The Literary society of Hindu College organised a discussion on the pop icon’s win of the Nobel Prize and how it’ll affect the contours of literature and popular culture.
The ground of discussion was the contribution of Dylan in the Counter Culture movement in the US and how his music has had a universal appeal in prompting masses to sing the same lyrics in unison. Dylan’s non affiliation to any political organisation or party gave him the license to address the excesses of the American government, be it the arms race during the cold war or the civil rights movement.
The discussion also investigated the roots of poetry and the oral tradition and the connection between the two. Dylan’s penchant to create a mix of politically critical commentary with folk music was associated with traditional forms of poetry, which employ similar instruments.
In the wake of Belarusian journalist Svetlana Alexievich winning the prize in 2015 and Dylan following suit, the global community’s realisation to go beyond traditional definitions of literature was also discussed. Some participants also raised the fact that close to none of the popular authors have won the prize yet, making the Swedish Academy elitist in its definition of what constitutes literature. The prize given to Dylan ‘for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition’ was acknowledged by the singer – songwriter five days after the announcement, on his official website. But no sooner than the academy heaved a sigh of relief that Dylan removed the mention from his website. The mention read ‘winner of the Nobel prize in literature’. The participants also discussed the delay on the part of Dylan and his perceived unpleasant attitude.
That the prize was symbolic in the sense of giving boost to alternate forms of literature was acknowledged by the participants, who at the end of the discussion contemplated the future of the award and literature.
Featured Image Credits: The Literary Society, Hindu College
Founded by the students of the college, this organisation functions on the basic premise that human rights are not optional.
Although, the preamble of the Indian Constitution is based on human rights and there are many laws in place to protect the aforementioned rights, very less is done to preserve them. India has ratified the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but there’s still a lot that needs to be done in terms of prevention, protection and preservation of human rights in the country. The Human Rights Chapter, Hindu College aims at doing exactly that.
The Human Rights Chapter, Hindu college.
This nascent organisation was founded by students of Hindu College, who abide by the maxim ‘Human rights aren’t optional.’ Staunch proponents of human rights and all its facets, its members seek to carry the baton of change, both by instilling awareness about these rights and fighting against breaches of the same. HRC, by being a vehicle of social awareness and change, aims to be the link between authorities, students and teachers. The chapter has aligned its agenda with the vision of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The organisation’s main focus is on promoting the right to education, which it believes to be the foundation of change.
One of its kind, HRC is committed to the foremost cause of ‘democracy:’ where everybody has a voice and the power to claim their rights. It seeks to incorporate the voices of the silenced and marginalised through the medium of film screenings, seminars, reading sessions and other such events. It ran a successful social media campaign called ‘8 Days of Activism’ which shared stories of eight inspirational human rights activists. From Arundhati Roy’s work in the field of democracy to Medha Patkar’s attempts to make development humanistic, from Ashok Row Kavi’s work for the LGBT community as the first openly ‘gay man of india’ to Kailash Satyarthi’s indomitable passion for children’s rights, the campaign instilled both inspiration and motivation to take a stand for human rights. HRC collaborated with the Bastar Solidarity Network and organised a movie screening along with a group discussion to acknowledge the war that the Indian state has been fighting against its own ‘second-class citizens.’
Movie screening by HRC in collab. with Bastar Solidarity Network
Despite being young, the organisation has garnered members from many colleges and different disciplines, establishing a strong grip over its area of work. The members stand united for human rights and against atrocities inflicted on the people.
Image credits: The Human Rights Chapter, Hindu College
Hindu College saw hundreds of students descending on their campus for a conversation with noted filmmaker Anurag Kashyap. Hindu College’s Symposium Society hosted Update Democracy in association with Polit, which is an upcoming national polling platform, in the Ibtida laws on their campus. The event, held without much branding or advertising, was organised as an informal conversation between the filmmaker, who is noted for his standout voice on issues which often go unaddressed, students from the university, and members from the Polit team.
Speaking to us before the event, a member from the Polit team explained the concept behind the polling platform and the urgent need for it in today’s world. The platform allows users to poll on any issue they want opinions on – from the Delhi government’s action against dengue and mosquito-related diseases, women’s issues to other global occurrences. What they claim sets them apart is the ability of the platform to also provide data on the demographics of who’s taking the polls. That provides clarity in the noise surrounding all issues – you not only get to know what people think about a particular issue, but also who forms the various sections who hold those particular opinions. They’re keen to involved the torch-bearers of contemporary India – the youth – to be more participative in important decisions and make their choices known, which was the rationale behind launching their platform at Hindu College to Delhi University students.
[caption id="attachment_44980" align="aligncenter" width="960"] Update Democracy at Hindu College[/caption]
Over the course of the event, Anurag and members from the Polit team talked to students about things as varied as censorship, finding the right career path, and stories from Anurag’s college days. Anurag sees potential in Polit as a research tool and as a platform that will give more perspective to the opinions society sees as ‘majority’ opinions. He spoke exclusively to DU Beat before the event (watch the interview) and said, “Right now, there’s a whole lot of chaos and a lot of noise and we don’t really know what people want. Who gets heard is decided by who’s the loudest – whoever can afford to create more noise, gets heard.” Anurag also reminisced his college days and recognised students as the most active participants of India’s democracy.
Photos by Prateek Singh for DU BeatShubham Kaushik[email protected](With inputs from Aditi Tiwari, Miranda House, University of Delhi)]]>
War cries can be heard amidst scores of people seated in the Hindu College auditorium. It’s the day of the Prime Ministerial Debate, a battleground among warring factions that sets the tone for the highly anticipated college elections a couple of days later. It’s a pleasant pandemonium. Each Member of Parliament, seated, or standing high in passion to congratulate or hit back at the contestants in the cult like rhythmic chants of the crowd, is engaged in rhetoric, enabling a process that also keeps the person next seat engaged, politically. In what might seem like a cacophonic environment characterised by sloganeering lies the political dispensation of Republic of Hindu College that every student here actively engages in.
Poetics doesn’t seem to shy away from the jam-packed auditorium for the right and the left sides support different candidates. The event, which is in its 5th year now is organised by the Symposium society of the college. It is a celebration of the parliamentary system that the college follows, a microcosm of the national level parliament.
The college parliament is a students’ representative body that has a Prime Minister with her cabinet, the leader of opposition, Speaker and the President. Members of Parliament are the students of the college who sustain the ethos of the system by coming out in large numbers to vote on the day of elections. The cabinet has ministers with individual responsibilities of Finance, Literature, Sports, Culture, etc. The Prime Minister, on her discretion elects the cabinet ministers. Even the Civil Services finds representationas secretaries actively work under various ministries.
With the beginning of the session, political activity in the multi-layered structure of varsity politics at DU is visible in the college, much in line with other colleges. In the run up to elections, bringing in various departments (smaller political bodies) and societies within the fold of a faction forms a major part of the political strategy. That identity politics keeps at an arms-length from the college’s political contest is evident from systematic bludgeoning of any attempts at giving the contest an identity based colour.
The Parliament is also responsible for allocating funds to various societies that run in the college. Part of the agenda is focused on enabling impediment free environment to the societies and their functioning.
As an institution, its functioning is steered by the Speaker (a faculty member) whose appointment is done by the President (College Principal). With seasonal sessions, on lines with the national Parliament, one dispensation of the Hindu College parliament functions for one fiscal year.
Over the years, debates and discussions on various international issues like the Cold War, 1962 War with China, 1972 Liberation of Bangladesh and state sanctioned excesses and human rights violations have upheld the sundry nature of issues discussed. The parliament has passed various bills in relation to issues of national and international importance.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s approval of the college’s system while claiming that “India has only 2 Prime Ministers. One sits in the Indian parliament and other in Hindu College”; his categorical equation, is symptomatic of not just the structural credibility of the institution but also its workability in representing the students.
Someone has rightly said, “You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food!” and being a DU student which epitomises the availability of economical lip smacking food, we couldn’t agree more with the statement! Take a look at some of the canteens across DU and their signature dishes loved by the students.
1. Maitreyi College
Fried Rice and Manchurian (Maitreyi)
Maitreyi College has a canteen which provides a great range of lip smacking dishes and nutritious drinks that wouldn’t make you feel the need to step outside to fulfill your appetite. In summers, a chilled glass of freshly squeezed mosambi juice (Rs.20) with a little chaat masala is exactly the kind of refreshment every student needs. A plate of wholesome Rajma Rice (Rs. 40), which finishes within only two hours of its complete preparation has a perfectly balanced, rich sweet and spicy flavor and one that is bound to make you nostalgic about your ghar ka khaana anytime. The second most sought after dish would be our Vegetable Manchurian and Fried Rice (Rs.28). This heavenly combination of its tangy and juicy gravy with soft sticky rice can be proudly chosen over any Chinese restaurant’s dish. If you try the Honey Chilli Potatoes, they will not only leave you thirsty because of the fiery heat from all its spices but also wanting for another plate because of its sweet flavorful veggies and amazing relish.
Rajma Rice (Maitreyi)
-Shagun Marwah, 3rd Year student, Maitreyi College
2. Kamala Nehru College
KNC Canteen
Having a regimented timetable with almost no breaks and early morning classes, the little ‘dabba’ that my mom packs in the morning gets finished within the first hour of college. However, KNC’s canteen becomes the ultimate saviour for mid-class hunger pangs. A plate full of Pav Bhaji (Rs. 30), Macroni (Rs. 20) and a cup of Cold Coffee (Rs. 25) is the most filling meal that the canteen offers. The Rajma Chawal are to die for too!
-Riya Chhibber, 3rd year student, Kamala Nehru College
3. Ramjas College
Chilli Potato (Ramjas)
Ramjas canteen recently changed its catering staff and a few new items like chilli potato (Rs. 50), potato manchurian (Rs. 50), egg and bread combos( Rs. 30 for 2 eggs) and fried rice ( Rs. 40) were added to the menu. Chole Bature (Rs. 30) is a hot seller and is claimed to be the best item. Apart from that juices (Rs. 20), tea/coffee (Rs. 10) and bottled drinks like coke maaza and sodas are also available at MRP. The best things about the canteen are that we can eat in the open and the new amphitheatre being constructed beside it.
-Arindam Goswami, Final Year student, Ramjas College
4. Hindu College
Shahi Paneer (Hindu College)
Facing an avid competition from various eateries in Kamla Nagar and Hudson Lane, the Hindu College Canteen still outshines others. Catering to the college students seeding all around North Campus, here you can munch delicious food at reasonable prices, leaving you not only with a filled in belly but also with satisfied taste buds. The menu lists various delicacies from North Indian, South Indian and Chinese cuisines along with a few anytime snacks. Chhole Bhature, Dosa, Shahi Paneer served with Butter Naan and Pav Bhaji must be tried. So do grab a bite here next time you’re around the campus. Shaahi Paneer with Butter naan ( Rs. 45) and Dosa (Rs. 25) are a delight to the taste buds.
-Hardik Kakar, Hindu College
5. Sri Venkateswara College
Dosa (Sri Venkateswara College)
Sri venkateswara college canteen reminds one of Amma’s canteen in south. With the indistinguishable delicious sambhar and inexpensive south indian dishes it provides a complete package for foodies. ‘Mysore masala dosa’ with the special south indian spicy touch is able to make a mark on the student’s tongue. Its eccentric location and chilled out atmosphere makes it the most popular hangout place for students. The graffiti walls beside the seating arrangements ups the ambience level. Despite being a new canteen students have found their love and reasons to stay at college than preferring Satya lounges.
-Gerush Bahal and Lakshya, DU Students
6. Jesus and Mary College
JMC Canteen
The canteen of Jesus and Mary College is one of the most popular ones of the varsity. With a diverse food menu, consisting of South Indian, North Indian, Italian and Chinese dishes among others, the level of hygiene is also decent. Though the taste of various food items seems average, yet few dishes do attract students of the neighboring colleges to the place. With the price being slightly higher than most of the other colleges, Dishes like Bhel Puri, Sev Puri and Chowmein/Fried Rice captures the hearts (and obviously, the stomach!) of all the JMCites. The favourite dishes – Bhel Puri and Fried Rice, cost 40 rs each.
Fried Rice (JMC)
-Lovleen Kaur, Jesus and Mary College
7. Miranda House
Dosa (Miranda House)
At Miranda House, a satisfactory quality of food is maintained across the menu. From the honey chilli potato (Rs 40) to the chicken manchurian (Rs 50) and masala dosa (Rs 30),the canteen churns out quality food at affordable prices. The fresh juice stand is also a favourite amongst students. To the dismay of many students however, the ‘momo-bhaiya’ has quit his job this year, and chicken momo is no longer on the menu. Come back Bhaiya !
The level of hygiene maintained at the Miranda House canteen sets it apart from other colleges. A committee of faculty members carries out regular inspections to ensure that cleanliness standards are maintained.
The largely red building of the college glares at you on traversing the Delhi School of Economics and St Stephen’s college corridor. The premises are flanked by the Ridge forest on one side and the D School on the other. This part of Delhi has been the epicentre of the Indian freedom movement with Hindu College spearheading the student’s campaign majorly in the Quit India movement. The college was established in 1899 to counter the hegemonic control of the British over higher education in Delhi after the establishment of St Stephen’s college. Late Shri Krishan Dassji Gurwale, the founder of the college boasted of the secular and inclusive being of the institution when it functioned in a small establishment in Kinari Bazar before finally shifting to the current spot in 1953.
That the inclusive and liberal being of the college, although having undergone many reconfigurations has stayed intact is unmissable when one comes to the college during a festival or regular college days. The annual college festival Mecca, which succeeds in having major personalities every year has been the zenith of the institution’s liberal being when an entrant is allowed inside the premises without any hassle to witness motley range of events in the state of the art infrastructure of the college. The Virgin tree Pooja that happens every 14th of February also sustains the diverse aesthetics of the institution. A student of the college can visit any part of the college, attend classes of other departments, make public engagements with students and organise academic events in a relatively easy fashion. You’d find a unique activity once a week around the student centric area of Pizzas and More (PAM) ranging from sponsored events and society promotions.
The Parliament of Hindu College, which is the student body here, has inculcated political acumen in the students as a result of which major political organisations at the varsity like ABVP, NSUI, AISA and SFI strategically position themselves in the ecosystem of the college to start political conversations. Being a student of the college, I constantly feel the repercussions and calls for student movements that happen in any part of the varsity. At the college level, the political environment calls for polarisation between majorly two sides that consolidate themselves and then contest for the parliamentary elections.
Interesting is the fact that departments like History and English have their own libraries which aim at furthering the academic interests of students. The Bharat Ram Centre, the cultural square of the college boasts a gothic style art gallery and is right at the centre of a magnificent garden. Art and photography exhibitions are a common sight in this area. The Bharat Ram Centre garden offers a composed atmosphere to have conversations and read books. The college canteen on the other hand symbolises a euphoric being of the college life at Hindu.
The institution boasts one of the largest sports grounds in the varsity with a sports centre, gymnasium and facilities for indoor sports being inheritances from the Common Wealth Games 2010, whose centre for the rugby sevens was the varsity. You’ll find many students playing volleyball and basketball in their breaks in the field. The college functions on the philosophy of letting the students decide the path to their own academic and co-curricular brilliance on the sidelines of having a system of administrative checks and balances.
Every year, societies from colleges across the campus compete neck to neck and put up spectacular performances during the fest season. This year too, saw certain teams shine a little brighter than the rest. We bring you a series with college societies that put their heart and soul into their respective fields and took home the top prizes at various cultural fests.
The best college society in each category was selected by creating a tally of the top 3 positions at competitive events held during various cultural fests of this season. Whenever a society won the first prize they were awarded 3 points, for the second position they received 2 points and for the third position, 1 point was added to their tally.
For the Choreography category, Srijya, Hindu College scored the maximum points in the tally. Hindu College secured the first place with a score of 15 points. They were followed by Terpsi Chorean , Hans Raj College with a score of 12 points and Sparx, Gargi College at 5 points.
The production titled, Vengeance, dealt with the mindset of society. The production thematically attempted to bring a new angle to the well known dicing game and Draupadi cheerharan episode. By inserting a feminist angle and by making it their own, the winning performance questioned why Draupadi should have freed the husbands who watched as she was abused openly.
Radhika Agarwal , the vice president of Srijya said, “There are no words to describe this feeling. It feels great to finally have your hardwork acknowledged by everyone that you admire, and we are over the moon because of the feedback we have been getting from all the judges as well as the audience. We are extremely happy that we were able to live up to the expectations we had set for ourselves and make a mark”
Seven fests were taken into account in our analysis for this series which were Montage (JMC), Nexus (Sri Venkateshwara College), Mecca (Hindu College), Crossroads (SRCC), Reverie (Gargi College), Tarang (LSR) and Confluence (Hans Raj College).
Following is the list of winning performances by Srijya (Hindu College) :
Hindu College of Delhi University has recently invited applications for its newly constructed girls’ hostel. But, the rules laid out in the hostel prospectus have vexed students enormously as they believe that the rules are regressive in nature and puts the girl students in an unjust position.
Organisations like The Students Federation of India (SFI), Pinjra Tod and All India Students’ Association (AISA), working for the welfare of university students, have condemned such an action taken by the college authorities.
The prospectus says that the fee of the girls’ hostel is around Rs. 80,000 annually which is almost double the fee of boys’ hostel. It instructs the girl students to dress in an appropriate manner. It also states that the girl students should be inside the hostel by 8:30 pm and cannot leave their room after 11 pm. Residents are to take permission from the warden in case they wish to enroll in a course or coaching outside or if they wish to attend a cultural program. The other ‘bizarre’ rule enumerated by the students is that there is allowance for only one night out from the hostel in a month.
Credits: AISA’s Facebook Page
While talking to The Hindu, Shambhavi Vikram, a student of Hindu College and an active member of Pinjra Tod said “Hostels in Miranda House and Lady Shri Ram College allow six night-outs to girls in a month. Why should girls live in such an expensive hostel and be like prisoners? We will not be allowed to watch TV in the common room after 10.30 p.m. Other hostels also have rules, but the time there is at least till 1 a.m”
Principal Anju Srivastava said “The College is concerned about safety. Since this is the first year that the hostel is going to be operational, we want to be extra careful, which is why we have kept the clause of taking permission from the warden. Permission will be granted, why not?”
A protest was held in the college premises earlier today where the students raised their voice regarding the disparity in the fee structure and the dress code the girls are expected to follow in hostels. The principal promised to speak to the chairman to reconsider the fee rules and write to the UGC regarding the same. She also mentioned about providing all written and verbal assistance in the issue.
With yet another academic session almost coming to an end at the University of Delhi, it is time to look back at the year that has gone by, before all of us get busy with semester examination preparation. Going by the thought, DU Beat brings to you its exclusive series ‘Colleges’ Round Up (2015-16)’, where we present the highlighting incidents of numerous DU colleges that took place over 2015 and 2016.
So, go with the flow and view all what activities highlighted the near to end session at Hindu College.
From Smriti Irani’s surprise visit to Salim Sulaiman performing at the annual cultural fest Mecca 2016, Hindu College has had quite an eventful year.
Here’s an overview of all what happened at Hindu College, this session:
Over the years varsity students have come together to celebrate free writing on the internet for the space it offers. Living the tradition, many platforms have sprung up in various colleges in the recent past. These platforms are essentially transforming the way in which writing as an art form operates. Here are some of the creative writing platforms that started at Delhi University and are now running successfully at a national level:
1.) An Inception
An Inception
This platform is a brainchild of a bunch of students from Motilal Nehru College and aims at covering all the creative writing forms at one platform. It has sections on health, poetry, short stories, campus news and lifestyle with the poetry and short stories sections being the most consistent ones. The facebook page of the website has regular updates and anecdotes too.
2.) Thinkopolitan
This platform was started together by some students of Hindu College and IP University. It celebrates free writing and responsible expression. Major sections on the website include literature, poetry, short stories, politics, photography and cartoons. The website is also associated with Youth ki Awaaz, a major online platform in the country. What’s distinctive about this platform is its ability to include photography among other creative fields. The authors at this platform hail from across the country.
3.) Born of a Million thoughts
Born of a Million Thoughts
Started by a student of Lady Shri Ram College for Women, BOMT is the newest of all the platforms at the varsity but is growing at a fast pace. This platform is fairly diverse and has content ranging from interviews of eminent personalities to personal accounts of students. It also has sections on poetry, fashion, entertainment and food. Moreover, you are most likely to find a BOMT correspondent at every major festival in the city.
