After protesting and ultimately being granted permission for an artist at their college fest, Confluence 2026, Hansraj College witnessed a fight breaking out, creating chaos right before the artist’s performance began.
On 9th April, 2026, Hansraj College stepped into the final day of their fest, Confluence 2026, with an artist performance by singer Vilen marking the end of their 2-day celebration. However, right before the curtains drew to a close, a fight ensued, causing chaos, commotion, and the inevitable rumours of a larger catastrophe.
Spectators reported a brutal knife stabbing incident right before the artist’s performance began, with students of Hansraj College, and even outsiders, engaging in a fight with tables and chairs being thrown around. An unofficial students’ page of Delhi University alleged that the bricks used for construction in the renovation of the Gau Shalla were thrown around by the students, and one student’s head was injured as a result. However, the alleged stabbing incident has not been confirmed yet by any official reports.
Videos shared with the Editorial Team of DU Beat showcased individuals engaging in physical fights with one another, involving punching, kicking, and stomping on an unidentified individual near what has been identified as the C Block. Reportedly, the Art Society of Hansraj, Kalakriti, had to close down its stall as it was in the direct vicinity of the incident.
Similar fights were recorded where individuals were seen running out of the college hostel gates with one unidentified individual’s shirt being torn apart, tables being thrown at him, and ultimately, him being dragged out by a group of individuals.
A student from Jesus and Mary College attending the fest stated,
There was a fight but it was before Vilen came on stage. But the concert duration was only till 5 or 5:30 and they wrapped it up pretty quickly.”
Similarly, another student from Hansraj College added,
There was an unexpectedly large crowd at the event, which became difficult to manage, especially once the artist arrived. There were instances of people climbing barricades and a lot of pushing, making it hard to even stand, particularly in the front rows. The situation was also made worse due to the hot weather. Some of the disturbance had actually started even before the artist arrived, as we noticed groups of people rushing towards the hostel gate.”
The understaffing of security and poor management due to an unprecedented crowd have been highlighted across testimonies received by the Editorial Team.
Reports, including Instagram stories shared by members of the Hansraj Students’ Union and Students’ Council, hinted at a similar chaos unfolding on Day 1—the Secretary of Hansraj College shared an Instagram story with regard to the incidents of 8th April, captioned, “Guys kal please thoda civilised behave krlo” [Guys please behave civilised tomorrow].
In one video circulated on Instagram, police officers were also seen intervening amongst the fighting students. A first-year student from Hansraj College added,
The incident at the hostel gate was the most severe one. From the information that’s being circulated, the fight involved a group of students allegedly fighting over a girl, which required police being called to handle the situation.” The same student observed that most of the rights and acts of violence were initiated by non-Hansraj students who were thereafter escorted out of the campus.
Despite the chaos that ensued, videos have been widely circulated of the singer Vilen performing with a large audience cheering, dancing, and singing along. Many students added that the fest was successful, given the protests undertaken by the Hansraj Students’ Union and the college at large, with respect to obtaining artist permission from the administration.
In an exclusive conversation with the President of the Students’ Union of Hansraj College, Abhijit Singh, he added that the majority of chaos and fights were ensued by outsiders with the intent of lobbying. He stated,
“Throughout the whole night, me and the Union were awake securing barricades for safety arrangements, however, on the day of the fest the crowd exceeded expected capacity. We tried our best to help the students and the artist performance was thereafter conducted smoothly.”
Singh additionally criticised the failure in security management from the police and noted that budget allocations were abruptly changed and payments were held by the college administration. He further stated that the stabbing incident has not been officially reported to the Union and is likely a rumour, along with issuing a clarification regarding the fight at the hostel gate; he said,
The video showcasing the fight located at the Hostel Gate is in fact Gate No 5, which is also the entry gate to the college. No fight happened within the hostel and most of the violence and chaos was orchestrated by non-Hansraj students.”
Image Source: DU Beat
Read Also: Students Secure Artist Approval After Overnight Protest at Hansraj College
Aaratrika Ghosh
