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The ongoing protest against the leaked SSC papers has now been joined by student political units AISA and NSUI.  

In a development considered ‘supportive’ by observers, leaders of the political units AISA (All India Student’s Association) and NSUI (National Student’s Association of India) joined the students protesting against the alleged leak of Staff Selection Commission (SSC) exam papers, on 16th March 2018.

The indefinite protest over the examination, which was conducted in February, has witnessed hundreds of aspirants protesting in the CGO complex, which houses the SSC headquarters. Since February 27, they have been demanding a time-bound CBI probe under the supervision of the Supreme Court into all SSC exams and the commission’s functioning. Secondly, they are demanding a stay order on all SSC exams until completion of CBI inquiry into the matter.

Responding to queries from the DU Beat correspondent, DUSU President Rocky Tuseed, who was present with the protesting students on Friday said, “We demand the suspension of SSC Chairman Ashim Khurana, and the resignation of Minister Jitendra Singh. The fight is not only against the isolated incident of leaked papers. Besides this, the SSC has delayed the joining of candidates who qualified two years ago. These anomalies speak volumes about the incompetence of the board and the government. ”

Speaking along similar lines with the DU Beat correspondent, President of AISA (DU) Kawalpreet Kaur, who was also present on the site of protest, remarked, “The students are not only demanding a CBI probe into this particular incident. They are linking this protest to a larger struggle against the numerous recruitment scams which are happening.”

When the correspondent mentioned the political mudslinging revolving this issue, Kaur stated, “Somebody has to take responsibility. It has been 15-18 days that the students have been sitting here. Home Minister Rajnath Singh has said that a CBI enquiry has been ordered. But the students are not satisfied because nothing is progressing.”

In a phone call conversation with this correspondent, Vice President of DUSU Kunal Sehrawat, said, “The students have taken to the streets to demand justice. Itna Time Ho Chuka Hai (It has been so long). The government must take responsibility. The student community has our full support.”

The protesters, today, were reinforced by the presence of Fairoz Khan, National President of NSUI and Sucheta De, National President of AISA, besides other prominent leaders. Shedding light on a different version of the scam, Chairman of SSC Ashim Khurana contended, “We have knowledge that certain coaching institutes are manipulating and escalating the protest. Once the exam is cancelled, they may offer a crash course to candidates’ ace it earning quick bucks in the process.”

Amidst the mudslinging being undertaken by the administration, one beacon of hope is provided by the student political units standing against the grave injustice being meted out to the aspirants, thus paving the way for a united student community at the face of a divided administration.

Feature Image Credits: NSUI

 Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak

 [email protected]

 

 

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
[email protected]

The student fraternity of Delhi, led by the All India Students’ Association (AISA), marched from the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in the afternoon of 8th February 2017.

Demanding the rollback of the metro fare hike and metro concessional passes for students, the students engaged in spirited sloganeering like, “Aaj Hartal Kal Hartal, Naa Mane Toh Dera Daal” (we’ll protest every day, until our demands are met), Saste Metro Ka Adhikar Mangte, Nahi Kisise Bheek Mangte” (we will ask for our right to affordable metro, we will not beg), “Delhi Police Sharam Karo, Sharam Nahi Toh Doob Maro” (Shame on you, Delhi Police).

Once in front of the PMO, the students were met with barricades and a cordon of policemen blocking their way.
As the students ambushed a few barricades, DU AISA President, Kawalpreet Kaur gave an ultimatum to the police, “The Delhi Police has 10 minutes. If within 10 minutes, a representative of the PMO doesn’t communicate with us, then no matter how many thousands of barricades you put up, we’ll break them all.”

Responding to questions regarding their motives, she declared, “We’re not here to engage in ‘Chai Pe Charcha’ with the PM. Whether you give us green tea or black tea, we’re here solely for two demands: one, roll back the metro fare hike; and two, provide metro concessional passes to students.”

Kaur, in her impassioned speech, further said, “Students don’t have an earning source. The fare hike has affected our monthly budget. Not only the students, but Delhi’s common people are being affected. That’s why Delhi Metro ridership has lost 1 crore people. We want to ask Modiji, “who are the 1 crore people?”. They are the common people who shed their blood and sweat every day. If those 1 crore people aren’t being able to afford the metro, what’s the use of the metro being a public transport? Shut it down.”

When there were still 8 minutes left, the gathering received a notification from the PMO which asked a delegation to be sent inside the office. Thereafter a delegation of 5 students representing the 5 different universities- DU, JNU, IPU, AUD and Jamia Milia, was sent inside.

Following this, Madhurima Kundu, Delhi State Vice President of AISA told the correspondent, “PM Modi always talks about the youth being the future of our nation. When today, the youth has come out to the streets he has to take responsibility and listen to our demands.”

On being asked about their future course of action, AISA State Secretary Niraj Kumar remarked with resolve, “The delegation met a representative of the PMO, and handed over the memorandum of demands. The PMO has taken a time period of seven days within which they would reciprocate to our demands. Meanwhile, we shall continue to struggle against this injustice.”

Feature Image Credits: Hemantika Singh and Prakash, AISA

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak
[email protected]

Taking forward the struggle for roll-back of the metro fare hike and better public transport in Delhi, a mass delegation of students from almost 30 colleges marched to the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s house and had a meeting that lasted almost 2 hours. The resolute students, led by the All India Students’ Association, marched from the Civil Lines Metro Station to Raj Niwas in the afternoon of 25th January, 2018.

In a monumental development, the CM extended his full support to the ongoing movement for rolling back the metro fare hike and accepted most of the students’ other demands relating to Delhi public transport. Granting major relief to the students of University of Delhi, the delegation managed to convince the CM to extend the validity of DTC bus passes for students. The student bus pass which was till now valid for four months, will henceforth be valid for 6 months.

Speaking on their second achievement, AISA DU President Kawalpreet Kaur remarked, “Student bus passes were hitherto valid only in non-AC busses. And it had been our long-standing demand that the passes be made valid for AC busses as well, a demand which was immediately accepted by the CM.”

Moreover, in a noteworthy accomplishment, the students’ delegation also persuaded the CM to introduce university-special busses and women-special busses as well as increase the number of DTC busses by 2000, a significant move which will enhance connectivity with Delhi University colleges. Towards this end, AISA State Secretary Niraj Kumar remarked, “The CM has asked for a period of 6 months to materialise this promise.”

When asked about their future course of action, AISA National President Sucheta De said, “Now, in a few days’ time, we will take a delegation to the PM, since he is a major stakeholder in our struggle for more effective public transport in Delhi.”

 

Feature Image Credits: Niraj Kumar, AISA

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak

[email protected]

In a landmark step to pressurise the government into rolling back the metro fare hike which came into effect in May and October of 2017, the All India Students’ Association (AISA) held a strike in the Vishwavidyalaya Metro Station from 1pm on the 18th of January.

The protest “Occupy Vishwavidyalaya” witnessed a number of students, led by the AISA, block Gate 3 of the metro station in a bid to ‘occupy’ the same until the government accepted their demands of immediate rollback of the metro fare hike and giving metro consessional passes to all DU students.

Senior members of AISA Neeraj Kumar, Sucheta Dey, and Sunny Kumar along with ardent supporters raised slogans like “fare hike dhokha hai” (fare hike is betrayal), “metro pass dena hoga” (the government will have to give metro concessional passes), and “paee paee occupy (occupy every inch)”.

In the context where an estimated 2.8 million passengers travel daily on the capital’s metro, the DMRC had recorded a fall in ridership when it had hiked the metro fare twice in 2017. This move had been exceptionally hard-hitting for the students of DU, many of whom have to travel long distances to come to college.

At the face of several policemen being stationed at the metro station to control any law and order situation that might crop up, AISA President (DU) Kawalpreet Kaur, in her impassioned speech, invoked the crowd to block Gate 3 and pledged not to move until either the DMRC or the government heeds their demands. Terming the fare hike as “unacceptable”, Kawalpreet said, “This metro is named Vishwavidyalaya and yet the students themselves aren’t able to use the metro. So what is the point of calling this metro station ‘Vishwavidyalaya’? The fare hike has compelled the students to either use other means of transportation or even skip college on days at an end. This inability to access the university campus also amounts to denial of education.”

It is noteworthy that even last October, AISA had held a demonstration in the Vishwavidyalaya Metro Station to pressurise the government on this issue. However, AISA National President Sucheta Dey today claimed that till date, there has been no communication from the DMRC in response to the same. On being asked by the DU Beat correspondent regarding their course of action if the police forcefully tries to evacuate the gathering, AISA State Secretary Neeraj Kumar said, “We have raised our voice in a peaceful manner. Any unprecedented step by the police would go against the law. In a passionate reference to the legacy of student protesters, Kawalpreet discerned that it was because of the protests by the students of DU a few years back that student passes for DTC busses were made available.

While Delhi Metro has lost 3 lakh commuters after the fare hike in October, there is an apprehension that by 2019, the metro fare will double itself. At the backdrop of the DMRC’s reticence on the issue, the question that various student quarters of DU are asking is, if Kolkata can have metro concessional passes for students, why can’t Delhi? While the aam janta shouts, “mehengi metro nahi chalegi” (costly metro will not be allowed), is the government listening?

 

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

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak 

[email protected]

Every second of the minute, every minute of the hour, every hour of the day, Southeast Asia runs the threat of a full-fledged war between the two nuclear-enabled countries, India and Pakistan. If the grave possibility of a nuclear (the N word is to Southeast Asia what Voldemort is to Hogwarts) threat wasn’t bad enough, now we have Pakistani websites adding fuel to the ignited tension between the two neighbours.

The Pakistan Defense Forum (PDF), which is famous within the Indian and Pakistani defence enthusiasts circles, as a forum for debate and deliberation on Pakistani defence, strategic and security issues, has drawn flak internationally. Their move to upload a morphed picture of Indian student activist Kawalpreet Kaur had led Twitter to suspend the verified account of this unofficial forum on Saturday.
In the original photograph, Delhi University student Kawalpreet is standing infront of the Jama Masjid, holding up a sheet of paper that bears the message: “I am a citizen of India and I stand with secular values of our Constitution. I will write against communal mob lynching of Muslims in our country #CitizensAgainstMobLynching.”

But in the image the Pakistan Defence Forum tweeted, the text had changed: “I am an Indian, but I hate India, because India is a colonial nation that has occupied nations such as Nagas, Kashmiris, Manipuris, Hyderabad, Junagard, Sikkim, Mizoram, Goa.” Attached to the image, Pakistan Defence Forum tweeted, “Indians are finally realizing the truth; their country is actually a colonialist entity.” It deleted the tweet later. Having both retired and serving military personnel among it’s members, this is not the first time the PDF has attempted to perpetuate hate propaganda against India.

With almost 308,500 followers, Pakistan Defence Forum’s Twitter handle interestingly had more threads about India than Pakistan. But what is more interesting is the element of choice exercised by PDF’s social media team. Kawalpreet, a senior member of the All India Student’s Association, has been active in DU politics for long and is a well-known face in the student politics of Delhi. A crucial question to be asked at this point of time is, why her? For all that PDF’s social media expertise is worth, it could have morphed any photograph to communicate their hate propaganda against India, but it chose to target a student’s union leader studying in the premier institution of the country. In this context, is a controversy afoot to deliberately target a high-flying student activist, or can it simply be considered a PJ by the PDF? Using a morphed picture on such a sensitive issue not only has the possibility of fuelling greater tension between the two neighbours but could also put this girl’s life in danger. To this effect has been outrage expressed by the student community of DU and other institutions. The issue of Kaur’s photo being doctored was also flagged by Shehla Rashid, the former vice president of JNU Students Union, who contended that forum should not use such images in the name of the Kashmir issue.

Considering its legacy, PDF must have strategised their actions and policies more carefully if they wish to remain relevant in their chosen crusade of helping Pakistan’s image. Food (read: feud) for Thought: Substance will win over image any time, all the time.
What is astoundingly outrageous is the instance of a senior member of the Pakistan Defense Forum retorting back to the criticism in the official page of PDF in the words, “The amount of shameless fake propaganda Indians do against us, there is-nothing wrong in us doing the same against India. Well done PDF.” If offense is the best defense that PDF could muster, they could have atleast recruited better photoshop experts.

 

Feature Image Credits: Times of India 

Vaibhavi Sharma Pathak

[email protected]

Ever since the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced a fare hike, the University of Delhi has been raging with a number of sit-ins and demonstrations. On Friday, Vishwavidyalaya metro station, the epicentre of all anti-fare hike protests, saw yet another demonstration.

At 1 p.m., about 50 students predominantly belonging to the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) formed a human chain outside the Vishwavidyalaya metro station to protest against the metro fare hike. They demanded metro concessional passes for students. The human chain gained the attention of many onlookers who also joined in.

Talking to DU Beat about the demonstration, Kawalpreet Kaur, President of AISA DU asserted, “The whole hike in fare shows that the government is only catering to the rich and has no empathy for the common people. Within six months the fare has increased tremendously. The Delhi Metro is a public entity and not a profit-making body for whose profit the fare is being increased. I believe that it is the student community who will suffer the most. We will not swallow this yet another increase and will organise a huge movement in coming days until the hike is rolled back. Also, we demand that DU students should be given special concessional passes for the metro.”

Another student who participated in the human chain said, “We are not claiming that these things will lead to any concrete result, but at least we are trying to make our voices heard. Sometimes just dissent in itself is important.”

Earlier on Monday, a group of activists from the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) had a sit-in at Vishwavidyalaya metro station and stopped the train in its tracks. It briefly disrupted metro services.

While agitation for affordable transportation is necessary, whether or not these protests will result in policy change can only be established with time.

 

Feature Image Credits: All India Students’ Association

Niharika Dabral
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The student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, a prominent leftist party on the campus of Delhi University and a staunch opponent of the party politics of DUSU’s ruling party’s muscle-power and money, All India Students’ Association (AISA) recently released a press release prior to upcoming DUSU elections.
The press release acts as an announcement by its candidates their unambiguous stand on ABVP’s alleged violence during the Ramjas College protests earlier this year in the month of February. 

The Ramjas College protests transpired on a fateful Wednesday afternoon when ABVP members arrived within the college premises to disrupt a literary event which invited speakers like Umar Khaled and Shehla Rashid.
Parties like AISA and SFI (The Students’ Federation of India) were in the forefront protesting against ABVP’s alleged hooliganism-turned-violent activities.

Since then, AISA has been campaigning for a freer and safer, non-violent campus which provides a space for uninterrupted discourse of ideas, however controversial it be.

The party claims, if in power it will address issues of
-Affordable accommodation
-Affordable transportation
-Violence free campus

Parul Chauhan, a third year student from Satyawati College (Evening) contesting for the post of president said that “This DUSU election is being fought in the backdrop of Ramjas Incident in which the goons of ABVP assaulted both students and teachers. Instead of working for the benefit of students the ABVP has only perpetuated violence in the campus. They have repeatedly failed in their promises of building hostel and in fact have ended up promoting PG’s.

If AISA is elected to union, we will ensure that the DUSU election post 2017 will be free from all malpractices and even common students like me will have a fair chance of contesting DUSU elections against the money muscle power of ABVP”.

Akash Gupta a student of Law Faculty and former student of Deshbandhu College contesting for the post of Joint Secretary said that “the biggest issue Delhi University is facing right now is that of campus violence which is single handedly perpetuated by ABVP across Delhi University. He recounted how ABVP tried to disrupt seminar on Ambedkar in Deshbandhu college, beat up activists in Shaheed Bhagat Singh and PGDAV college. He also said that the incidences of Violence by ABVP is not only limited to North Campus, but also in almost all colleges of Delhi University, because of which common students live in perpetual terror of ABVP goons.  

“We have seen how for the last 40 years the DUSU has been made a launch pad for the ABVP/NSUI goons who invest huge sum of money just to win DUSU elections and launch their political career. Our objective is to reclaim the DUSU from the hands of castiest, feudal, communalist ABVP and give it back to the common students. We aim to make DUSU a platform of struggle instead of a platform for enjoyment where last DUSU office bearers ate tea and snacks of 21 lakhs ” said Kawalpreet Kaur President of DU AISA.

Ankita Dhar Karmakar

[email protected]

Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections are just around the corner and the anticipation is palpable even from quite a distance. With just a fortnight before its commencement, All India Students’ Association (AISA) has urged Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s intervention in subsuming the unwarranted and illegitimate practices of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) affiliated Right Wing students’ political body Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

AISA has openly raised arguments about the alleged unethical behavior of ABVP goons and brought to light the ill temperament of right student wing delinquents in the university campus and particularly highlighted their near malevolent attitude towards Kawalpreet Kaur, AISA President, by calling her an “anti-national slut” and allegedly outraging her modesty.

“The ABVP has become the censor board in the campus and reserves the authority on what is allowed and what is not allowed…. The election cannot be free and fair as long as their violence continues,” Kawalpreet Kaur told the press of IANS live.

She has demanded the Delhi University’s administration to refrain from letting ABVP contest in the elections on account of their homicidal behavior during the incident in Ramjas College. She showed pictures of Ankit Basoya and Mahamedha Nagar, ABVP candidates, attacking protesters during the Ramjas incident. She also spoke about the fear that ABVP has entrenched in the campus with their blatant hooliganism.

They have drawn a very subtle parallel between Modi’s “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” campaign and ABVP’s alleged reputation for shamelessly using force on women and their supposed misogynistic treatment of the ilk. They have also suggested failure of Modi’s “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” under ABVP’s election campaigning which unabashedly involved soiling the varsity spaces with party pamphlets.

Sanjay Bohidar, a DU professor expressed his agitation towards ABVP in general and the government in particular for letting unscrupulous elements like that of ABVP to prosper. He was of the opinion that an atmosphere where even the police is under dire pressure and ceases to deliver justice, is anti-education, not because of one ideology domineering over the others but because of consensus of a common view under the ambit of that ideology.

He also recalled former DUSU President, Satender Awana’s outright tongue lashing at St. Stephen’s teacher, Nandita Narain and Law Faculty Dean Ved Kumari and how despite the severity of the event, the lack of prosecution by either the police or the university administration.

A video which went viral on social media platforms last year, witnessed Satender Awana verbally tormenting Ved Kumari in the presence of police and general public.

Another teacher from Shri Ram College of Commerce was of the view that the university premises lacked basic freedom and that there was no exhibition of cultural activities by any organisation other than ABVP.

In the light of the Ramjas incident which took place in February this year, AISA members accused ABVP, the alleged conspirers for physical assault and repeated threats. Similar cases have also undergone police intervention and legal trial. A very recent example of the same is Kawalpreet Kaur’s alleged harassment by ABVP activists in Satyawati College, immediately after which she approached the police to file an FIR.

The varsity is no doubt a sight of uneasy and murky politics as the election season unfolds and sets to witness the polls on September 12.

Feature Image Credits: Hindustan Times

Lakshita Arora

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On August 16,2017 All India Students’ Association (AISA) President, Kawalpreet Kaur  filed an FIR against Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members claiming charges of  physical restraint and verbal abuse , while she had gone to Satyawati College for some academic work.  Ms Kaur alleged in her complaint that ABVP members tried to bully her and called her an ‘anti-national slut’. She also proclaimed that the Principal of Satyawati College helped her to reach out to the police.

In a series of events following this incident,  Satyawati College Principal on August 21,2017 in a press release claimed the incident as hoax and even wrote to the SHO, ACP and DCP of Bharat Nagar Police Station mentioning that all charges put by Ms. Kaur, who is an outsider, are fake. In an official statement to DU Beat by the Media Convenor of ABVP, Mr. Saket Bahuguna  condemned the systematic propaganda and slander campaign against ABVP by some communists. The statement read as,” Repeatedly, Ms. Kaur and her comrades have tried to spread canards about our organization to get some publicity , especially after she and her Naxal- supporting  organisation was rejected by the student community in the DUSU elections.”

ABVP expressed shame on the  half- heard defamation charges without any solid evidence and their publicity by some media groups without knowing the entire reality from the students or authorities of Satyawati College . Keeping the upcoming Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections in mind,  AISA tried to spread slander and lies against ABVP and maligned its members’ image as claimed by the organisation of ABVP.

AISA in a press release on August 23, 2017, following these remarks carried out a signature campaign in support of Kawalpreet Kaur . Ms Kaur said, “It is  really saddening  that the principal has given into the pressure of ABVP. Such a statement by the Principal attempts to derail the entire case. Also , we have the call recordings and many messages that were sent to my friends in Satyawati  to persuade me to take the case back as well as the ‘receiving’ which was duly claimed by the Principal at the time of the incident. Thus , the Principal’s recent statement of denial stands false.” Niraj Kumar, State Secretary of Delhi State AISA said,” Why is the Principal shielding the culprits? It is this shielding that gives the audacity to harass women. We demand that the police should ensure a proper enquiry in the matter.”

The Principal in his statement mentions that the college opinion  was not taken into account by  the police department which is eagerly supported by the ABVP as well.  It is all up to the police  now to follow the due process of law and testify the truth as the matters have heated up now.

Image Credits: Facebook

Oorja Tapan

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