he wouldn’t have approved of demonetisation but what could one do after the government had announced it, except simply follow it. Before leaving he said that a reform that this generation has to do is make better roads in Delhi as he was stuck in traffic for an hour and a half. The students then proceeded to lunch.

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The second session  of the Youth Conference resumed around 2:30pm. The energy of the audience was still pumped up to the zenith level of their enthusiasm to welcome the subsequent speakers. The session kicked off with Rajeev Shukla, Chairman of IPL and a journalist. “There can be personal differences but there is no space for personal rivalry in politics,” he said. He talked about his career in journalism and narrated how he grew close to politics and the Indian National Congress. He advised the students to try different things in life and take rational decisions. The next speaker in the pipeline was Sudhir Mishra, an Indian film director and screenwriter known for directing critically acclaimed movies like Hazaro Khwaish Aisi, Dharvi, and Chameli. He is a graduate of the University of Delhi and has three national award under his belt. The session with him was extremely humorous and entertaining. He urged the people to pursue what they love.

Karan Thapar, the next speaker, said, “When you look at me, don’t look at my religion. I am an individual first. If you see me as a member of a religion, you see a blur. But that’s not me. That’s not my identity. I am me because I have an individuality.” He was very concerned about the rising intolerance in the country and addressed the audience with very balanced views which pushed the students into contemplation. An engineering drop out, singer, and composer, Siddharth Slathia who is well known for singing the cover version of ‘Tum Hi Ho’ staged an enchanting performance at the SRCC Youth Conference. Talking about his career he said, “You may not be the most talented person but you can be the most hardworking person”. He took the audience back to the retro times and the crowd swayed to his melodious voice and rocking songs.

The pumped up crowd finally witnessed the much awaited performance of Zakir Khan. The walls of the auditorium reverberated with the chants of ‘Zakir Zakir’ when he entered. The audience got on the top of their enthusiasm when he started  delivering his signature jokes which gave a perfect closure to the conference.

SRCC Youth Conference 2017 was a full-on extravaganza that left its audience stunned!

 

Image Credits: Sahil Chauhan, Hemant Goyal, and P.V. Purnima for DU Beat

Niharika Dabral
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Karan Singhania
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Prachi Mehra
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Sandeep Samal
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DUB Speak

Hegemony in College Elections

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What are the factors affecting college elections and how they put the average student with political aspirations at a disadvantage?

It is important to keep in mind that student life and the functioning of a college is largely influenced by the elected student representatives.  These members wield immense power over the day-to-day functioning of the college. They have an essential say in everything ranging from the cultural events to be organized, the fests, facilities offered to students and more. For a lot of students, this is an opportunity to actively participate in student governance, and have a say in how the administration runs. It is important to keep into account that in politics, the beam always tilts heavily towards the side that has money, muscle power and influence at its disposal.

And while it would have been naïve to assume that college elections in the University of Delhi (DU) are free from these influences, the extent of power these factors exert is shocking.

1) Hostellers vs Day scholars                                                                               

It seems that in the College union elections, the beam always tilts heavily towards hostellers. Student’s studying in DU College’s that have both a hostel and elected students union know that in most cases, as far as elections are concerned, hostellers are at an added advantage. They have the benefit of not just being physically present on the campus at all times which allows them to contribute effectively and easily for the college welfare but also gain traction over scholars over the same. The fact that they are present in college at all times allows them to participate more actively in college activities. Hosteller’s also had a closely knit network and support group which opens up more avenues for them. The relevance of being a hosteller is particularly more in college’s that are not affiliated to DUSU, since this reduces the influence of political groups. Sanchita from the Daulat Ram College Hostel says “ day scholars are at a disadvantage because they can’t be present on campus 24*7. Hostellers are more available during fest season and other events which puts them at an advantage”

2) Student political groups

Another major factor influencing college elections is the association with parent parties and organizations that help create background support. Recently Chattra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti, Aam Aadmi Party’s student wing won 25 seats out of the 28 seats it fielded its candidates on, across DU. ABVP and NSUI are key players in these elections. A lot of support from parent parties is covert and goes into the background. Building traction, getting contacts, organizational support during the campaigning period are all ways in which these parties contribute and influence college elections. While this kind of backing may not be very public and may seem irrelevant, it ends up influencing elections in a major way. It is especially relevant in Delhi University Student’s Union (DUSU) affiliated colleges, where student political groups help leaders in their campaign to win college elections and subsequently these students help them in DUSU elections. It is a symbiotic relationship that benefits both the parties into gaining supporters.

3) Regional sentiment

Regional sentiment plays a significant role in these elections. A student belonging to a particular region is more likely to support a candidate from the same place.  Not just that the idea of community and regional pride runs deep in the conscience of the majority. Recently a video was seen on social media which showed the celebrations post the victory of Shivam Bhadana as the President of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College Morning. The victory was seen as not just the candidate’s but also his community’s, it seemed. Statements like #GurjarPower and “Gurjar is king “could be seen in the comments section, which showed how relevant community lines are for a lot of voters. Student politics does not exist in isolation and the kind of regional sentiment that is central in all aspects of national politics, cannot miraculously be absent from universities. A source from KMC that chose to stay anonymous says “This regional idea is very internal, it’s not really broadcasted with people saying things like- we are from Haryana or we are from UP, but it’s there and it has a big role to play”.

4) Wealth 

A bevy of SUVs, music, crackers to celebrate victory and the occasional brightly coloured sports car is a frequent sight at off-campus colleges during election season. Candidates charm voters by their army of loyal supporters, their flashy automobiles and the slogans, drums, and claps that accompany them, each attesting to their popularity and influence. These shiny toys come with a shock value and they provide the student body all the more reasons to talk about the candidate. It is an effective way to generate interest and grab eyeballs. To add to that election costs include the cost of posters, hoardings, pamphlets and more. These banners and hoardings are ripped out and damaged by rival candidates and their supporters and need to be replaced regularly. These additional costs that come with contesting and winning elections acts as a barrier that filters out the majority of students. It is a primary reason why student unions’ are not as effective as they ideally should be. These candidates, with wealth and resources at their disposal, may not always be able to comprehend and relate to the struggles of the average student, which makes them ineffective as leaders. Students with an active interest in politics and a desire to contribute to change are dissuaded from pursuing it because more often than not, these factors passively work against them. A lot of debate has been going about around the idea that student politics has somehow lost its relevance. Student politics has not and will not lose its relevance but it has become ineffective and the marginal benefits gained from it are continuously decreasing. The first step to making it more effective would be realising how it has become an elite institution which heavily favours a small group of students, where everybody does not stand an equal chance. Once this insight is present in the student body at large, they will be less likely to fall prey to tried-and-tested election campaigning tricks and this would allow more dedicated students with political aspirations to pursue their goals.

 

Feature image credits: Facebook page of Shivam Bhadana

Kinjal Pandey

[email protected]

 

 

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DUB Speak

The DU Political Game: for few or for all?

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Known as one of the largest student elections in the country, but the question remains; are they representative of all the students who cast their vote, or is it just a game of political dominance with a handful of players participating each time?

Beginning from a sociological point of view, it is imperative to state that the caste system forms the foundation of Hinduism. Its ubiquity can be guaranteed from the simple fact that its absence from any of the aspects of life will lead to the collapse of the religion as a whole. In recent years, it has successfully made its way into student politics.
Be it the power of a temple in the state of Uttar Pradesh, or the presence of students belonging to aspiring minority communities in bulk in the University of Delhi (DU); caste as an entity has struck at every rung of the political system.

With the nearing Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) election day , parties are leaving no stone unturned to establish their presence in every DU student’s life by featuring life size posters boasting of the names of the contesting candidates . However, if observed carefully, one can conclude (like I have), that almost all the candidates belong to either the same community or different communities within the same region; predominantly the Jats, the Gujjars and the Yadavs. Hence, caste becomes an overarching term bringing region into its fold as well; in this case, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

This practice becomes evident through the composition of major student wings such as the ABVP (Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad) of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) and the NSUI (National Students’ Union of India) of the ‘INC (ndian National Congress) . When I consider the range of DUSU elections all over the country, I do not find any candidate from down South, the East, or the North-East. The northern region remains centripetal not just for the monetary and muscle factors, but also for the empathy factor that works in the undercurrent.

Taking into account the statistics of elections conducted in the last couple of years, it has been observed that the candidates elected for the post of president have belonged to either of the communities. For example, Amit Tanwar, the outgoing President from ABVP belongs to the Jat community. There were others such as Arun Hooda and Ajay Chhikara from NSUI, and Mohit Nagar from ABVP.

Apart from the ABVP and NSUI, who usually grab the ballots’ limelight; minor parties such as INSO (Indian National Students Organization) and CYSS (Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti), the student wing of the AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) too invest in candidates from these communities so as to gain impetus. AISA (All India Students Association), the student wing of CPI (ML) (the Communist Party of India’-(Marxist Leninst) ) mostly banks on female candidates for its premier posts.

With another round of elections coming up this year, while nothing can be ascertained until the declaration of results, some things form the norm! But, for more, we will have to wait for the big day!

Feature Image Credits: Indian Express

Shrija Ganguly
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Aryabhatta College

Resolution to Affiliate with DUSU Fails in Aryabhatta College

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On 1st September 2017, a referendum titled “Should Aryabhatta College be affiliated to Delhi University Student’s Union (DUSU)?” was held. The students of Aryabhatta College voted for the motion. Out of the 733 votes that were polled, 583 were for the motion, 140 against the motion, and 10 votes were regarded as invalid. The DUSU Constitution requires an absolute majority of the total number of students to support the motion for affiliation. As per clause 6(ii) of the DUSU Constitution, “Students of a College/Institution may become members of the Union by a resolution passed by absolute majority of the total number of students on rolls of the College/Institution concerned on the last working day of July of that year”. So even if most of the students voted in favour of being affiliated with DUSU, since a majority of the collective student body did not turn up for the polling, the resolution failed.

A strong reason for the less-than-ideal turnout could be because the 31st of August was a holiday in most colleges due to the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) elections. The vote was scheduled on the 1st of September, with 2nd September being a Saturday and the 3rd being a Sunday. If students skipped college on 1st, they would end up having a four-day weekend. Some students believe that the college authorities had intentionally scheduled the voting on a date that would result in a low turnout. Yashank Bhutani, a third-year B.Com student from Aryabhatta College, said, “I think that this was a perfect plan made by our college authorities to get rid of DUSU from our college. As per the referendum schedule, 31st was the DUTA elections, 1st was the day of referendum, and the following days were Saturday and Sunday. College authorities knew well that students won’t turn up on this day due to which we got the following results. The main incentive behind not allowing DUSU in our college is that the authorities will form a dictatorship where teachers would rule like in a school.”

Being associated with DUSU for a lot of colleges means being involved with student politics and activism at a greater level. While DUSU does not come without its own baggage, it is undeniable that it plays a highly relevant role in shaping college life for a lot of institutions. DUSU affiliation means access to a platform to air one’s grievances, access to better fests and cultural events, and a the prospect of engaging on a wide platform of student politics.

In response to the failed referendum, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which is currently in power in DUSU, alleged that the referendum was illegal on the grounds that voting in DUSU elections had been happening in the college when it was Ram Lal Anand Evening College until a few years ago.

 

 

Feature Image Credits: Edunuts

Kinjal Pandey
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Arts & Culture

Vayam Performing Arts Society Conducts ‘The White Saree’

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Vayam started off as the theatre society of Shivaji College, University of Delhi in 2006 when a handful of like-minded and creative students decided to form a dramatics society in their college. The society that was formed on the ideals of unity, togetherness, and creativity, grew bigger and better by each passing year. Gradually, Vayam started making a mark in the DU theatre circuit by winning many laurels and praises. Today, the organisation has ventured into the era of performing arts and boasts of a strong foothold in Mumbai and Delhi with several professional performances under its credit.

With a total of 26 proscenium and street plays based on various social issues that have won many accolades on competitive and non-competitive platforms across India including National School of Drama, National Centre for Performing Arts, Prithvi Theatre, Jana Natya Manch, Kamani, Sirifort, India Habitat Center, Shri Ram Centre, Sahitya Kala Parishad, FICCI Auditorium, Hindi Sahitya Academy (Indore), IIT-Delhi, IIT-Bombay, IIT-Kanpur, IIM-Ahmedabad, and the like, Vayam is constantly growing. The society comprises of a group of hardworking, talented, and driven individuals consisting of actors, directors, scriptwriters, technicians, and working professionals.

This year’s production, ‘The White Saree’, has been a remarkable achievement for our team here at Vayam. It was scripted, designed, and directed by Amit Tiwari. Aishwarya Hasija was the Assistant Director while Damini and Gaurashree were the choreographers for the performance. The play venued at LTG Auditorium on a Sunday evening with a full house, an enthusiastic cast, and an energetic team. The drama unfolded the many glitches of society, including the society’s hunger to influence the decisions of a woman regarding her wishes, needs, and desires. The play chose to express its emotions in the form of a musical dance drama, an amalgamation that awed the audience with a gush of different emotions that could be felt as the play progressed. The central plot was about a woman’s dilemma about her own feelings and her deepest and darkest desires. It cast light upon how women are under obligations of maintaining the supposed ‘dignity’ of the society, thus in the process killing their own progress along with the loss of self-love.

‘The White Saree’ is a production that is bound to challenge viewers’ mindsets and societal norms. It is a play which provokes a series of thoughts on issues such as love, stress, and relationships and how the society inclines to perceive these relationships. The performance of this acclaimed production at LTG Auditorium on Sunday, August 27, 2017 saw a healthy turnout of the audience from different walks of life. The play rendered an extended portrayal of the vicious cycle of societal judgement, regret, depression, and a feeling of self consciousness guided by the convention of the mass. The drama laid emphasis on the many decisions that women have to make each day in the hope that none of them defy the standard of the society. It proceeded to raise relevant issues on sexual orientation, desires, and dreams of a woman that are butchered by the people as the story progresses. The audience could be seen experiencing different emotions of love, compassion, sorrow, and regret throughout the performance. The superlative direction and powerful script kept the audience glued to the scenes on stage. The experienced cast and crew of ‘The White Saree’ delivered a memorable performance which was praised by the viewers, senior team members, and the management alike. Also, Love in Frames was present at the venue to cover the event. In summary, the event turned out to be a success for the organisation as promotion of theatre and social service were well accomplished by the dedicated team of Vayam Performing Arts Society.

Rahul Garg: +91 9873 889 919
Amit Tiwari: +91 9718 358 345
Rahul Saini: +91 9968 997 049

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DUB Speak

Past DUSU Presidents and where are they now?

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The Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) elections are one of the most important elections at the college level. Most of the DUSU presidents have gone ahead to make a significant mark in the field of national politics. Some examples of such leaders would be Arun Jaitley, Ajay Maken, Vijay Goel, Vijay Jolly, Alka Lamba etc. Thus being a DUSU president is one of the most lucrative posts that one can achieve at such an early stage of politics. Our country desperately needs the passion, vigour and zest of these young politicians.

With the approaching DUSU Elections, let’s have a look at what are the past DUSU presidents up to in their present lives.

  • Mohit Nagar

Mohit Nagar was the President of Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) in the year 2014-15. He belongs to Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).  He did his B.Com and M.com from Shyam Lal Anand College, University of Delhi. Currently, he is pursuing L.L.B from Law Faculty, University of Delhi and is in his first year and plans to practice law in future. He is also the Organising Secretary at Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad at present (ABVP).

  • Satendar Awana

Satender Awana was the president of Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) in the year 2015-16. He belongs to Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). He is currently the head of the Delhi University unit of ABVP and intends to pursue law as a career in future.

  • Ajay Chhikara 

He was the DUSU President for the year 2011-12. His tenure ended in September 2012 and by December 2012 he was appointed as the National Secretary, NSUI. He was also the made the Chandigarh Incharge, where NSUI won the Punjab University elections for the first time. He also worked in Amethi on Rahul Gandhi’s campaign during the Lok Sabha elections. He was later promoted to National General Secretary, NSUI. He was also made Punjab In charge during assembly elections where NSUI had a successful hold. He completed his law degree in 2012 and now actively pursues law along with politics. He also worked with the assistant Advocate General in the Supreme Court. His life is thriving both in personal and professional terms and he regards his one-year-old daughter Aavya as his lucky charm.

  • Arun Hooda 

He had an unconventional start as compared to most other DUSU Presidents. He pursued engineering and worked as an engineer for a while. Then he cleared SSC and worked for the Indian Air Force for a while. After withdrawing from the Air Force he joined the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Law.  He was the DUSU President from 2012-13.  He is the Observer Incharge of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee. He has politically been active in Haryana and was one of the finalist’s for the post of NSUI National President. He practices in the Tees Hazari Court and Delhi High court as a lawyer. Along with an engineering degree, he has an LLB degree along with another in Forensics. He is also pursuing LLM from the faculty of law.

  • Nupur Sharma 

She was the DUSU President from 2008-09. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (Hons.) from Hindu College. When she won the DUSU election representing ABVP, many were shocked. Until her victory, DUSU was a NSUI stronghold. In fact, the remaining three posts in her union were won by NSUI. She went on to pursue a master’s in economics from the London School of Economics. She is an official spokesperson for the Bharatiya Janata Party and contested the 2015 Lok Sabha elections from the New Delhi constituency against Arvind Kejriwal.

 

Image Credits -The Indian Express

Anukriti Mishra

[email protected]

Kinjal Pandey

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Arts & Culture

Anuja Chauhan Visits Gargi, St. Stephen’s, and Miranda House for ‘Baaz’ Promotions

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The Indian writer Anuja Chauhan visited the University of Delhi campus to endorse her new publication, Baaz, on 25th August, 2017. Her three-tier book tour encompassed stops at Gargi College, St. Stephen’s College, and Miranda House.

The day started off from Gargi College at 12:30 p.m. She was welcomed enthusiastically at one of Gargi’s lecture halls by the English Department teachers and students. Ms. Chauhan was introduced as the renowned author of Those Pricey Thakur Sister, The House that BJ Built, and The Zoya Factor, and the winner of various accolades. Followed by the introduction, the author read an excerpt from her new book with all the rhetorical expressions and dramatics including on the Hindi dialogues. The author walked down the memory lane and reminisced of her school days, the fun of an army childhood, her Miranda House memories, and giving advertising a try as a job because it helped her to write which is what she always wanted to do. She confessed that she chose Economics for ‘keeping her options open’ as was the trend those days and being job-oriented unlike the ‘career-oriented’ kids these days.

Ms. Chauhan emphasised that she didn’t release her book, whose story revolves around an Air Force guy, at this time when there is a wave a nationalism in the country, but it usually takes a year or two for her to complete a book. This was followed by an interactive question-answer round where she expressed her dislike for Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice for the message it proffers. She commented that ‘creative artists should only create and not give their political opinions’ in lieu of her contemporaries. At the end of the discussion, she let her fans buy their copies and signed each one’s copy. Everybody left happy from the book discussion and she for her next destination, St. Stephen’s College.

Ms. Chauhan has incorporated the Stephanian persona in most of her characters like Ishaan from Baaz and Dylan in Those Pricey Thakur Girls. She spoke to the crowd about this, saying that most of her family members, including her husband and daughter, went to St. Stephen’s and this provided her with a familiar attribute that could be assimilated into her novels. She spoke of Baaz and explained how she related to the protagonist Ishaan in the Air India Force due to her much similar army childhood background. She also justified why she decided to kill off Ishaan (yikes!), saying “A happy ending doesn’t necessarily mean a glorious one and even if you do think it is necessary for a glorious ending, I think Ishaan had his fair share of glory. And it is also necessary for a light reading to have an undertone of dark narratives, similarly how the brightest lights also bear the darkest shadows.”

Like Baaz, she also mentioned that most of her other works were partially autobiographical because they were a product of much of the things she had experienced in life. There was a question and answer round that followed where she answered the queries of all the zealous fans, with witty and chuckle-some responses. This was followed by a round of photographs with the fans and an interview for the English Literary Society Journal. Next, she headed to her alma mater, Miranda House.

Chauhan’s experience at Miranda House was memorable. She walked around campus and took pictures with the iconic red brick walls. She happened to pass by the classrooms she sat in, and remembered the time when she flunked her Microeconomics paper back in the first year. Before heading to the venue for the talk, she stopped by the canteen and sampled the good ol’ samosas which she remembers gorging on during her days as a student. Her talk with the students was an interactive session where she answered questions about her life in Miranda House, her memories of North Campus, her career as an advertiser to an author, and her story characters that have been picked up from her life. She then went on to talking about how authors should not be labelled, as she has often been labelled as a ‘chick lit’ author. She went on to say that as an author, if one is labelled then they are not able to expand their writing genre, that is why Baaz was a masculine addition to the stories she wrote about women in Those Pricey Thakur Girls series and The Zoya Factor. Anuja Chauhan also placed great emphasis on the importance of strong female protagonists in all her books, each of them, being people whom she has encountered in her own life. The session went on with laughs, smiles, and candid secrets about her life. Everyone was completely enamoured by Anuja Chauhan’s exuding charm and grace (along with the very quirky outfit!). The session ended with a lot of chatter, book signings, and pictures. As she walked towards the gate to return, she again walked by those corridors and those lawns, which signify innumerable memories she created in those ‘red brick walls’.

SONY DSC
SONY DSC

 

Feature Image Credits: P.V. Purnima for DU Beat

 

Trishala Dutta 

[email protected]

Prachi Mehra

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Rashim Bagga

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Joyee Bhattacharya

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Uncategorized

Internship work profiles

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Being a Delhi University student offers ample opportunities for internships that aren’t limited to what you study during your degree. Certain options are common, irrespective of streams. A look at what entails popular internship job profiles.

 

It can seem very daunting to find yourself being idle in college. Somehow, everyone but yourself seems to be bustling with things like society, internships, or a social life (gasp). With the internet, however, it has become easier to navigate through two of the above. Having seen people around me successfully engage in one of those two things, I feel like I have ample information on the most popular internship jobs, skills required for them, their exposure, and so on. Here’s a brief:

Content Writing

First things first, content is pronounced like the “co” in “coffee”, it seems. That’s definitely something you should know about content writing. It’s usually a work from home job that pays per rupees 100/n number of words or articles you write. The pay mostly ranges from 2,000-4,000 rupees a month, fluctuations depending on the work you do and its frequency. A flair for writing, knowing your audience and appealing to them, as well as creativity are the essential skills.

Campus Ambassadors

Bonus: This is something that you can say you do to sound important to your equally clueless friends/family/somewhat-clue-having Sharma ji. Big companies, event organisers, and new companies launching a product recruit Campus Ambassadors in order to spread information about their product or event, through means such as word of mouth and social media. The pay ranges, depending upon the popularity of the company and your performance (like sales or registrations). Payment in kind is also done via vouchers for products or free samples, or future long-term association with the company. Good communication and social media skills are the core skills required.

Teaching/Volunteering With Charity Organisations

You’ll be surprised and slightly happier with the world to realise how many wonderful organisations are working for societal betterment. Teaching the underprivileged is a big part, where elementary education is given out by helping with reading and maths. Non-Governmental Organisations also have jobs like the ones mentioned above as well fundraising, marketing, web design, and so on. As the name suggests, it is mostly unpaid with provision of certificates but the satisfaction gained from making a small change is what draws volunteers to it.

Social Media Marketing

Put your obsession with memes and putting up those story status things to an actual use! Similar to the work, remuneration and skills required of a Campus Ambassador, this is mainly of the work-from-home kind and it helps if you have an influential presence (so not your best friends liking all your posts) and knowledge of social media to create eye-catching stories, captions for events that result in mass participation.

Web Designer

While this isn’t limited to a degree, it requires specific skills like knowledge related to Coding, Programming, CSS and Java among others. Knowledge of extremely fun-sounding tasks like Data Interpretation and Analysis is usually required. Pay ranges from 3,000-6,000 rupees a month and both full-time and part-time options are available.

 

Image Credits: DU Beat

Rishika Singh

[email protected]

 

 

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