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Delving into Why I Am a Hindu by Shashi Tharoor and realising the truth about one of the oldest religion in this world and what it has become now has been nothing less than a tryst between our past and present.

I was a part of the Delhi University Theatre Circuit (DUTC) and anyone even briefly acquainted with DUTC knows very well that DUTC is crazy about Hinduism and Hindutva Politics. Ever since the game-changing play – Welcome to the Machine by Ankur, the theatre society of S.G.T.B Khalsa College came in 2014, the Delhi University campus saw conversations about saffronisation being loudly irked in public domain. And so I decided to read more about Hinduism and Hindutva. After a whole lot of research and reading several books, I stumbled upon Why I Am a Hindu by Shashi Tharoor.

Tharoor creates a mind-changing and super-impactful literary masterpiece that not only glorifies Hinduism in its pure form but also raises several questions regarding its current state in the mind of the readers. I, as a literature student, fell in love with the way the book is structured. I actually went over the index multiple times. Section one of the book makes the reader take a walk through parts of several religious books like Vedas, Upnishadas, Mahabharata, etc. It carefully explains truths, myths, rituals, and espoused in the dense religious texts. The second section deals with political Hinduism and sensational topics of Hindutva and cow politics. And then there’s section three, that asserts the hard-hitting truth and the alterations which we need in the current times.

Tharoor also focuses on several aspects to ponder about like Orientalism, Intellectual colonialism, retaining the pluralistic nature of Hinduism, and so on. Each of these aspects can be further elaborated in separate articles. In times of constant turmoil of religion and politics, arming oneself with knowledge is one of the most impactful ways to contribute to the struggle of orthodoxy and fanaticism.

Feature Image Credit: Manorama Online

Palak Aggarwal

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S.G.T.B Khalsa College

Ankur organises annual production: Check, Mate.

By DU Beat November 10, 2016

The Theatre Society of SGTB Khalsa College depicted the stark truth of the different shades of war in their Annual Production and witnessed a full house on all the three days.

Shakespeare said “All the world’s a stage” and his ideology has perfectly resonated with times and minds. For the students of Ankur, the Theatre Society of SGTB Khalsa College, the Nukkad (also known as Jannat) area of the college was transformed into an opportune stage for the audience to indulge their creative pleasures in!

The Annual Production, titled Check, Mate. was performed from 23^rd-25^th October 2016 attracting students, parents, and teachers through the light-adorned area for a perfect evening under the stars. The audience could see a vast setup of black drapes bordering the stage and were delighted with the playful Mario-theme preceding the starting. The costumes complemented the traditional flavour of the play, and the setup piqued the interest of the viewers.The play opened up to an exciting, comic and intriguing dialogue exchange amongst the members of a community. It was switching between two modes: one, of the rural area of the aam aadmi; two, of the corporate world of business executives who strike deals disregarding the impact on the world of commoners. As the play progressed, a blanket of curiosity had settled amongst the crowd; each phase of the play received with a desire to precipitate more. Shades of politics, human nature, and societal attributes were beautifully portrayed by the talented actors who were thoroughly absorbed in their characters. The play was able to thoughtfully provide an insight into the complex consequences of war on the human mind and the human life.

The intriguing story ended with jingoistic music echoing in the background as the scene symbolized the never-ending cycle of the game of war, and how its strings are being manipulated by certain sections of the society. With a texture of humour induced by the ‘samosa cravings’ and ‘bathing scenes’, a tinge of reality being laid out in terms of women symbolization and narrow visions of a backwards community, and drawing parallels between the worlds separated by the stage borders; Ankur beautifully carried out the painful atrocities of war and impermanence of peace on a relatable shoulder. It proved how war is greater than the borders of black and white, and thus, the show was brought to an end with a thunderous applause for the brilliant efforts!

Image Credits: Saumya Kalia for DU Beat

Saumya Kalia

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Around the Campus

Ankur, the Theatre Society of SGTB Khalsa College organises their annual production: Check, Mate.

By DU Beat November 2, 2016

The Theatre Society of SGTB Khalsa College depicted the stark truth of the different shades of war in their Annual Production and witnessed a full house on all the three days.

Shakespeare said “All the world’s a stage” and his ideology has perfectly resonated with times and minds. For the students of Ankur, the Theatre Society of SGTB Khalsa College, the Nukkad (also known as Jannat) area of the college was transformed into an opportune stage for the audience to indulge their creative pleasures in!

The Annual Production, titled Check, Mate. was performed from 23^rd-25^th October, 2016 attracting students, parents, and teachers through the light-adorned area for a perfect evening under the stars. The audience could see a vast setup of black drapes bordering the stage and were delighted with the playful Mario-theme preceding the starting. The costumes complemented the traditional flavour of the play, and the setup piqued the interest of the viewers. The play opened up to an exciting, comic and intriguing dialogue exchange amongst the members of a community.

It was switching between two modes: one, of the rural area of the aam aadmi; two, of the corporate world of business executives who strike deals disregarding the impact on the world of commoners. As the play progressed, a blanket of curiosity had settled amongst the crowd; each phase of the play received with a desire to precipitate more. Shades of politics, human nature, and societal attributes were beautifully portrayed by the talented actors who were thoroughly absorbed in their characters. The play was able to thoughtfully provide an insight into the complex consequences of war on the human mind and the human life.

The intriguing story ended with jingoistic music echoing in the background as the scene symbolized the never-ending cycle of the game of war, and how its strings are being manipulated by certain sections of the society. With a texture of humour induced by the ‘samosa cravings’ and ‘bathing scenes’, a tinge of reality being laid out in terms of women symbolization and narrow visions of a backwards community, and drawing parallels between the worlds separated by the stage borders; Ankur beautifully carried out the painful atrocities of war and impermanence of peace on a relatable shoulder. It proved how war is greater than the borders of black and white, and thus, the show was brought to an end with a thunderous applause for the brilliant efforts!

Saumya Kalia
Image Credits: https://web.facebook.com/ankur.dramsoc.sgtbkhalsacollege/

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