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Hindu College Suspends Students for ‘Indiscipline’ During Election

By DU Beat November 6, 2023

As a result of the protests and hunger strike staged in September, about 10 students have been suspended for one to four months.

Back in September, Hindu College made news when over 30 nominations for the positions of its ‘Prime Minister’ and ‘Central Councillors’ of the students’ union were rejected. The administration had cited low attendance as the reason, but students called it a purposeful ‘attack on democracy’. Chaos ensued as multiple protests and a hunger strike were staged by the students. About 10 students have been suspended as a result of engaging in ‘indiscipline’ during the events of this election.

The suspensions are to last one to four months, and students will be able to rejoin college after giving an undertaking stating that in the future, they will not partake in the “destruction of institutional property” and not cause “disruption in any manner of academic functioning”. Principal Anju Srivastava has said that the discipline committee of the college took this decision after investigating the issue for several days and that the decision was based on documentary evidence, which found the particular students guilty of offences of damage to college property and disruption of academics.

Further, she added that this action was not taken as a result of protesting by the students but the indiscipline that accompanied it, and that the students would need to provide a written undertaking, promising that such acts of ‘indiscipline’ will not be repeated in the future. One such act of indiscipline that was ordered into inquiry, was that the students didn’t allow the principal to exit her office during one of the protests. However, the rustications are for a finite period, depending on every individual’s level of involvement.

An explanation regarding the reason for their suspension was provided to the rusticated students. The email, dated October 27, read, “Consequent upon explanation furnished by you and proofs of your involvement shown through photos and videos in the possession of the Disciplinary Resource Committee (DRC)… found that your conduct during 15-18 September 2023, falls under the following acts of gross indiscipline under Ordinance XV-B (Maintenance of discipline among students of the university)… willful destruction of institutional property… causing disruption in any manner of the academic functioning of the University System.”

Read also: Rise in DU Law Applications

Featured image source: CNBC News

Arshiya Pathania

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Dead Cockroaches to Lizards: Hindu College’s Canteen Has It All!

By DU Beat October 3, 2023

In a recent incident, students at Hindu College spotted a dead lizard in the food ordered from the college canteen, causing several to question the quality and standards of hygiene within the canteen space.

In a bizarre turn of events in the past few days, a group of students at Hindu College spotted a dead lizard in a plate of fried rice ordered from the college canteen by a lab assistant. The incident occurred on September 26, Tuesday, and students report that a similar incident occurred nearly six months ago when a dead cockroach was found in the fried rice again.

A few students from second-year BSc. Hons Physics were present at the scene when the dead creature was spotted in the lab assistant’s food. In conversation with the Hindustan Times, one of these students shared that:

“This is not an isolated incident since barely months ago I found a cockroach in my food bought from the old canteen. We were told this carelessness will not repeat, and now this…. That’s why I’ve decided to speak up now.”

While memes have been making rounds related to “Lizard got entry into Hindu College, yet students can’t”, several students are taking up this matter seriously to the college committee. Students say that last year a verbal complaint was filed by the student body to the college committee regarding the degrading hygiene standards of the college canteen, and there is a probability of filing a written complaint this time demanding a proper explanation about the incident.

Abhay Pratap Singh, a final-year student of BA Programme at Hindu College and the student-in-charge of the canteen until last year, mentions to Hindustan Times that:

“This is the first incident of its kind in the college that has been reported to me. Due to the long weekend and the DUTA elections, we were unable to meet the students in college. But we will be meeting with the canteen committee soon to raise the issue about hygiene… The new canteen committee is yet to be formed, and at my end, we have been keeping a check on the food quality and hygiene standards and raised concerns whenever required in the past.”

The Vice-Principal of the college, Reena Jain, assures that the college administration has taken serious note of it and taken immediate action. The food contractor of the college canteen was summoned immediately, and in the distribution chain of eatables, the person accountable has been allegedly removed. Speaking to the Hindustan Times, she concludes by saying that:

“It will not be out of place to mention that our canteen has been very recently revamped, and we take all measures to keep it at the highest standards of hygiene and sanitation.”

Featured Image Credits: Keshavi Sethi For DU Beat

Priyanka Mukherjee

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North-Eastern Student of Hindu College Faces Racially-Motivated Attack

By DU Beat September 22, 2023

The following piece may be upsetting for some readers. TW// violence, racism, racial discrimination.

On September 20, 2023, a racially-motivated attack in Vijayanagara left a North-Eastern student from Hindu College critically injured on his way to a football match, leading to the team’s match forfeiture. The incident prompted condemnation and calls for unity against discrimination against Northeast students and individuals in Delhi.

On September 20, 2023, a football match was scheduled to occur at the DDA Sports Ground in Vasant Kunj, Delhi, with the combined teams of Hindu College and Ramjas College against Hansraj College. Unfortunately, en route to the match, the football captain, a North-Eastern student from Hindu College, was brutally assaulted in a racially motivated attack by a mob in New Gupta Colony, Vijayanagara.

On the way to the metro station, the student was subjected to derogatory racial slurs. Following a verbal altercation, a group of local individuals arrived on a motorcycle and escalated the situation further. The victim was physically attacked with a knife, sustaining injuries to his neck, forehead, and facial areas. The severity of the attack left him in critical condition, requiring immediate medical attention.

The authorities have identified the four perpetrators and arrested them accordingly. Due to the attack, the football team was forced to forfeit the match as well, resulting in their disqualification from further participation in the tournament. A witness who observed the incident from their balcony, remarked:

Everything unfolded in the blink of an eye… Surprisingly, very few individuals rushed to assist, and by that time, it was nearly over.

In light of the incident, the North-East Cell of Hindu College issued a statement condemning the incident and urging concerned authorities to take strict action. In a post on Instagram dated September 20, 2023, they made the following statement:

We are deeply saddened and outraged by the racially motivated attack against a North-eastern student from Hindu College. Such acts of violence and discrimination have no place in our society as a whole. In the face of hatred, we must unite as a community to fight against racism, discrimination, and violence and hatred.

Several organisations, including SFI Hindu College, WDC Hindu College, and the North East Society of Zakir Hussain Delhi College (M), have issued statements in solidarity with the victim. The North-East Cell of Hindu College has issued a statement requesting everyone to respect the privacy of the survivor.

We kindly urge everyone to refrain from sharing any images or information pertaining to this situation. We acknowledge that certain individuals are disseminating such content, so please remain vigilant in safeguarding the survivor’s privacy and preventing any disrespectful conduct. The relevant authorities are actively addressing this issue, and we are committed to ensuring that the perpetrators face the most severe penalties possible.

This incident is not an isolated one but rather sheds light on the discrimination faced by Northeastern students and individuals in Delhi. Another student from Hindu College urged,

I personally am deeply distressed and agitated by the incident happening today since I have faced the same kind of racism in Delhi. This victim is a warrior, a true hero who fights not just for himself but all NE students who have been racially abused, mocked and ridiculed. What I want to let you all know is that being students of DU, such kind of actions show a person’s lack of respect towards other humans and the intention to hurt their sentiments. I’m not asking for any special care and pampering here but let us all treat each other equally with truth, justice and peace.

Featured Image Credits: DU Beat Photo Archive

Sri Sidhvi Dindi
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Death of Democracy? Protests at Hindu College as Multiple Student Union Nominations Rejected

By DU Beat September 17, 2023

Chaos arose at Hindu College as multiple candidate nominations were rejected for the ongoing Student Union elections. Students are protesting to demand an answer from the administration for the same.

Protests are ongoing at Hindu College amidst its Student Union election procedure, where hundreds of students have staged a hunger strike. This has come as a result of the cancellation of over 30 nominations for the posts of Prime Minister and members of the Central Council at the College, without any explanation from the Principal. The students are demanding transparency from the administration, which has reportedly failed to provide any answers yet.

On September 15, the College released the final list of contesting candidates for the concerned positions. For the post of Prime Minister, only two candidates have been selected. While there are two seats for members of the Central Council, only one candidate has made the list, leaving one seat vacant.

During the nominations, scrutiny did not take place under a witness, and neither is there any video proof to rely on. The selection process has been very arbitrary and the candidates who applied have not been given any updates regarding the reason behind their rejection.

-SFI Hindu via Instagram

The situation is being referred to as “an attack on democracy” by the students, who describe this as the administration’s way of unfairly choosing candidates in order to have more control over the activities of the Student Union.

Posters Circulated on Social Media to Call for Protests in Hindu College

On the 15th, protests commenced on the campus. Posters regarding a demonstration outside the principal’s office were spread on social media, and circulating videos showed student activists entering classrooms to talk about the issue.

When we approached the administration to enquire about the rejected nominations, we were told that the principal is on leave and the office shall remain closed. We will be on a hunger strike until we receive an answer from the administration.

-Manoj Jangir, a student whose PM nomination remains cancelled.

Police forces were later deployed on and around campus, where protesters were present. In an interview covered by ‘Delhi Uptodate’, protestors claimed they were baton-charged and said their hunger strike would continue until a justification for cancelled candidatures is received from the Principal.

As of September 16, the situation remains similar. Most classes stood suspended in light of the ongoing protests.

Featured image credits: CNBC News

Arshiya Pathania
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Hindu College Reconsiders Suspensions for Students

By DU Beat May 17, 2023

After issuing suspension notices and imposing fines on students for protesting, Hindu College is reconsidering its move. The students have submitted written apologies to the administration, and the principal is reportedly willing to let students explain themselves and address their concerns.

The Hindu College administration had issued notices suspending around 40 students and demanding a fine of Rs. 10,000, citing “gross misconduct” by students protesting against the administrative decision to reduce Mecca to a one-day event. The notice firmly stated that the students would not be allowed to take their semester exams if they failed to pay the fine. It further stated that they would not be allowed to hold any post of responsibility in the future and that “any repetition of such or other misconduct in the future will be treated with the utmost strictness, to the extent of rustication”. Additionally, 15 students have received a notice for financial fraud and cheating. The notice also alleged that the protesters caused damage to college property and behaved disrespectfully towards the principal, blocking her way and not letting her attend an official meeting.

However, after some deliberation and discussions, the principal, Ms. Anju Srivastava, is reconsidering the suspension. On the evening of May 9, a day after the suspension was issued, the principal reportedly held a meeting with the students. The students put forward their demands and concerns regarding the notice and requested that it be withdrawn.

They (the students) have given us verbal apologies and written apologies. We will give students another chance to put forward their sides. We are open to discussion with them. I have asked the disciplinary committee to look into each application separately on an urgent basis. The work has started. We will soon inform the students.

– Ms. Anju Srivastava, Principal of Hindu College, in conversation with PTI

The principal stated that the students will be given a chance to explain themselves and that their apologies will be accepted. It has been stressed that every student’s application will be reanalyzed in depth. The suspension notices drew widespread criticism from students involved in the protests. The students initially stated that they would resort to protesting against the suspension and the imposition of fines if they were not withdrawn.

The RSS-affiliated student body, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), came out in support of the students and requested the administration withdraw the notice at the earliest. Despite all efforts to encourage dialogue between both sides, whether every student will be spared suspension is uncertain.

Featured Image Credits: Keshavi for DU Beat

Tulip Banerjee
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Hindu College Suspends and Issues Fines for Protesting Students

By DU Beat May 10, 2023

Hindu college students face possible suspension for having protested against the decision to reduce the 3-day college fest ‘Mecca’ to just 1. They have been asked to pay a heavy fine; failing to do so may lead to their being barred from writing exams. The affected students have held a meeting with the principal, hoping for the withdrawal of the notice.

On April 20th and 21st, students at Hindu College held protests against the administrative decision to wrap up the three-day fest “Mecca” in just one day. Eventually, the authorities allowed for a two-day fest. On May 8, more than a week after the fest, the administrative body issued a notice suspending the protesting students for two months. The notice states that the protesting students blocked the principal’s way, not allowing her to go for a meeting. It further accuses the students of causing damage to college property as well as “maligning and misrepresenting the college on social and print media platforms”. Furthermore, the students have been informed that they would be barred from writing their semester exams should they fail to pay a fine of Rs. 10,000 by May 12th. According to the notice, the students would also be barred from holding positions of responsibility in the college.

Reportedly, 30–35 students have been suspended and fined. One of our sources informed us that some of the students who have been suspended were not part of the protest but were simply part of the general crowd. They alleged that these students had been arbitrarily named and punished by the college authorities. The protestors claim that the protest was conducted in an organised and orderly manner. One of the protestors stated that the students would organise a protest against the action if the notice was not withdrawn.

What has happened is extremely wrong and arbitrary. Many of the students who are affected by this action were not part of the activity and had nothing to do with the protest. We strongly condemn this action. The protest was not organised by any political group. It was an independently organised protest by the students of our college.

– A student of Hindu College who wishes to remain anonymous

Later in the day, the student body held talks with the principal in order to discuss the concerns of both sides. One of our sources states that the outcome of the meeting is expected to be positive. During the meeting, students expressed their concerns, and the principal reportedly attempted to hear them out and responded to their demands. The students hope that the suspension order will be withdrawn, although there is still some ambiguity around the removal of the fine and the complete dismissal of the notice.

We reasoned with the principal that various students cannot afford to pay the fine as it is a humongous amount. Many of us live off less than Rs. 10,000 a month. It is cruel to demand such a large sum from students. We hope that ma’am understands our concerns and waives off the fine.

– A student of Hindu College who wishes to remain anonymous

Some of the students have their exams scheduled in less than a week, and the possibility of suspension and the imposition of a heavy fine has caused outrage and agony among many. The students are deeply disturbed by the notice and are keen on resolving the matter at the earliest possible time.

Featured Image Credits: Keshavi for DU Beat

Tulip Banerjee
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Hindu College Students Protest for Annual Fest ‘Mecca’

By DU Beat April 23, 2023

The annual festival of Hindu College, ‘Mecca’, has allegedly been put in jeopardy by an administration order to reduce the 3-day, star-studded event to just 1. Students of the college have reportedly gathered outside the college gates to stage a protest against the same.

An important cultural event in the college calendar, this year’s ‘Mecca’ was scheduled to be held on the 26th, 27th, and 28th of April, culminating in a megastar evening on the final day with Sunidhi Chauhan. Agreements had been made, and Coke Studio had signed up for sponsorship of about Rs. 34 lakhs. However, with the event just a week away, on April 20, the organising committee was informed by the college principal that the event should be wrapped up in a single day, i.e., April 28.

This order by the administration was reportedly in part due to the recent advisory issued by the University for college fests requiring NOC from the police or being limited to the students of the college. Students who have been working hard for months for this event have come out to protest against this arbitrary decision. The organising committee has also opposed this decision, saying that MOUs have been signed and all the arrangements have been made. The college administration has also allegedly made the distasteful demand that Sunidhi Chauhan be dressed in a saree; otherwise, she won’t be allowed to perform on stage, as a gimmick to stop the event from taking place.

“The admin has shown a similar attitude towards every event. We had a North-East Fest in our college which had an open entry, but the principal denied that just one day before the event. They’ve always opposed Mecca from the first day, but if they’re letting it happen, why cancel at the last moment? Coke Studio can easily file a case against the OC head of Mecca for breaking the MOUs.” – Devesh Arya, a third-year student at Hindu College

According to sources, various protesters allegedly came to the college on the night of the 20th, breaking the locks of the gates and protesting for Mecca to be held according to the original itinerary of 3 days. The next morning, they reportedly didn’t let the professors into the college as a sign of protest. Later in the day, they shifted their protest to the principal’s office. While some students alleged that protesting students were detained by the police and lathi charged, others have claimed otherwise. On the same day, i.e., the 21st of April, the principal issued a notice stating that they “were anguished to the state that they were left with no choice but to seek police assistance”.

“Students have crowded outside the auditorium since last night; they’ve spread the mattresses and are continuously protesting. Since then, the principal has also made many attempts to leave the premises, but every time was stopped by protesting students.” – An eyewitness from Hindu College

Many people in the organizing committee claimed having their own money pitched in, but now that there are limitations on the people allowed to attend the event, the students fear that the sponsors will back out and also tarnish the name of the college.

“We don’t have any additional demand; we just want to continue with the same old format that Mecca used to happen. This is all our demand, and as long as it’s not fulfilled, we will continue to protest. A meeting with the principal happened, but no response was received.” – Prabal Mishra, a student of Hindu College and Junior Executive Head in PR

Featured Image Credits: Devesh Arya for DU Beat

Samra Iqbal
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Foreign Ties: a Conversation with an Exchange Student in DU

By DU Beat March 16, 2023

Did you know that the University of Delhi offers a Student Exchange Program? DU Beat recently got in touch with Dominik, an exchange program student from Austria who’s currently enrolled in Hindu College, University of Delhi. Read on to find out all about this program from a candid conversation with Dominik and his journey so far.

Applying to Attend Delhi University

A history student from the University of Vienna, Dominik is currently enrolled in Hindu College as an exchange program student. Talking about his experiences while applying for the program, he says,

“It was a long process. It took me six months to get everything through. It could have taken even longer if I hadn’t begun on time.” – Dominik

The University of Delhi is in a partnership with the University of Vienna under which students and professors from the two universities are given the opportunity of an exchange program, post a rigorous selection process. In stark contrast with Delhi University’s generally ignorant and secretive nature surrounding the student exchange program, Dominik talks about his home university’s efforts in helping him contact a previously unresponsive DU.

“Getting in touch with the University was the hardest part. My home university professors would constantly email on behalf of me and helped me get in touch with Delhi University. This followed extensive research on available courses and colleges.” – Dominik

A mandatory prerequisite for the program is a language proficiency test. For Dominik, he was required to submit his English language proficiency test scores. The next crucial stage involves several rounds of interview sessions with professors and exchange program officers, who evaluate the student’s overall suitability for the program. The important documents which are essential to be kept handy are a motivation letter, CV, cover letter and academic transcripts.

“It’s so hard to get anything done, get a signature or a stamp. They send you back and ask you to come back later, and there’s no actual reason for it.” – Dominik

University Culture

The conversation further delved into life at university and the cultural aspects of it. Dominik shares,

“One thing that’s great about the university culture here is that you are really close to your professors. They know your name, they really help you out, you have their phone number. This is something which is unimaginable in Austria.” – Dominik

He further emphasised on the attendance system in Austrian universities, saying,

“One thing that’s really different in Austria is that we don’t have an attendance policy, you have a choice whether to attend classes, so there’s a lot of freedom and time to pursue other things that way.” – Dominik

Academic Contrasts

The selection of your course is a crucial step involved and conducting extensive background research before applying is a good idea. Dominik shares his personal experience of going through hundreds of answers posted on websites which eventually helped him make the choices. Availability of a certain course or paper also plays an important role, since unlike Austrian universities, Delhi University has a pre-structured curriculum. Discussing academics, Dominik adds,

“In Austria, you can choose amongst various different courses and you have the option to decide which course to study in which semester. In the framework of sixteen credits, you can build your own course so to say and try out what suits you best.” – Dominik

Speaking of his experience of studying history in Delhi University, he comments,

“You can learn about colonial history from the victim’s side, and not from the oppressor’s side. You can feel the emotions still attached to this history, so it’s really interesting to learn from this perspective, and break free from the Eurocentric point of view of history.” – Dominik

Words of Advice

“Don’t give up. It’s a long process but it’s so worth it. There’ll be bureaucratic hurdles; all this hard work and problems will be forgotten and you’ll only have nice memories then.” – Dominik

Feature Image Credits: DU Beat

Sigy Ghosh

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Hindu College: “Straight Pride” Collective Perpetuates Homophobia

By Ankita Baidya May 3, 2022

A group of six anonymous students from Hindu College have started a Straight Pride Collective. The page that has surfaced on instagram, is constantly making use of homophobic and right wing inclined hate speeches which includes false claims and misinformation. Read to find out more about it.

With the changing times, a tone set in to bring about a modification in the place we all call home, more welcoming hands have been stretched to those who have been neglected by the perils of history. The community of LGBTQIA+ has often found itself under the sheets of neglect and unwarranted, unwelcomed chains of threats which has brought a great deal of distress to this part of our society. The growing concerns, the space to feel lost and aloof, and the lack of recognition and acknowledgement had made it quintessential to start a “collective”.

In educational spaces, the unavailability of safe and secure environments for students resonating with this community harnessed the notion to start a collective, a place where they can feel safe to be themselves. While, a notion of change and progress has been set in by them in mainstream society, there is a group of people who are creating “hindrance” to this growth.

Not long ago, a social media page was created by the name of “hcstraightpride”, which stands for Hindu College Straight Pride, on instagram. Since its inception, the account has been heavily indulged in homophophic, right wing oriented hate speech. One of the captions of their posts read “when the society loses its way, men like us have to stand up and fix it. We are men of violence, men of honour, and that of respect. We won’t stop until we take back what was snatched from us.” The noticeable thing about this is that the entire account talks about a perspective which believes in the “sin of homosexuality” and how are straight men oppressed of their freedom of speech. Additionally, it is embracing the ideologies aligned with the right wing and scrutinising what is believed to be a part of “radical left” according to this page.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdBbJk0KXOW/

In conversation with a student of Hindu College, Lovansh told DU Beat about the need to create a safe space for the community. He stated that the Hindu College Queer Collective aims at creating such a safe space and asserted that the existence of the same is a protest against the status quo. He claims that what makes the college susceptible to such attacks is the fact that queer culture in specific and student culture is general at Hindu attempts of speaking to power and therefore such an attack is an attack to the culture of Hindu College itself.

This then should concern not just the queers and allies but the entirety of Hindu College and people who wish to preserve this culture. I hope people come ahead in solidarity for this long standing protest of creating a safe space which we rightfully deserve and shall fight for.

-Lovansh Katiyar, student, Hindu College

Furthermore, a stunt was pulled off by the page to gain attention. The page made claims to have been invited by TedxHindu College to deliver a speech. To add on to these false claims, they posted a statement of solidarity from the department of Sociology of Hindu College. However, both the platform and the department took to their instagram to issue a statement in regards to the rejection of claims made by the page in question.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdDB8aEB0eW/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdDmenLjJBe/

Within the last 24 hours, the page posted what they termed as a “big reveal”. They asserted to have made false claims in order to gain attention which according to them worked. They set a trap for these platforms and they walked straight into it, as the page claims.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdDuSF4JmgE/

Besides this, the page in question posted an article on homosexuality and autism. They affirmed that homosexuality and autism are correlated as, according to them, the IQ levels of both autistic people and homosexuals lie in the same range. As the page believes, autism is an inability to perform basic tasks, communicate properly, and make use of logical reasoning which is further supported by low IQ, they have tuned in homosexuals along with the subject by stating their attraction to gliterry objects and low IQ. In the comments section, people are calling out the actions of the page by disagreeing to such accusations and calling them “ableist” and “homophobic”.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdEKBGzvrdg/

Meanwhile, as we celebrate the spirit of Eid al-Fitr which marks the end of the month of Ramadan, the page decided to change its username into “international_straight pride”. They took the step to go international in light of the support and reach they garnered from the page. To add onto the day of festivities, or rather suppressing the spirit by believing that homosexuality is a sin. According to them, one would be invalidating their duas made during ramadan if they continue to support “people of lut” or homosexuals.

Additionally, it made claims that the religious text- Manusmriti does not sustain the notions of misogyny and has been misinterpreted by ‘Tankies’, ‘socialists’, and ‘liberals’.

In conversation with the president of Students’ Federation of India Hindu College, Aditi, told DU Beat about their stand on this subject. According to her, SFI condones any sort of queerphobic tendencies in or out of the College campus. In her words, she reflected their unconditional support to the Hindu College Queer Collective.

It is imperative we note that the views shared by this dreadful page are the views of Right Wing’s regressive and reactionary ideology which has always raked up such issues to set their agenda of disturbing the atmosphere in academic institutions.

SFI shares deep rage and contempt towards those involved in these anti-student and anti-social activities.

-Aditi, President, SFI Hindu

With various students pouring in their disbelief and astonishment at the collective’s posts in their comments sections, students continue to condemn the actions of the collective in actions.

Featured Image Credits: DU Beat

Ankita Baidya

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Events

Ambrosia’22: Literature, Cinema and more

By Ankita Baidya April 20, 2022

Ambrosia 2022, the literary festival of Hindu College, took the students through the lanes of literature, cinema and more. Kick-starting it with the most anticipated session, it turned out to be a great success. Read to find out more.

On April 11 and April 13, 2022, Hindu College, University of Delhi hosted Ambrosia 2022, their literary festival. It was organised jointly by the Department of English and their literary society, Scribe. With an endless list of events and competitions, the festival turned out to be quite happening. Amidst the thrill of the fest, the first day was graced by Imtiaz Ali, a film director, producer, actor, and writer. The registered students got an opportunity to become a part of the interactive session.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CcIPHtmhruV/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

In conversation with Nikita Kochhar, the president of Scribe and Abhigya Bharthwal, general secretary of Scribe. told DU Beat about the overwhelming response they received. According to them, the hall was completely booked within one hour of releasing the form. On the main day, the hall was packed up with students and many students had to stand on the sidelines of the hall. The organisers were quite content to see the enthusiasm and response they received but then there was a slight issue of mismanagement and overcrowding. However, it was handled quite well and no such unanticipated incident took place. They had 2-3 verification check points to allow only the registered students into the session.

This session with Imtiaz Ali, which was hosted by Vineet Singh, president of the English Department and Nikita Kochhar, the president of Scribe, was followed by numerous other events and competitions including the literature quiz and paper presentation. This series of events was continued with a short band performance by ‘Aria’, the western music society of Hindu College. Then, a bake and food sale took place which was again followed by a speaker session by Shivani Sibal, the author of the book ‘Equations’.

Nikita further explained how the transition from online to offline fest was difficult. According to her, this was because the third year students were first years back then and to bring out the sponsorship and audience was a strenuous challenge. However, it was quite a fruitful experience.

The primary issue that we faced was that the students who registered did not show up. Moreover, to bring the sponsorships was a tedious job since, during the pandemic, none of the places around the college, who generally sponsor, did such a thing.

-Nikita Kochhar, President of Scribe

Besides this, there were a number of competitions in which students across various colleges participated zealously. On April 13, 2022, a Slam Poetry event, ‘Jashn-e-Ibaarat’ took place. The theme for the event was “Delhi Through Your Eyes”. Students participated in quite a number which made it the star of the day.

In conversation with the participants present at the event, told DU Beat about their experience. Unanimously, the students were excited and looking forward to this event in particular. The reason they cited was the common love for poetry that they all share and in today’s time it is quite difficult to find people who are down for poetry.

“It is thrilling to see the number of students participating in an event like slam poetry. Often, poetry gets sidelined but the essence it hides beneath the meaning is utterly beautiful. I am all geared up to perform and can’t wait to hear their poems.”

-A participant of Slam Poetry

Anchal Soni, first year student from Gargi College and Molina Singh, second year student from Gargi College tied up for the place of winners. Agrima Dwivedi, second year student from Indraprastha College for Women bagged the place of first runner-up and Anwesh Banerjee, a second year student of Ramjas College, was declared as the second runner-up for slam poetry.

This was followed by a karaoke event which captured the audience’s mind with its melody and rhythm. This competition required the budding singers to sing their choice of song with the help of lyrics that were displayed on the screen. There was no instrumental or music support provided to them. Atharv, student of Hindu College, was declared the most melodious of all, the winner of the event and Divyanshu, another student of Hindu College, was declared as the first runner-up.

The fest faced a few hiccups on its way but it was a success at the end of the day.

Umang ’22: Of Joy Unbound

Featured Image Credits: Ankita Baidya for DU Beat

Ankita Baidya

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