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Autobiography of an Election Flyer

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This is a real account of an election campaign flyer, its journey and observations

Fresh off the print, I and other flyers were stacked up in the morning. A few hours later, some of my brothers were stuck on the campus walls while others like me were kept to be distributed to the inhabitants of this world called the University of Delhi. We all have the same cliched font style. One might say we lack individuality. The only thing that is different is a label, I belong to the family of NSUI while my fellow flyers are put under the labels of ABVP and AISA. AISA guys are the poorer folks of the lot, their paper quality is cheap. ABVP and I are similar in social standing and almost the same in numbers.

So, as the sun got warmer in the day, some of the bearded political leaders/goons (they are looked at differently by different factions) went around and handed me over to a reluctant first-year student in a random North Campus college. My handler said “Vote for NSUI” in an intimidating voice and the fresher had no option but to accept me. The next instant, the procession of the Aviator glasses and marigold garland wearing youth politicians walked away; the fresher just threw me on the ground and resumed his business. He has joined this college to study and socialise. All this political business is no business for him.

As I lay on the ground, I saw a fellow ABVP brother flyer and an AISA sister. The latter called me a gunda and I replied using the best comeback in Hindi language ‘Jo bolta hai wo hi hota hai’. Then we all engaged in an intense shouting match, complete with threats and blame games. The ABVP flyer lost his cool to such an extent that he said if he had hands, he would have even slapped the AISA flyer. It ended up in awkward silence and I flew away to the canteen.

In the canteen, a kind old uncle took me and folded me like a fifth grader’s origami project. I got stained by oil as he wrapped me around a couple of samosas. I got a glimpse of this canteen world and it looked like a safe haven. This is the umbrella under which all groups take shelter, whether it be the pseudo-intellectuals, the goons, the nerds. or the good for nothing vellas. The girl who took me ate the samosas and threw me on the canteen floor even though a big dustbin was right in front of her. How much effort does it take to put me in the dustbin? Well anyway, that means more freedom for me.

So, I flew and I flew until I came on a sidewalk near the college gate. The passers-by were all staring at the motorcade of Scorpios adorned with NSUI and ABVP stickers. The party members and campaigners were perched on the hood of the moving cars. It all seemed like an updated version of the ‘Kiki challenge’. Then in a fit of excitement, they clenched several party flyers and cards in their fists and let them all loose on the crowded road. When the big muscled men and the big muscled cars departed from the road, the gravelled tar path was littered, or in a sense adorned, with hundreds of election flyers strew here and there. So much for Swach Bharat!

I was asleep for a few minutes so I did not realise when I ended up in this e-rickshaw. Some students in the vehicle are talking amongst themselves about a certain judgement day on 12th September. I am eager to know what will happen on this day. I hope that I am not stepped over or torn into shreds by then.

Feature Image Credits: Daily Mail

Shaurya Singh Thapa

[email protected]

 

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Kawalpreet Kaur attacked: Alleges Involvement of ABVP

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Kawalpreet Kaur, President of AISA was allegedly attacked on Friday in front of Kirori Mal College. DU Beat brings you a report on the incident.

In a Facebook post, Kawalpreet Kaur, the President of All India Student’s Association (AISA) at University of Delhi (DU) alleged that she had been attacked by the students of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in front of the hostel gate of the Kirori Mal College (KMC). She alleged that she, along with two of her friends, had gone to KMC for meeting a professor, where she was followed by a group of four people who “constantly abused” her. “It made me feel very humiliated and provoked me so much that my natural response was to slap him which I did. Immediately, without losing a second, the guy slapped me so tightly that I lost my balance for seconds and I had tears in my eyes,” Ms. Kaur said in her post. Her friend, Dhiraj Kumar, a Research Scholar at Ambedkar University, chased after the person who slapped her and was then assaulted by 12-15 people from the ABVP, the post mentioned.

DU Beat contacted Mr. Kumar, who had returned from the hospital after undergoing an X-ray test. “We were humiliated by two people from ABVP. When I saw that the guy who had slapped Kawal, was running away after slapping her, I started screaming that he had slapped a girl and ran away. The KMC guards who were there did not stop him and the guy escaped. I followed the guy and I saw around five ABVP people who accused me of chanting slogans like “Hindustan Murdabad”, when I denied them. They started beating me and they beat me a lot. They were trying to drag me outside the college but I tried to not come out. Around 15-20 people started to beat me up. Then, two people got hold of my legs and dragged me outside. The guards waiting did not even help me. In fact, they demanded I show them my ID,” Mr. Kumar told us.

“Finally, a teacher saw me from a rickshaw and controlled the people beating me. Then I quickly got into the college and the beating stopped. And I told the professor what happened. Later the police took me to the hospital and I was in the hospital for around 5-6 hours,” Mr. Kumar added.

Kawalpreet Kaur later filed a complaint against the incident in the Maurice Nagar Police station. In a Facebook post, she also named two people who she claimed were among the attackers, Sandeep Sharma, a first year B.A. honours student at KMC and Mohit Dahiya, the President of the KMC unit of ABVP.   

Counter allegations from ABVP 

When DU Beat contacted the Bharat Khatana, the Delhi State Secretary at ABVP for a statement, he said that Mohit Dahiya had been wrongfully implicated. “This is election propaganda by AISA. Whoever did this was wrong because one shouldn’t raise your hand on a girl. But Sandeep Sharma is not a part of ABVP. Mohit bhaiyya is a part of ABVP, but he is not involved in the incident at all…I just met them at the police station. The police questioned Mohit bhaiyya and Sandeep, checked the CCTV footage from the college and then released Mohit bhaiyya.”

Accusing Ms. Kaur for making wrong allegations, Mr. Khatana added, “Kawalpreet was the first to slap Sandeep Sharma. We have filed a counter-complaint against Kawalpreet Kaur for wrongfully implicating Mohit bhaiyya. Both Sandeep and Kawalpreet slapped each other. There is no involvement of ABVP here. This is just a plot to wrongfully accuse ABVP in anything (wrong) that happens in the college.”  

DU Beat also talked to Mohit Dahiya who blamed Ms. Kaur for making a false accusation. “Me and my friend were simply going towards the parking. I saw Kawalpreet and her two friends were contesting, were fighting with Sandeep Sharma. One of her friends said that here are two goondas from ABVP (at us). Sandeep had been ragged by Kawalpreet and others. I was standing away and I ran away to complain to the Principal office. I had no role in this.”

Mr. Dahiya, in turn, shared a video of two people from AISA, Shreya and Tanmay, who came to “threaten” him about his alleged role in the incident. In the video, Tanmay is seen to be saying before walking away, “Tell us who those two people were.” Shreya joined in saying, “You are a student of the college. You should have some shame that girls come here and you slap them.”

When Shreya, an activist of AISA, was asked about her comments, she told DU Beat, “We know that Mohit Dahiya was not directly involved in the violence. But he was there the whole time, he provoked them (the mob) that these were people from AISA and he was involved completely. When me and Tanmay went there because we were so angry with what happened with Kawalpreet, we looked for Mohit Dahiya, and we obviously asked them that who were those people. Mohit Dahiya and Rajat Choudhury were there and they started to be disrespectful to us. Such people should be dealt in such a way. If they behave with us like us, as a woman I am not going to stay quiet. It’s enough that they think that the girls won’t say anything even if we are faced with violence.”

Kawalpreet Kaur was recently also allegedly assaulted by a mob at Satyawati College. She accused the ABVP for being responsible for the incident. In a recent post, she accused the ABVP for spreading “vicious hate propaganda” against her, and trying to “delegitimize the incidents of harassment” faced by her. Regardless of the allegations from both sides, it is increasingly clear that this is one of the most violent election seasons at DU.  

Feature Image Credits: Kawalpreet Kaur on Facebook

Sara Sohail

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A Tussle between the ABVP and NSUI over the Installation of Sanitary Napkin Vending Machines

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A senior leader of the ABVP and DUSU Secretary Mahamedhaa Nagar accuses DUSU Vice-President and member of the NSUI Kunal Sehrawat of stealing credit in what appears to be a tussle over the installation of sanitary napkin vending machines in DU colleges.

In a recent move by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and National Student’s Union of India(NSUI)-led Delhi University Student’s Union (DUSU), 56 colleges of the University of Delhi (DU) have received sanitary napkin vending machines. Each of these machines can store up to 25 napkins and can be accessed by the students.

The journey of installing these machines in all of these colleges began on the 22nd of January 2018 when Mahamedhaa Nagar, Secretary of DUSU, had organised a women’s marathon in association with the Sky Touch Foundation. The aim of the marathon was to question the tax imposed on sanitary napkins and the stigma surrounding menstruation. The marathon was flagged off by Akshay Kumar who was invited as the Chief Guest of the event. He was there to promote his movie ‘PadMan’ which spoke on the same issue. On the same day, Mahamedhaa had made the announcement of setting up sanitary napkin vending machines in all colleges affiliated to DU. Akshay Kumar and the two ABVP members occupying the DUSU had also launched 10 sanitary napkin vending machines on the same day.

Mahamedhaa wrote a letter to the Vice Chancellor of DU on the 15th of January 2018 regarding her announcement. He had welcomed the move and had also circulated the letter to all DU college Principals to take necessary steps.

Mahameda Nagar's Letter

Image Credits: Mahamedhaa Nagar, Secretary of DUSU

But, in a recent letter signed by the Assistant Registrar of DU, DUSU’s Vice President Kunal Sehrawat has also been given permission to set up sanitary napkin vending machines in the premises of WUS Health Centre and the Utility Centre, both of which are situated in the North Campus of DU.

Kunal's Letter

Image Credits: Kunal Sehrawat, Vice President of DUSU

In a conversation with DU Beat, Sehrawat said, “As per the research and data procured, we have found that 60% of the total students across DU are females. Also, 15 colleges are solely for girls. In addition to that, we also have females including teachers and administration staff. Our main aim of launching and installing sanitary napkin vending machines are affordability, to eradicate social taboo associated with it, easy accessibility and spreading awareness among the youth.”

To resolve this confusion, DU Beat contacted Mahamedhaa Nagar. She informed the DU Beat correspondent that she had written a letter to the VC for the installation of the machines in DU colleges in January. The VC had replied back in March by welcoming the initiative. However, by then, she had already contacted the Principals of various DU colleges and installed the sanitary napkin vending machines in 20 to 25 colleges. Nagar also informed that they have offered a year’s free maintenance of the machines installed in the DU colleges. She mentioned, “Before starting the process of installation, I did a small survey. I approached the Principals of different colleges and asked what features they are looking for in a sanitary napkin vending machine. I found, for instance, that Hindu College already had a vending machine, but the problem was the quality of sanitary napkins the machine provided.” She had also sent out a proposal to the Ministry of Women and Child Development to help her with the setting up of machines. The CSR Research Foundation had helped Mahamedhaa in getting the sponsors for the sanitary napkin vending machines. By now she has installed such machines in 56 colleges and 8 schools.

When Kunal Sehrawat was asked to comment on the same, he said, “Who gets the credit really doesn’t matter to me. All that matters is that some work should happen for a noble cause. The students and the society should benefit from the same.”

 

Feature Image Credits: The Hindustan Times

Anoushka Sharma

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NSUI Alleges ABVP Involvement in Cancellation of Magazine Launch

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NSUI alleges that their magazine launch, which was slotted to be held earlier today, was cancelled due to ABVP involvement.

A magazine launch event organised by the NSUI-led DUSU which was to be held in the University Conference Center on 31st July, 2018 was abruptly cancelled and the organizing students were barred from entering the University Campus. The National Student’s Union of India (NSUI) alleged the involvement of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in the cancellation and refused to budge, despite barricades being put in front of the Dean’s office by the police.

The event which was supposed to be attended by University of Delhi (DU) Professor of Hindi, Dr. Apoorvanand Jha, the founding Editor of The Wire, Siddharth Vardarajan and Member of Parliament (MP) Rajeev Gowda, was supposed to be on Freedom of Speech and Expression.

In a dramatic turn of events, the NSUI and the invited guests decided to launch the magazine in front of the police barricades under protest. The guests also delivered short speeches on the freedom of speech and expression while claiming that the spaces for creative freedom were increasingly lessening in the country.

Allegations of interference  

PicsArt_07-31-10.40.33
Rishabh Gogoi for DU Beat

The event was initially supposed to launch the first ever student magazine of DU named DYouth. The magazine which featured various articles by students of DU as well on-record interviews given by people like P. Chindambaram, Subramaniam Swamy, Yogendra Yadav, Sheila Dixit, Prashant Bhushan, Sunita Narain and Karan Thapar among others, was edited by a team of editors from the colleges of DU.

Ruchi Gupta, the NSUI’s National-in-charge, while speaking to DU Beat, claimed that the NSUI had obtained prior permission to launch the magazine in the Conference Center. “This permission has been cancelled at the last minute at the behest of a complaint by ABVP goons who are only able to understand the language of guns. They bring guns inside DUSU office and NSUI will not be allowed to launch a magazine.” she added. Ms. Gupta and several other members of the NSUI publicly condemned the cancellation after the magazine was launched under protest in front of the Dean’s office.

DU Beat spoke to several sources in the organising team of the event and they all alleged that the ABVP was putting pressure on the administration to cancel the event at the last moment. However, another source on the condition of anonymity, said that things were “too quiet for the ABVP to be involved.”  

AISA’s Kawalpreet Kaur, who was also present, extended support to the NSUI in a public speech claiming that she was upset as a student of the University because of the condition of politics in the campus. “We remember last year when there was a programme held by RSS here in the presence of Subramaniam Swamy and the ABVP waved saffron flags here inside the campus, indulging in hooliganism. We didn’t throw stones at them at that time.  Neither did we cancel that programme. We agreed that there should be dialogue within this University. We still remember the episode at Ramjas college where the teachers were brutally attacked by the ABVP. And today, at the eleventh hour, the launch of a magazine by NSUI, which should be a cause for celebration for every student, has been cancelled and bizarre arguments have been put forward in support,” Ms. Kaur added.

Perturbed dignitaries

NSUI led magazine launch
Rishabh Gogoi for DU Beat

 

The three dignitaries invited strongly criticised the sudden cancellation of the event. Mr. Vardarajan, speaking to DU Beat said, “I think it is very unfortunate that the DU administration did not allow this programme to happen. The irony is that we were going to discuss freedom of expression. And our own freedom of expression has been compromised in this way.”

When asked what he thought about the allegations of ABVP’s involvement in the same, he added, “I don’t know the facts because I am not from here. But the ABVP across the country has been well known to object to all acts of democratic expression that they don’t agree with. I was myself a victim of ABVP intolerance at Allahabad University when they wouldn’t let me speak. So if this has happened in Delhi University, it’s quite believable.”

DU Beat also asked Mr. Jha about the allegations of ABVP meddling in the cancellation of the event. While Mr. Jha denied knowing why the event was cancelled, he also added, “I can say from my experience that University spaces are being made inaccessible to people for open discussion and that is, in a way, dismantling this University. A simple release function is now being forced to be seen as protest, which is very telling.”

Rajeev Gowda, a professor of IIM-Banglore, claimed that the clamp down on NSUI’s launch was a symptom of events across the country. He attacked the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government for all the instances under them where freedom of expression has been threatened claiming, “In a few miles away from where Prime Minister Modi rules the country, you are able to see that freedom of expression has no meaning but there are still people willing to stand up and fight for the fundamental right that we have enshrined in the Constitution.”

The other side of the story

PicsArt_07-31-10.41.34
Rishabh Gogoi for DU Beat

DU Beat spoke with several policemen on the scene who were all unwilling to answer our questions. They directed us towards the people in charge, including the Deputy Proctor, Dr. Anupam Jha. On speaking to DU Beat, Dr. Jha claimed that the NSUI was misleading the people and that proper permission for the event had not been taken. “We are just abiding by the High Court’s orders which have upheld the decision to disqualify Rocky Tuseed’s candidature as DUSU President,” he added. Mr. Tuseed’s candidature had been revoked by the Delhi High Court previously due to his inability to release the details of the disciplinary action taken against him during his undergraduate study.

In an attempt to know more, DU Beat also contacted Mahamedha Nagar, the secretary of DUSU, who denied allegations of ABVP’s interference. “Why should we allow a magazine which has been just spearheaded by a Vice-President or a Joint Secretary, under the banner of DUSU? Was the money that was used for the magazine, in the name of DUSU, only the right of a President, and that too, a President who is no more a President? There is nothing about DUSU in the magazine. No suggestions were taken. I don’t think it makes sense to launch such a magazine under any venue of DU.”

While both NSUI and AISA have issued several official statements condemning the ABVP for their alleged involvement, it remains to be seen where the discussion on freedom of speech and expression takes us.

Feature Image Credits: Rishabh Gogoi for DU Beat

Sara Sohail

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DUTA Hosts Press Conference Against Reservation Roster, ABVP Requests For Evaluation with Roses

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The conference registered the presence of a string of politicians and speakers from CPI-M, AAP, RJD and Congress party, each unequivocally calling out the UGC roster for its “unconstitutional nature”.

The Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA) today held a press conference at the Press Club of India, Raisina Road. The occasion saw DUTA gain the support of the major political parties in its on-going movement against the 5th March University Grants Commission  (UGC) roster which potentially curtails the reservation in the appointment of teachers.

Rajib Ray, President of DUTA, began the conference by highlighting the implications of the 5th March 2018 UGC notification regarding Reservation Roster for SC, ST, OBC category in teaching posts in universities and colleges across the nation, which directs institutions to make the roster treating a Department as a unit in place of the UGC guidelines of 2006 which considered College/University as a unit. He further spoke over how the latest provision could only lead to delays in fulfillment of required seats, hence pushing a large number of teachers from the SC, ST, and OBC background out from university spaces and putting the future of ad-hoc teachers at jeopardy.

Image by P.V. Purnima for DU Beat
Image by P.V. Purnima for DU Beat

Among the political figures present were Sitaram Yechury, secretary general of the Communist Party of India, Manoj Jha, Member of Parliament, RJD, Amarjeet Kaur, Udit Raj, and Dev Rajan. The politicians of all the parties overtly blamed the government for systematically scaling down the constitutional values in the academic administration and called for the roster development to be seen in the backdrop of a larger national narrative. They also asked the government to restore the status quo till the Supreme Court comes with a decision over the Special Leave Petition ( SLP).

In addition to these major actors, sources later claimed that DUTA resistance has also found support from Samajwadi Party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and, interestingly, Anusuchit Jaati Morcha of BJP.

However, questions regarding the evaluation boycott were strategically dodged, keeping the final year students and their higher education application prospects at loss. On being asked about the same, a Professor/Member of DUTA told our correspondent, “ The ball is in the government’s court. Rather than questioning the morality of the teachers, the government and the association should engage in a positive dialogue and resolve the deadlock, for everyone’s sake.”

Interestingly members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a peaceful sit-in and handed out roses to the teachers, requesting them to begin the evaluation.

 

Feature Image by P.V. Purnima for DU Beat

Nikhil Kumar
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NSUI Burns ABVP’s Effigy in a Protest Against CBSE Paper Leak

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The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSC) came under condemnation after its Class X Mathematics and Class XII Economics papers were leaked last week. Four students of different schools and two directors of a private coaching center were apprehended in connection with the CBSE question paper leaks.

This had triggered protests from different quarters of the student community. On Saturday, the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) staged a protest outside the ITO office of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). NSUI alleged that the office-bearers of the right-wing students’ organisation were caught leaking CBSE exam papers in Jharkhand.

Rocky Tuseed, President of Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), in conversation with DU Beat, remarked, “This is an instance of gross injustice meted out to the students. 28 lakh students had given the 12th standard Economics paper. Due to the negligence of the CBSE, why is the future of students staked at risk?”
When asked who is to be blamed for the paper leak, Tuseed observed, “This is not an isolated incident. The government is also involved in this.”

Pragya Tomar, the General Secretary of the NSUI (Delhi State), told DU Beat, “We demand that an inquiry into the CBSE paper leak should be conducted and that the government should ensure a leak-proof mechanism to prevent such anomalies in future.”

Fairoz Khan, the National President of the NSUI, who met Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister of Ministry of Human Resource Development, said that the Minister has assured that they would investigate the matter and take the strictest possible action against those responsible.

In the letter written to Prakash Javadekar, the DUSU President has noted, “We request you to roll back the examination of Economics (class XII) and Maths (class X) as no student is ready to give their re-examinations.”

Notably, the CBSE had announced a retest of the two papers, following reports of the leakage.

Responding to allegations that an office-bearer of the ABVP was involved in the paper leak, Saket Bahuguna, the National Media Convener of the ABVP said, “He (the accused) has no current association with ABVP.”  He further assured that the accused in the case was shown the door by the ABVP as soon as he joined a coaching institution as a co-owner. The ABVP termed the NSUI’s protests as an attempt to defame it. “Systemic reforms in the examination patterns and procedures are needed. How is it that papers get leaked, but no structural changes are undertaken to stop any future leaks?,” questioned Saket Bahuguna.

Feature Image Credits: National Students’ Union of India
Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak
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ABVP clashes with students during the DUTA Strike at Sri Venkateswara College

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The DUTA strike held from the 19th of March witnessed student quarters of different colleges espousing the cause of the teachers’ strike. In the event of the unfortunate lack of camaraderie between two student groups enveloped by a conflict of interests, a tussle broke out in Sri Venkateswara College on the 23rd of March 2018. There were allegations by a group of students who were protesting with the teachers, that members of the ABVP unit of the college stormed their protest and disrupted the strike.

In a phone call conversation with the DU Beat correspondent, Akangsha Chetri, a student protester, described the incident, “While we were striking along with the teachers, the Vice President Alok Rajput and the Joint Secretary Sanjay Sharma walked in with a group of people who aren’t even from our college. They were carrying Bhagat Singh’s poster because it was his birthday. And they suddenly announced that they’d be organising a tribute and asked us to move from there. They said that our music was disrupting their program.” She went on to say, “We tried to talk it out peacefully. We told them that we would turn our music down, but then they started threatening male members of the strike with physical violence. They flung abuses at the girls. One of our professors C. Rawat who tried to mediate was insulted.”

Student protester Nikhil alleged, “While the ABVP people flagged slogans such as ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande Mataram’, they also screamed ‘Vaampanthiyon Ko Kabar Mein Daalo’ (bury the communists), thereby referring to the protesters.”

In lieu of the incident, some of the student protesters had decided to hold a silent protest outside the administration office on the 24th of March, wherein they would wear black and put tape over their mouth. It was supposed to commence at 10:45 a.m. However, as told to this correspondent by Prema, the hostel President, the administration released a notice early in the morning informing the students that the college would remain closed for the occasion of Navratri. The correspondent was further informed that the protesters weren’t allowed to hold their silent protest in the college premises thereafter.

When the DU Beat approached the President of the college Prabal, he observed, “Taali Kabhi Ek Haat Se Nahi Bajti (you need both hands to clap). Both sides are at fault. The ABVP members had requested the striking students to lower the volume of their music, but the striking students started shouting anti-ABVP slogans. The ABVP members got enraged and that resulted in a tussle.”

When asked about a video of the tussle uploaded online by a professor, Prabal remarked, “Some of the striking teachers are biased towards the students who support their cause.” He further went on to assert, “These students share the leftist ideology. Some of them are even members of All India Students’ Association (AISA).”

On being asked about the future course of action, Akangsha said, “We have been able to procure a promise of action from the administration with regards to the security of the campus and also regarding the filing of FIRs against people who were accused. So right now, we are writing testimonies and sending applications to the Principal to bring justice to our students.”

 

Feature Image Credits: Akangsha Chetri

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak

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ABVP Accussed of Disrupting Event, Abusing Teachers and Students at Satyawati College

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Kawalpreet Kaur, the University of Delhi (DU) President of All India Students’ Association (AISA), has alleged that she was harassed and verbally abused by students affiliated to the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) at an event at Satyawati College, on 22nd February 2018. Some students and teachers of Satyawati College also alleged that the members of the ABVP had disrupted the event for which Kawalpreet Kaur was invited as a panelist.

After the incident, the staff council at Satyawati College held a meeting and passed a unanimous resolution condemning the incident. They also suspended two of those ostensibly involved in the disruption, namely Kunal Yadav and Aman Awana, students of the same college.

During a phone call conversation with the DU Beat correspondent, Kawalpreet described the incident, “I had finished speaking and was sitting in the front row with the organisers when a group of 30-40 students -all males- barged into the auditorium demanding that I be kicked out of college immediately. At that time, the teachers started to negotiate with the students. But they continued with their hooliganism. During the same, they started verbally abusing the professors and were also targeting me. In fact, some of the professors were manhandled as well.” She further stated, “Even the Principal had taken the podium and requested these students to maintain the dignity of the college. But she was booed down.” Thereafter, Kawalpreet filed a complaint at the Bharat Nagar police station against the members of the ABVP on February 23rd.

On being asked about their side of the story, Kunal Yadav, Secretary of Satyawati College Students’ Union who was suspended for purportedly disrupting the event, said, “We were protesting because Kawalpreet Kaur was banned from our college last year. She came for the college fest and then later filed molestation complaints against some students. After that, the college banned her. We didn’t want something of that sort to happen again, so we were talking to our professors and saying that if her event is over, she should leave.”

However, during the phone call with the DU Beat correspondent, Kawalpreet asserted, “I was never banned from the college and the Principal has confirmed this. In fact, such a ban cannot be proposed against me because I myself am a student of DU.”

When the DU Beat correspondent approached Saket Bahuguna, National Media Convener of ABVP, he said, “The protests were done by the Students’ Union of Satyawati College. Some of them are our members, but none of them are ABVP office bearers. Kawalpreet is very tactical. She knows that if she mentions ABVP, she’ll get all the media attention. It is like Arvind Kejriwal blaming Modi all the time whereas Modi is not even present.”

 

Feature Image Credits: The Hindustan Times
Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak
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ABVP’s Mahamedha Nagar Writes to the HRD Minister Urging Free Education for Transgender Students in DU

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Mahamedha Nagar, an Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activist and the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) Secretary, has written to the Minister of Human Resource Development, Prakash Javadekar, urging him to make education for transgender students free in the University of Delhi (DU). The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and Jamia Millia Islamia’s distance learning programmes have already made education free for transgenders. Manonmaniam Sundaranar University (MSU) in Tamil Nadu has also made all courses free for transgender students.

Mahamedha told a DU Beat correspondent what compelled her to write this letter. She says, “I’ve always had interest in knowing more about transgenders. One night, I was generally watching this documentary on YouTube after which I came up with this idea!” If we talk about transgender students specifically in DU, in 2015, students were allowed the option to be recognised in the male, female, and other category. What is problematic though is that not a single student who identified as transgender took admission in DU (research by DU’s Adult, Continuing education. and Extension department).  In an India Today piece published in 2016, transgender students in the varsity talked about being openly discriminated, harassed, mocked, and humiliated. Rules and one-off events are not enough to make an impactful enough change, everyday realities need to be taken into account as well. It is important that our education actively rejects the gender-binary, and programs to sensitise students and faculty towards gender-minorities be introduced. In 2016, no transgender student took admission in regular colleges and only 18 students took admission in the School of Open Learning (SOL).

Therefore, the idea of making education free for transgender students may sound like a noble one, its impact will continue to be miniscule as long as there are only 18 transgender students in the University. Scholarships are an extremely effective incentive to ensure greater participation of minority groups in the education sector, but they alone are not an incentive enough to promote participation of transgender students in the educational sector.

Amongst Indian states, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been bearing the torch in creating a more inclusive society, especially in the context of transgender rights. In recent times, we have read heartening pieces of news like the first transgender person becoming a Sub-Inspector in Tamil Nadu police or the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation’s decision to allow transgenders to use public toilets of their choice, it is important to remember that these are still marginal victories. Nagar, by writing to the HRD Minister regarding transgenders, has sparked conversation around trans rights in the education sector and has successfully brought to the forefront a neglected topic. Major societal changes are born about the youth through the tools of education and dialogue. Therefore, it is important the message behind this this initiative be respected and transgender rights and rights of minorities be taken more seriously.

 

Feature Image Credits: DNA

Kinjal Pandey
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DUSU Elections 2017

Results: Delhi University Students’ Union Elections 2017

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After weeks of campaigning, the Delhi University Students’ Union Elections 2017 were held on Tuesday, 12th September in colleges across the University of Delhi. At the end of the day, the voter turnout was said to be 42.8%, which was a huge improvement from last year’s turnout of 34.3%. The results for the same were announced on the afternoon of 13th September.

Rocky Tusheed and Kunal Sehrawat from the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), affiliated to the Indian National Congress, won the posts of President and Vice President respectively. This was an enormous leap for NSUI, as they emerged victorious over Rajat Choudhary and Paarth Rana from Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), affiliated to the Rashtriya Sawayamsevak Sangh (RSS). ABVP has maintained monopoly over these 2 posts for the past 4 years in DUSU. The post of Secretary and Joint Secretary has been won by Mahamedha Nagar and Uma Shankar from ABVP.

However, in a recent turn of events, the counting of votes for the post of Joint Secretary is being taken to the Delhi High Court by NSUI. Neeraj Mishra, the National Communications In charge of NSUI, said, “The average NOTA vote count for the post of Joint Secretary had been declared as 5000, however ABVP claims the NOTA vote count to be 9000. Due to the discrepancies in these numbers, the matter of the final vote count will be moved to the High Court by NSUI”. The final tally of votes were, President: NSUI (16299), ABVP (14709). Vice-president: NSUI (16431), ABVP (16256). Secretary: ABVP (17156), NSUI (14532). The post of Joint Secretary has been won by Uma Shankar from ABVP as of now, however the final decision will be declared by the Delhi High Court.

 

Feature Image Credits: DNA India

Joyee Bhattacharya

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