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Best and Worst of 2015: Delhi’s Highlight Events of the Year

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2015 proved to be ‘just another year’ for the capital city of the country. However huge the political debacles in the first couple of months were, thanks to the Assembly Elections; the year turned out to be more or less a mundane one. Promises were left as mere promises and the dream of a Delhi with free WiFi, Water and Electricity stayed as bleak as before. While there were very tiny positive developments, the year was a stable one also because of lesser negative controversies in comparison to the days done by. Here’s a glimpse of all that brought Delhi in the headlines this year:

1. 66th Republic Day with Mr. Barack Obama: The Rajpath saw a multitude of people gathering on the chilly morning of 26th January, 2015, the republic day celebrations; the highlight of which weren’t the impeccable march pasts or processions but the presence of the President of U.S.A Mr. Barack Obama. President Obama and the First Lady also attended all the formal ceremonies, which was argued to hint at better diplomatic relations between India and the U.S.

Further Reading: Places that Mr. President should’ve visited according to DU Beat

Barack Obama attending the Republic Day Parade at Rajpath | Source: indianexpress.com

2. AAP in power again with 67/70 seats: Second chances were given, not just marginally but with a whooping, incomparable majority to Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party. 14th February, 2015 turned out to be a milestone for both Kejriwal and AAP, when the result-tabs board showed 67 out of 70 seats in the domain of the party. The same day came as a big blow to the unbreakable chain of wins for the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) which was reduced to a minor 3 seat arena. Free WiFi, subsidized electricity and water were the most ‘attractive’ promises of the campaign. 

Further Reading: Curious Case of Delhi Elections

Also read: Changes to be introduced in DU education system by AAP Govt (as predicted by DU Beat)

AAP Leaders celebrating their landslide victory in the Delhi elections | Source: ndtv.com

3. Violet Line connects Faridabad to NCR: Delhi Metro expanded its chains to Faridabad, the inauguration of which was done by the Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi on 6th September, 2015. The extension of the Violet Line of Delhi Metro from Badarpur Metro Station to Escorts Mujesar in Faridabad added 9 stations. The Violet Line now connects ITO to Faridabad.

4. “Four-Fold increase in salaries of MLAs of Delhi”, approves AAP Government: Whether basic amenities will ever be free and sanitation will ever be ensured is ambiguous, but the AAP Government was sure to work for the welfare of the MLAs by ensuring a 400% hike in their salaries. The proposal was approved in a Cabinet Meeting chaired by CM Arvind Kejriwal by passing the Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Government of NCT of Delhi (Salaries, Allowances, Pension) Amendment Bill 2015 on 27th November, 2015. The bill has now been sent to The Ministry of Home Affairs for approval.

5. Odd-Even Rule coming from WHO declaring Delhi the most polluted city of the globe: All hell broke loose in May 2014, and rightly so, when the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Delhi the most polluted city of the world. Pollution levels in Delhi have been standing constant at alarming rates since the past five years. Kejriwal government was inspired by the Chinese experiment of the Odd-Even Traffic Rule, and proposed to follow the same in Delhi in early December. Alternate days shall be allotted for odd numbered and even numbered cars as per the rule, which was criticised and supported by stakeholders alike (Though the former was way more apparent than the latter!). Only time will tell the success of this revolution of traffic rules in Delhi.

Further Reading: Bazinga – DU students exempted from the odd-even rule

The odd-even vehicle rule in Delhi comes after WHO declaring it the most polluted city in the world | Source: indianexpress.com


6. AAP’s Cleanliness Mobile App launched: Keeping all rivalry and tension with the PM Narendra Modi aside, the AAP government proved itself to be a concrete supporter and promoter of the ‘Swacch Bharat Abhiyan’ by launching the Clean Delhi Mobile App on 17th November, 2015. The app lets one capture an image of ill-sanitary conditions in any area and the government, after locating the place, promises to get it cleaned up at the earliest. This initiative was widely appreciated and has seen a slow but positive response from the citizens.

7. Car-Free Day to be observed on 22nd of every month: This initiative started on October 22nd, 2015 as an attempt to manage the alarming pollution levels of the city. Residents observed the Car-Free Day by participating in cycle-rallies and taking public transport to work. A study released by Center of Science and Environment (CSE) reported as sharp as 60% decline in Delhi’s Air Pollution on October 22nd and the initiative was widely supported by Delhi-ites.

8. Juvenile convicted in Delhi’s Gang-rape Case of 2012 released: While activists, the victim’s parents, even certain politicians kept pleading against the release, the juvenile convicted in the 2012 Delhi Gang-rape case was released precisely after three years from the incident on 20th December, 2015. He was reportedly sent to an NGO for ‘mental reformation and rehabilitation’. Arguably as one of the most heinous incidents that shook the nation, the 2012 Gang-rape case sparked an uncontrollable fire of demand for justice to Jyoti Singh, who eventually succumbed to her wounds.

Juvenile Delhi

Jyoti’s father, Badrinath, commented, “It’s all politics that’s happening, and not justice.” He couldn’t be more accurate to analyse the event. The Judiciary in India reached an all time low with this judgement which was passed in less than a month of clearance of all charges against Salman Khan in the 2002 Hit-and-Run Case. Do we still have reasons to believe that the Indian Judiciary is unbiased and advocates justice? Or is it time to re-think what the Constitution of India promises?

After intense debate, the #juvenilejusticebill has been passed by the Rajya Sabha. While it isn’t possible to charge the #Nirbhaya rapist under this law, do you think it will work as a deterrent in the future?

Posted by DU Beat on Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Arushi Pathak
[email protected]

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Arts & Culture

Dig deeper into Chandni Chowk with these 3 hidden gems

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If you are equipped to traverse through the veins and arteries of Delhi then there can’t be a better experience, but if you aren’t, there can’t be anything worse for the simple reason that Chandni Chowk never fails at amusing travellers. In a place like this, where you encounter culturally distinct elements after every 10 metres, the overwhelming air that this place breathes can’t be missed. Even tour pilgrims who come here often for the sheer experience of it take back something different every time they come. Here are three uncommon facts about the cultural epicentre of the country, Chandni Chowk:

1.Begum Samru Ki Haveli

Right at the beginning of the street from the Red Fort side, one can see a Victorian building which currently is the Chandni Chowk branch of the State Bank of India. Begum Samru came to the Mughal court as a dancer in the 18th century and eventually fell in the favour of the emperor who gave her the estate of Sardana near Meerut. The building is Victorian in architecture since the begum married a British official. Later, it was controlled by the Imperial Bank, whose manager and his family were murdered on the rooftop by some Indian freedom fighters. For a brief point of time, the building also housed the Reserve Bank of India. It is one of the few banks in the country to have an ATM Gallery, which has many vending machines.

 2. Japani Samosa

The Lajpat Rai market majorly famous for its electrical goods has the Japani Samosewaala food joint. The Samosa is distinct and high on calories, and sells like hot cakes early in the mornings to meet the energy demands of the cart pullers in the area. There are three theories behind the name. First, it is believed that the samosa was named so to commemorate the Hiroshima-Nagasaki nuclear bomb blast victims. Second, since it is small in size therefore it is Japani. Third, it has over 60 layers of maida and is shaped like a Japanese fan, thus the name.

 3.Kuhlad Lassi at Galli Kuppewaali

On one of the smaller streets named Galli Kuppewali, which emanates from the Ballimaran lane, famous for the Galib ki Haveli and the shooting place of Delhi 6 is a Kuhlad Lassi vendor. The lassi is served in a clay tumbler called kuhlad. The tradition calls for breaking the tumbler after consuming the lassi by smashing it against the ground or the wall. The lassiwalla stops operations only from 2-5 AM, making it one of the hotspots for refreshing and energising yourselves.

Sidharth Yadav

[email protected]

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Arts & Culture

Vayam performs ‘Ek Rishte Ki Maut’ at Akshara Theatre

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Vayam, the performing arts society, presented their play, ‘Ek Rishte ki Maut’ on 24th December 2015 at Akshara Theatre.

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The play is about the ‘never-ending fight for true love’, a philsophy which many of us fail to follow. The story beautifully portrays how giving-up on your soulmate can be the worst decision of your life.

The play starts with a couple filing for divorce and soon enters into a flashback of their happy times together as a married couple – sweet memories of how they used to care for each other and the dream of doing things they used to love and of the window where they both used to sit together during the rainy season and enjoy coffee together. After a series of events and realisation of how life was much better when they were together, they concluded it’s worth it to give their marriage another chance and to fight for something they never actually wanted to give-up.

The play is a masterpiece as far as direction goes. Very well crafted scenes are blended with apt use of stage set-ups. The director understood each actor’s strength and utilised it at the right places to bring out impactful performances.

It was the acting -the display of emotions – that stole the show. The timing of different scenes, lighting and the background score which kept the audience into the play. You know the characters are embedded so deep in the actor’s skin when you see the audience in tears.

By Prateek Singh for DU Beat

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DU Dhaba

Go Dessert hopping in Delhi on a budget

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To say that Delhi is known for its food is to state the obvious. The city, with the multiplicity of cultures flowing through it, presents to you some of the most savory desserts and sweets. This list will come in handy to satiate your sweet cravings:

1. Mud Cake, Coffee House

The Mud cake is as delicious as it gets in this basement café in Majnu ka Tilla. The richness of flavors gives you multiple foodgasms. And it is so light on the pocket, too!

2. Banoffee Pie, YOLO 21

You only live once, and shouldn’t live without having tried their Banoffee pie. A meal there is heaven, and the banoffee pie, with its layers is the metaphorical cherry on top. Crunchiness and sweetness combine well in this dessert.

Dessert Hopping Page 6 2

3. Apple Jalebi, Café Lota

A crunchy slice of apple transformed into a jalebi with a gooey inside. Couple that with coconut chutney, and we have a terrific combination to tame your sweet pangs.

4. Red velvet, Maison Des desserts

Richness takes a new meaning in desserts here. HKV houses this dessert factory which, although heavy on the pocket, you can still enjoy a lavish ending to your meal on your birthday.

5. Chocolate velvet Cake, Big Chill Cakery

The smooth texture of the cake will have you drooling over its very sight. If that is not enough, a wide range of mouth-watering desserts await you here.

Dessert Hopping Page 6 1

6. Froyo, Cocoberry

Short for Frozen Yoghurt, this is sinful yoghurt with toppings. This is more preferable in summers, when shelving extra for something cool doesn’t hurt.

7. Chocolate Walnut Brownie, Ama café

Another treat from the café famous for pancakes. But in case you missed breakfast here, the brownie will totally make up for it.

8. Marbled chocolates, Sinfully yours

Chocolate in any form is sinfully ours. Desserts with some of the classiest presentations, Sinfully yours is a treat for you if you love depth and richness in your desserts.

If all else fails grab a chocolate doughnut at Dunkin Donuts or Mad Over Donuts.

All Image Credits: Kritika Narula

Kritika Narula

[email protected]

 

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DUB News

Here is what you should know before Delhi conducts Lok Sabha Polls on 10th April

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Every political process comes with a set of questions. On the 7th of April, the country went on for what is being labeled as the biggest general elections in Indian history. While on one hand, experienced players such as Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (INC) are battling at the forefront, a newly formed Aam Aadmi Party is also claiming to bring in notions of change. In the previous general elections, the total voter turn out was 57 percent and only 12 percent of the youth made it to the polling booths.

Post by DU Beat.

 

In this context, we went around the campus for MTV India’s Rock the Vote campaign to understand how much Delhi University students know about this political process everyone is talking about – the Lok Sabha elections. Before the the city goes for polling on 10th April, we felt there were few questions that should be answered, few concerns that should be resolved. In order to make sure you use your vote to the best of your ability, this post is all you need.

How many seats are there in the Lok Sabha?

The maximum strength of the Lok Sabha as envisaged by the Constitution is 552 – upto 530 members to represent the States, up to 20 members to represent the Union Territories and not more than two members of the Anglo-Indian Community to be nominated by the President, if,  in his opinion, that community is not adequately represented in the House. However, the present composition of the Lok Sabha has 545 seats, with 543 open to elections and two seats up for nominations by the President.

How many constituencies are there in Delhi?

Delhi has a total of 70 constituencies in the Vidhan Sabha and 7 constituencies in the Lok Sabha. The Lok Sabha elections taking place on 10th April, 2014 will witness elections taking place for the seven Lok Sabha seats in question.

Who is standing for elections in your constituency?

With NCT Delhi being divided in seven constituencies, it is important for a voter to know who is standing in their constituency before you vote. Here is a list of all the candidates standing in different constituencies. In order to know more about a candidate (including their financial assets), just click on their name.

Note: All data regarding the contesting candidates is sourced from Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR)’s portal – myneta.info.

[tabgroup][tab title=”East Delhi”]

Candidate

Party

Criminal Cases

Education

Age
Arun Thakur Samyak Parivartan Party 0 12th Pass 39
Deepak Kumar IND 0 12th Pass 31
Dr. Nabhit Kapur Naya Daur Party 0 Doctorate 26
Jagannath Tiwari IND 0 12th Pass 39
Jai Ram Lal JKNPP 0 10th Pass 79
Kumar Vivek Gautam IND 0 Graduate 32
Mahesh Giri BJP 1 10th Pass 39
Manjeet Singh IND 0 Graduate Professional 26
Manju Chhibber RPI(A) 0 Graduate 58
Mohammad Shakeel Saifi BSP 1 Literate 42
Mohammed Naeem IND 1 10th Pass 37
Mohd Naseer Peace Party 0 8th Pass 39
Mohd Shahid Siddiqui AITC 0 12th Pass 51
Ompal Singh Kalyankari Jantantrik Party 0 Graduate 44
Padam Chand IND 0 10th Pass 61
Praveen Kumar Bhartiya Jan Manch 0 8th Pass 33
Prem Singh Socialist Party (India) 0 Doctorate 57
Rajesh Ambedkar National Congress 0 Graduate 45
Rajmohan Gandhi AAP 0 Post Graduate 78
Ram Briksh Mall Hindusthan Nirman Dal 0 Post Graduate 58
Sandeep Dikshit INC 0 Post Graduate 49
Shakeel Ahmed Jai Maha Bharath Party 0 12th Pass 32
Virendra Mayer Samajwadi Janata Party (Rashtriya) 0 Graduate 60

[/tab] [tab title=”West Delhi”]

Candidate

Party

Criminal Cases

Education

Age
Babu Singh Dukhiya IND 1 Graduate 57
Charan Jeet Singh AIFB 0 Post Graduate 46
Deepak Kumar Rashtriya Janadhikar Party 0 8th Pass 30
Dinesh Kumar Akhand Bharat Samaj Party 0 10th Pass 34
Har Gobind Arora SHS 1 12th Pass 42
Istak Khan IND 0 5th Pass 38
Jarnail Singh AAP 0 Post Graduate 41
Jarnail Singh S/O Gurbax Singh IND 0 8th Pass 59
Jarnail Singh S/O Rajinder Singh IND 0 10th Pass 44
Karam Chand Lathwal Bhartiya Pragatisheel Congress 0 Post Graduate 48
Mahabal Mishra INC 1 12th Pass 59
Parvesh Sahib Singh BJP 1 Post Graduate 36
Raj Pal Singh BSP 0 Graduate 51
Rakesh Kumar Bhartiya Janta Dal (Integrated) 0 10th Pass 31
Sunil Sourabh IND 0 Post Graduate 45
Uday Kumar Singh Bahujan Mukti Party 0 12th Pass 31
Virender Mohan Vats IND 0 Graduate 56

[/tab][tab title=”Chandni Chowk”]

Candidate

Party

Criminal Cases

Education

Age
Abdul Amir Amiro IND 0 5th Pass 44
Ajay Kumar Khemka Kalyankari Jantantrik Party 0 Graduate 41
Altaf Husain Bhartiya Janta Dal (Integrated) 0 12th Pass 40
Ashutosh AAP 3 Post Graduate 48
Ashutosh Mudgil IND 0 8th Pass 38
Balram Bari IND 0 8th Pass 47
Bir Singh Soni IND 0 12th Pass 46
Dhan Raj Chauhan Naya Daur Party 0 8th Pass 53
Dildar Hussain Beg IND 0 12th Pass 44
Dr. Harsh Vardhan BJP 2 Post Graduate 59
Dr. Tarun Kumar Vishva Shakti Party 0 Graduate Professional 33
Gagan Rastogi IND 0 Graduate 30
Hariom Sharma AITC 0 10th Pass 49
Jag Mohan Singh Bakshi Atulya Bharat Party 0 12th Pass 54
Jagjeet Singh Bharatiya Gaon Taj Dal 0 10th Pass 0
Kapil Sibal INC 0 Graduate Professional 65
Md Afaq Jai Maha Bharath Party 0 5th Pass 49
Mohd Mursaleem Peace Party 0 12th Pass 39
Musarrat Jahan Rashtriya Janmorcha 0 Graduate 49
Narendra Kr Pandey BSP 0 12th Pass 48
Rashmi Kashyap Bhartiya Pragatisheel Congress 0 10th Pass 55
Sanjay Gandhi Braj Vikas Party 0 12th Pass 0
Surender Singh IND 0 Graduate 42
Tariq Mirza RPI(A) 0 8th Pass 29
Vijay Shankar Chaubey IND 0 12th Pass 42

[/tab] [tab title=”New Delhi”]

Candidate

Party

Criminal Cases

Education

Age
Ajay Makan INC 1 Post Graduate 50
Anjuman Agnihotri IND 0 12th Pass 53
Ashish Khetan AAP 0 Post Graduate 38
Biswajit Ranjit Chatterjee AITC 0 12th Pass 77
Dalchand IND 0 8th Pass 52
Devi Singh Rashtriya Jankranti Party 0 Post Graduate 33
Dheeraj Puri SHS 0 10th Pass 35
Ghanshyam Dass IND 0 10th Pass 57
Harkrishan Das Nijhawan IND 1 12th Pass 50
K P Sankaran Menon IND 0 Doctorate 68
Lakshmi Narayan Bharatiya Bahujan Party 0 8th Pass 46
Lukman Khan IND 2 5th Pass 52
Meena Singla Poorvanchal Rashtriya Congress 0 Graduate 44
Narendra Singh Rawat IND 0 12th Pass 43
Naveen Chandra Naya Daur Party 0 Graduate 40
Nikhil Sablania IND 0 Graduate Professional 34
Padmaja Kandukuri IND 0 Not Given 50
Pradeep Varma Bharat Vishal Party 0 Graduate Professional 49
Ramanuj Patel Samyak Parivartan Party 0 12th Pass 36
Ratheesh IND 0 Graduate 26
Ravi Kumar Gupta IND 0 12th Pass 66
Rubina Khan IND 0 Graduate 27
Smt. Meenakshi Lekhi BJP 0 Graduate Professional 46
Solomon George BSP 0 Post Graduate 50
Sujeet Jha Bhartiya Janta Dal (Integrated) 0 12th Pass 30
Sunita Chaudhary JKNPP 0 10th Pass 36
Swadesh Ohri Atulya Bharat Party 0 12th Pass 72
Ved Prakash IND 0 10th Pass 56
Vishal Khosla IND 0 12th Pass 51

[/tab] [tab title=”North East Delhi”]

Candidate

Party

Criminal Cases

Education

Age
A.K. Aggarwal Agar Jan Party 1 10th Pass 47
Abdul Sami Salmani BSP 0 Others 58
Ali Husan IND 0 5th Pass 40
Amit Kumar Sharma IND 0 Graduate 38
Anand Kumar AAP 0 Doctorate 64
Dan Bahadur Yadav IND 0 Graduate 50
Dharamveer Singh Rashtriya Ekta Party 1 10th Pass 50
Dinesh Pal Singh IND 0 8th Pass 35
H.K. Mahendru IND 0 8th Pass 78
Harsh Kumar IND 0 Graduate Professional 38
Jai Prakash Agarwal INC 0 Graduate 69
Manoj Tiwari BJP 0 Post Graduate 43
Mohd Arif Siddique AITC 0 Illiterate 26
Mohd Hasnan Khan JKNPP 0 5th Pass 33
Mohd. Hasnain IND 2 10th Pass 55
Mukesh Kumar Arora IND 0 Graduate 40
Narendra Sharma SUCI(C) 0 Post Graduate 68
Om Dutt Sharma SHS 2 12th Pass 49
Pradesh Kumar Ambedkar National Congress 0 Post Graduate 31
Rajan Lal Bharatiya Republican Paksha 0 Graduate Professional 36
Ramesh Singh Siral Naya Daur Party 0 8th Pass 40
Roshan Ali National Loktantrik Party 0 Not Given 56
Vinay Bharatiya Sarvodaya Kranti Party 0 12th Pass 29

[/tab] [tab title=”North West Delhi”]

Candidate

Party

Criminal Cases

Education

Age
Basant Panwar BSP 0 8th Pass 46
Bhup Singh IND 0 Graduate Professional 77
Dharamraj Bhartiya Pragatisheel Congress 0 8th Pass 40
Inder Singh Asankhya Samaj Party 0 10th Pass 51
Jodhraj Paharia IND 0 Illiterate 65
Kamini Kaur IND 0 8th Pass 49
Krishna Tirath INC 0 Graduate 58
Rajesh Kumar Rashtriya Bahujan Hitay Party 0 10th Pass 41
Rakhi Birla AAP 0 Post Graduate 27
Ram Karan Sauran IND 0 Graduate 60
Shailender Kumar IND 0 Graduate 34
Sunil Chhikara IND 3 Graduate Professional 42
Udit Raj BJP 1 Doctorate 56
Vijay Kumar RPI(A) 0 Graduate 39

[/tab] [tab title=”South Delhi”]

Candidate

Party

Criminal Cases

Education

Age
D K Chopra IND 1 Graduate 68
Devinder Kumar Sehrawat AAP 0 Post Graduate 48
Dushmanta Kumar Giri IND 1 Doctorate 54
Hafiz Mustaq Jan Samanta Party 0 Illiterate 53
Kiran Pal Singh IND 0 8th Pass 63
Mohan Kanuga JKNPP 0 Post Graduate 66
Naresh Kumar IND 0 Illiterate 50
Ombir Bharatiya Bahujan Party 0 12th Pass 51
Rakesh Kumar IND 0 10th Pass 42
Ramesh Bidhuri BJP 4 Graduate Professional 52
Ramesh Kumar INC 0 10th Pass 58
Ruby Yadav IND 0 Post Graduate 33
Sanjay Kumar Rai BSP 1 12th Pass 47
Shahid IND 0 10th Pass 38
Shri Chand Tanwar CPI 0 8th Pass 68
Sreerupa Mitra Chaudhury AITC 0 Post Graduate 49
Sumant Kumar IND 1 Graduate 51
Sunil Kumar IND 0 10th Pass 38
Tej Pal Singh IND 0 10th Pass 38

[/tab][/tabgroup]

What is NOTA?

Let us assure you, this word being thrown in political debates has nothing to do with terrorism (please watch the video below to understand further).

None of the above (NOTA) is an option on the EVM for people who are not satisfied with any of the candidates running in their constituency.  You should know it is not akin to ‘Right To Reject’ where if a certain percentage of the voters choose the latter option, the elections are cancelled and all the candidates have to be changed by the parties. In India, even if a majority of the voters choose NOTA, the candidate getting the most number of votes will win the contest. (No, a hung parliament or President’s rule do not follow a scenario with majority of votes casted for NOTA)

There is something called a manifesto (and you should read it)

An election manifesto is a document released by a party or candidate with the agenda of what all would one seek to fulfill if brought to power. Irrespective of whether these promises are actually converted to actions, in order to make an informed choice, it is only sensible to go through what each party is promising. After all, you don’t want to support a party or candidate that have something against your beliefs in their agenda, right?

To make things easier, here are the links to the manifestos of the three major political parties: Indian National Congress (INC) | Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) | Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) 

To see more videos of how Delhi University answered our questions visit DU Beat’s Instagram account. Share your opinions with @du_beat and @mtvindia using #RockTheVote.

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DUB Speak

A teenager’s expedition to G.B. Road – ‘the land of pink nipples’

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 Bucket List (Class 9)
 Point No 3. Visit a brothel.

The fact that I never mentioned the reason to visit, goes in my favour today. Half of what was needed is achieved. The biggest red light area of the capital, Garstin Bastion Road (well known as GB Road), had an eighteen year old kid (adult?) paying a visit to what is also known as the ‘land of pink nipples’.

The fear to take up the challenge was always at the back of my mind. So visiting the area after 7pm, when the business there gets into its vibrant mode, was not an option.

12 Noon– New Delhi Metro station

The autowala gave the most indescribable look and winked at me, when I asked him, “Bhaiya, GB Road.” He tried to tell me that he would take me to the best kotha of the region. (I was wondering if it was kotha no 64, since that is famous). But I chose to walk. The weird part is that one would never know when ‘that area’ comes and passes you until and unless you see a fat lady in a red blouse looking out of a barred window from the first floor. She is probably the head of all those sex workers in there. Excited, I suddenly took out my camera and she shut the window.

I moved on. A place with worn out rickshaw pullers, disinterested shopkeepers and an unpleasant smell, it could only be famous for one thing. Suddenly someone patted me from behind. “Bhaisahab, khoye khoye lag rahe ho, 600 mein aapki umar ki, abhi.”
He was a pimp. And here the illusion broke. The business goes on during the day-time as well, in those small low sheltered rooms above those local shops.

A little scared and a little surprised, I could not see any policeman nearby. “Do they not monitor the area?” I asked myself. “What a life these shopkeepers lead here! What a life!” – I thought and laughed. With this I saw a panwaala, who during our five minute conversation told me about what a newcomer (Yes, newcomer. I would consider going again.) like me never knew. I was asked to be aware of pimps and pickpockets. He told me about the plight of women (and girls) in there. Women are generally forced into this work. The kothawaalis (or prostitutes) are not allowed out of their kothas during the day time. They come down at night, only to take back a few costumers up those tightly structured stairs. There were certain obvious questions in my mind for the panwaala, but then it was my first time and I wanted to go back home fast.

To my relief I saw a police station right there. I asked the hawaldaar bhaiya there, “Bhaiya mujhe kisi kothe mein andar jaana hai. Kisi se baat karni hai. Unko jaan na hai.” But since then I am thinking about what he said. “Nikal lo beta. Yahan koi kisi ko ni jaanta. Randiyon ko koi nahi samajh sakta.”

It is a place where world seems dead and these tavaifs are kept in dingy rooms only to be neglected (and used). They smile on their face, while signalling someone to come in, but they themselves want to come out of that place, I suppose. But some stories are untold.

While forming that bucket list, I wanted to know how these brothels work and the concept that this profession undertakes. But I also questioned myself, “Is paid sex actually unethical?” I honestly still wish to visit kotha number chausath(64). ((Oh, I forgot to tell you. I got 4 flying kisses, too).

With these thoughts I took the road back to the New Delhi Metro station. As I was walking, I saw a woman calling out to me silently while applying red lipstick on her lips. But this time, I didn’t take out my camera. I just smiled and left.

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Campus Central

King's College opens applications for Delhi Summer School 2014

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King’s College, one of the premier institutes of London is all geared up to extend your horizon. Like last year, Delhi Summer School is offering a variety of courses for undergraduate students. Taught by King’s academicians, it aims to impart international education to Indian students. King’s College London is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge, learning and understanding in various fields of education. This time the sessions will be held at Delhi University’s Miranda House College and Lady Shri Ram College for Women and will be conducted over two sessions. The summer school holds sessions in Mumbai as well. In Delhi, the first session will commence from 2nd June 2014 and will end on 13th June. It will cover multifarious and unconventional themes like Education & Neuroscience, International Political Economy, Media, Gender & Culture, The Art of Leadership, and The Entrepreneur: Skills & Smart Thinking. The second session is scheduled from 16th to 27th June. In this session students will learn about International Relations: theory & practice, Introduction to International Conflict Resolution, The Global City: Key Urban Challenges (and Solutions) in the 21st century. “Being associated with King’s College is in itself a matter of pride”, exclaimed one of the students of the batch of 2013. Another student said, “It’s a once in a lifetime experience, we get to learn so much, and the professors are amazing. This is very different from our graduation course, the interactive sessions and thought-provoking techniques inculcate out of the box thinking” The course will cost you Rs. 25,000. Applications opened on 20 January 2014 and the last date of submission is 30 April 2014. To apply, you can either contact your respective college ambassadors or register here.]]>

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Arts & Culture

Characters come alive at 4th Annual Indian Comic Con

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The 4th Annual Indian Comic Con kick started on Friday, 7th of February 2014 at Thyagaraj Stadium, Delhi. Four years ago the Comic Con began as an attempt to promote the culture of comic books in India and bring together creators as well as comic book fans all over India. The convention saw a large number of people be it infants, adolescents, adults or the elderly as everyone came together to celebrate this festival of comics.

BeFunky_Chromatic_1gyu

The stadium was packed with delhiites as they explored the convention and the new comics being released by various publishers and artists. Campfire Graphic Novels launched a World War One graphic novel, Holy Cow Entertainment launched two issues of their Aghori series and Orange Radius Entertainment launched a collector’s edition of their Parshu series. Comic Con gave all comic fans a worthwhile shopping weekend as well with merchandise varying from t-shirts to collectibles to glow in the dark boxers! Harry Potter fans could find their favourite wands or Harry’s Gryffindor sweatshirt, The LOTR fandom had a replica of the ring engraved with the inscription from the book driving them crazy while the Hunger Games fans could also find lockets and other merchandise to keep them happy. The V for Vendetta mask gained a lot of popularity this year as almost everyone could be seen flaunting it.

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It was no less than a film festival as fans dressed up as their favourite comic or movie characters and showed off their talents in a contest for the best comic-character costume, you could see Jack Sparrow and his drunken antics, Jadis the White Witch of Narnia, Wolverine showing off his fighting skills, Hiccup and Toothless from How To Train Your Dragon, Spiderman, Batman, a desi version of Supergirl in the form of Super Kudi and many more.

Adding to the convention were talks by famous comic book writers – David Lloyd who has illustrated for V for Vendetta, Mark Waid who has worked with DC comics and worked on Flash, Superman and Captain America for Marvel comics, Gabriel B and Fabio Moon twin brothers known for their work in Casanova and The Umbrella Academy and John Layman who has also written for DC and Marvel comics. Their talks inspired budding artists in India who hung onto every word they said.

Image credits: Satchit Basu

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DUB Speak

Capturing through the lens: A story of Daryaganj in Delhi

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Daryaganj is a bittersweet journey. As the day commences, it reminds us of a past that seems within our grasp, and as the sun sets, a far-away past who’s good is interred with its bones. Fittingly then, on Lord’s Day, there is a resurrection, but of a different kind. Push-carts and cartons spill over with history, of tales of our truth and lies. The footfalls on the path increase in all kinds of volume, some tales are picked up while the others get buried again, only to be re-told on another day. And we scurry along, to capture this graveyard shift, to stitch it again with the fabric of the city.

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Faint stirrings of the dawn when the dead awaken…
…Man sits up to a distant rumbling.
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The streets begin clearing with the coming of the hour…
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But the bearer still sleeps with his feet in the clouds.
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The cobwebs melt away with the morning dew…
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With which the undertaker stirs his magical brew.
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The doors open, drawing out another world of truths and lies…
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…Of forgotten dreams that broke on forgotten mornings, the hearse ferries them to life.
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The merchants of sacrilege, burst the coffins open and the tomes rise.
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The doors are locked in vain as the pages continue to proliferate; The passerby looks on in horror.
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And the outnumbered man, in dismay.
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But, the brew is ready to be served and the graveyard shift is in motion.

About the project: When a banker, an architect, a space designer, a pharmacist and two engineers come together, they capture poetry in pictures. Project Daryaganj is a product of the visual communication initiative by the Young India Fellowship Programme. 100 fellows from diverse backgrounds have come together to capture the essence of Delhi under the banner project of “Dastaan Ae Dilli”. For more such work on the Delhi we love, do visit  https://www.facebook.com/YIF.Dilli.

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Top Picks

5 worst things about the winter season

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There are countless shades to the very famous Dilli ki sardi. While we have already mentioned the ‘best things’ about the same, the negative side had still remained unanswered. After all, with that gajar ka halwa, there also exists the zero level of productivity. With all that capacity to snuggle in a blanket, there exists the inability to wake up for a morning class.

Here is a list of all that makes us despise the winter season.

1. General Malaise

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Noses seem to be affected the worst in winters. Either they remain perpetually runny or blocked solid, or even worse, when both nostrils decide to go separate ways. Add chapped lips and flaky scalps to the mix and you have the perfect reason for never wanting to step out of your bed. Winter brings us all down; it’s called the season of gloom for a reason.

2. Heating systems that give you a headache

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What is it with public heating systems?  Instead of providing a welcoming and cozy environment, the Delhi Metro heaters can make you feel stuffy and extremely uncomfortable. Even otherwise, artificial heating in an enclosed area means stale and smelly air. It just gets worse when you step out from the humid furnace to face a blast of cold air on your face and go around with a head ache for the rest of the day. I obviously speak from experience.

3. Productivity Level = zilch

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Short days, somber spirits. On most winter holidays, making it out of bed before 10 seems like a huge accomplishment in itself. At a time when dragging yourself from one couch to another is all the energy you can muster, getting anything done seems almost impossible. Before you know it, it’s already dark outside, and another day goes far from utilised.

4. The inability to wake up for early morning classes

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8:45 class? NO. Anything that involves getting out of the blanket ever? NO.

Sigh. But life ain’t that fair buddy. Despite the morning chill,  society practices and early morning classes just don’t stop. Well, the most difficult task in the season is surely getting out of bed.

5. Too cold and no snow

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So we’re braving temperatures as low as 5 degrees, we’re walking around in big, wooly, itchy sweaters, and we’re dealing with static electricity, but we still don’t get to enjoy the snow. Delhi winter is harsh, but not even half as fun as it could have been, had there been snow. Not only would that alleviate gloomy moods instantly, but maybe also helped cancel some morning classes. But what can I say, I’m just a dreamer.

Image credit: tumblr.com

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