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Celebrations Result in Lathi Charge

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Congress’ student wing NSUI (National Students’ Union of India) made a clean sweep at the DUSU polls on Saturday 15th September by winning all three top posts of President, Vice-President and Secretary. After the results were announced, the losing side (ABVP activists) started pelting stones at the ABVP office, broke through the tight security and barricades. Subsequently, Delhi Police had to lathi charge the gathered ABVP activists while they shouted anti-Congress slogans and demanded the recounting of votes. ABVP suspects something fishy behind the counting of votes.

ABVP isn’t satisfied behind the counting process as they alleged rigging in the elections and staged protest at the DUSU Office breaking the windows and destroying the DUSU Office property. “Everything was done with calculated planning and even the DUSU officials made sure that NSUI wins. Congress MPs Depender and Bhupender Singh Hooda were seen at 6 am on campus. We were even given a deaf ear and thrown out of the DUSU Office when we demanded recounting” said Rohit Chahal, regional leader, ABVP.

Some students who were injured were taken to Hindu Rao hospital while some students who were critically injured were taken to AIIMS Trauma Centre. “It’s not about winning or losing the polls. It’s about the way Delhi Police reacted when our students demanded recounting of votes. I hope DUSU officials look into the matter and do the needful.” said a disappointed Vijay Goyal, BJP Leader.

The ABVP has also called for a bandh across the University to protest against these alleged malpractices during  counting of votes.

 

Picture credits: Sawdha Singh and Aishwarya Chaurasia

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Arts Faculty

Nowhere to Go

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The office of The Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) on Chhatra Marg in North Campus is under lock and key and is awaiting demolition to make way for new lecture halls for students following post graduate courses in Delhi University. This is being done due to the dearth of space in the Arts Faculty to hold these classes.  The four member DUSU panel has, quite literally, nowhere to go.

Following the implementation of the reservation of seats for OBC candidates, DU has had to increase the number of seats it offers. However there is not sufficient space in the existing faculties of DU to accommodate these students. Therefore, a new faculty is being constructed for these students in place of the erstwhile DUSU office. The four member DUSU panel has temporarily taken up office in a few rooms of the Proctor’s Office. The new DUSU office is supposed to be built in between the Arts Faculty and the Campus Law Centre on Chhatra Marg in North Campus.

Says Kriti Wadhera, Vice President of DUSU, “Our basic aim is to work for the welfare of the students of Delhi University. Therefore, we have agreed to shift our office from the old one to the new one, when it is completed, even though it is less accessible and smaller as the students’ interests are paramount.” However, it seems that this new office that is being built is also temporary as there are talks of a Secretariat being built for DU which will reportedly house not only the DUSU office, but that of the Dean, the Proctor, Delhi University Teachers’ Association and so on as several other official buildings of DU are also slated for demolition.

However, the construction of the new office and the demolition of the old office was to be completed by the 15th of October so that DUSU could finally take up office at one place after Diwali, but these commitments have not been met, much to the displeasure of DUSU. Says Manoj Chaudhary, President of DUSU, “We were promised that we would be able to commence our affairs from the new office after Diwali, but the construction is nowhere near completion even now (16th October). So we will hold a meeting on the 20th to deliberate on the current state of affairs. If things continue this way, we will start a protest to get the old office reopened, probably from the 21st.”

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Uncategorized

The Politician in Us

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Politics and politicians- we all love to hate them. Be it at the national level or the Delhi University Students’ Union or our respective college student unions- we love to heap scorn on the nature of politics and raise our noses in disdain. The politicians don’t care about us, they are all just driven by their own personal agenda and just further them under the garb of doing acts for public welfare, we say. And an obvious consequence of this derision is considering our selves above this very popularly considered immoral, ignoble and unscrupulous activity. However, it is extremely hypocritical of us as we politicize almost every aspect of our own lives.

Basically the popular perception of a politician is a person who influences group opinion in his or her favor, irrespective of whether it will be beneficial for the group as a whole. Now, don’t we all do that? Except for the few people who are the epitomes of selflessness or are exceptionally blunt, we all engage in the very act that we all deride. Of course it is at a personal level. Various examples can be given on this count. Like scheduling a mass bunk on a day you really can’t come to college. Now why should everyone else not come if one person cannot? Why should everybody else suffer the missed attendances and the unfinished syllabus? But many a time we try really hard for this to happen. Of course to do this, you wouldn’t go about telling your classmates not to come because you have to get your hair dyed. You would go about lying, trying to give them to reason to not come when there really isn’t a reason. It would involve cooking up a story, which could be anything from a terrorist threat to calling an innocuous sneeze a definite symptom of impending death, depending upon the gullibility of your classmates, of course. Now, isn’t this wrong, immoral and unscrupulous in the very way politicians are infamous of being?

Another thing politicians are notorious for is doing whatever is possible and being in the good books of the people who can pull a few strings here and there, or somebody who could help you out. Well don’t we like to appease the people in the administrative offices of our colleges? Don’t we try very hard not to miff the person who makes really good notes? Don’t we all suck up to our teachers because they control our internals’ marks? Of course we will be bitching about them behind their backs, but as long as the sugary sweet façade is in place, the show goes on.

So, on the whole, we shouldn’t really just blame our politicians for being politicians. We all have a Machiavelli in us too and I think that’s what spices up our otherwise mundane routine. Acknowledge that politician in you and keep up the politics!

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News

The time to vote

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The campus is yet again preparing itself for another round of elections. This time, it is the annual elections of Delhi University Students Union, which are expected to be held on September 4. However, contrary to the usual pattern, the varsity, which is extremely cluttered with flyers during peak election season, has witnessed very little canvassing this year around.

This can be attributed to the code of conduct set by the varsity on the lines of the Supreme Court judgment and stringent reinforcing of the recommendations of the Lyngdoh reforms.

As per this code of conduct, candidates are prohibited from using printed posters, printed pamphlet, or any other printed material for the purpose of canvassing.  Only handmade posters can be utilised for this purpose, provided their cost it is within the allocated budget of Rs 5000.To avoid disturbance around the campus  and avoid wastage of resources, the use of vehicles or loudspeakers too is not permitted . Hostels, usually the prime ground for canvassing, are off limits for campaigning post 10 p.m.

However, authorities have come up with alternate arrangements so that candidates can familiarize voters with their agenda without disturbing the regular functioning of the university.

A Website has been hosted by Delhi University Computer Centre to upload the propaganda material.  The candidates shall be allowed a fixed time on DU Community Radio 100.4 for campaigning post August 27. However the material to be put on the website and on air has to be checked and approved by the chief election officer to avoid any objectionable content.

The publication of the final list of candidates is to be announced on the 27th of August.

Polling will take place 8 days afterwards.

Students attending morning classes can cast their vote anytime between 8 30 a.m. to 12: 30 p.m. Those students attending evening classes can do the same from 3 p.m to 7 p.m.

In light of this situation, students generally felt that the strict implementation of the prescribed code of conduct is a positive step towards a more systematic and transparent election and may encourage a greater voter turn out this year.

The campus is yet again preparing itself for another round of elections. This time, it is the annual elections of Delhi University Students Union, which are expected to be held on September 4. However, contrary to the usual pattern, the varsity, which is extremely cluttered with flyers during peak election season, has witnessed very little canvassing this year around.

This can be attributed to the code of conduct set by the varsity on the lines of the Supreme Court judgment and stringent reinforcing of the recommendations of the Lyngdoh reforms.

As per this code of conduct, candidates are prohibited from using printed posters, printed pamphlet, or any other printed material for the purpose of canvassing. Only handmade posters can be utilised for this purpose, provided their cost it is within the allocated budget of Rs 5000.To avoid disturbance around the campus and avoid wastage of resources, the use of vehicles or loudspeakers too is not permitted . Hostels, usually the prime ground for canvassing, are off limits for campaigning post 10 p.m.

However, authorities have come up with alternate arrangements so that candidates can familiarize voters with their agenda without disturbing the regular functioning of the university.

A Website has been hosted by Delhi University Computer Centre to upload the propaganda material. The candidates shall be allowed a fixed time on DU Community Radio 100.4 for campaigning post August 27. However the material to be put on the website and on air has to be checked and approved by the chief election officer to avoid any objectionable content.

The publication of the final list of candidates is to be announced on the 27th of August.

Polling will take place 8 days afterwards.

Students attending morning classes can cast their vote anytime between 8 30 a.m. to 12: 30 p.m. Those students attending evening classes can do the same from 3 p.m to 7 p.m.

In light of this situation, students generally felt that the strict implementation of the prescribed code of conduct is a positive step towards a more systematic and transparent election and may encourage a greater voter turn out this year.

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