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‘Censorship’ is the new way to ensure safety at Ramjas College

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Mukhatib 2017, the annual streetplay festival organised by Shunya-the theatre society of Ramjas College on 31st March 2017 saw four plays being censored by the authorities to avoid any type of unrest in the campus. The organisers of the event were reportedly asked for the scripts of the plays which were to be performed in the festival just before the event. This was followed by the cancellation of four plays which had elements of nationalism in them. The students replied to this attempt of the administration by sealing their lips with black tapes and tying black bands around their arms.

There were seven plays scheduled to be performed in the event out of which only three were allowed. The plays of the colleges which were cancelled were SGTB Khalsa college’s play ‘Trump Card‘, Dyal Singh Evening college’s ‘Jokistaan’, Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce’s ‘sawal to uthega’ and Gargi College’s ‘Main Kashmir, aur aap? Main Manipur’.

Out of the three teams that were allowed to perform, Lady Shri Ram College did not perform as a mark of protest while Miranda House and Kirori Mal College went ahead with their performances “Hadsa-e-Paidaish” and “The Accidental Death of an Anarchist” respectively.

However, the authorities refuted the claims of censorship and said that it was the students who themselves decided to scrap the plays. The acting Principal P.C. Tulsiyan said “The administration did not cancel the plays but Ramjas students who are members of the drama society did it themselves. We had just advised them to not include anything which may hamper the peaceful atmosphere at the college.”

However, speaking to DU Beat on the condition of anonymity, a student organiser said “We were made to sign an undertaking by the authorities who refused to give us permission otherwise. We have been organising Mukhatib for years but never before we have seen this type of censorship and silencing of voices on the pretext of safety.”

The college saw violent protests last month by ABVP against a seminar which featured ‘Umar Khalid’ and ‘Sheila Rashid’ as two of the speakers.

Image credits: Shunya, Ramjas College

Srivedant Kar

[email protected]

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Hindu College

Colleges Under University of Delhi Planning to Seek Autonomous Status

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A few prestigious institutions under the University of Delhi, namely, St. Stephen’s College, Hindu College, Ramjas College, Shri Ram College of Commerce and colleges run by theDelhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee, have expressed the desire of achieving a deemed university status. The proposals are at very initial stages, but if granted, these colleges will have the power to formulate their own rules and fee structures which will not adhere to the functioning of Delhi University.

The matter was raised in the governing body meeting of Hindu college, and it was declared that in later stages if a college wants a deemed university status, they must have an ‘A grade’ accreditation under NAAC for 3 consecutive years. A senior university official stated, “Few colleges like SRCC, Stephen’s, Ramjas, Hindu and the ones run by the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee want deemed university status. The Union Human Resource Development Ministry has also formulated some norms for providing more autonomy to colleges but deemed status will give them complete freedom of functioning on their own”. It has been speculated that if this status is granted to any of these colleges, they will not be bound by any of the rules and regulations of Delhi University, and thus there will be no need to seek sanctions from the University for any decision. Despite of all these proposals, it has also been speculated that the Student Unions of these colleges might oppose this move because the college will then have a liberty of deciding their own fee structure, and thus there might be a price hike in the fee which would make affordability a great reason of concern for many students.

St. Stephen’s College has already been in a tussle with the University of Delhi for the past couple of years regarding an autonomous status. Attempts to reach out to the Student Union of the college for their comments were unsuccessful.

 

By Joyee Bhattacharya ([email protected])

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Ramjas College

DU tense with stifled protests; protestors assaulted and detained

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The north campus of the University of Delhi was tense on February 22 with violence breaking out inside the Ramjas College campus, outside the college, and later in the evening in front of the Maurice Nagar police station. After the violent intervention by the ABVP of an academic conference in Ramjas College on February 21, a common students and teachers protest was set to take place the next day, on February 22, against the intervention. ABVP’s reason for obstructing the conference was the presence of Umar Khalid and Shehla Rashid, JNU students, who were amongst the speakers at the conference. Umar Khalid was arrested on sedition charges in 2016, however no charge sheet has been filed in the case yet.

February 22, 2017:

The common students teachers march was scheduled to start at 1 p.m. but was blocked by he ABVP. Before the march, as an extra security measure, guards at Ramjas College checked ID cards to ensure that only students of the college were allowed to enter. What was supposed to be a peaceful march around the campus was cut off by the ABVP as they began shouting slogans like “Bharat Maata ki jai” and ” Vande Mataram” in the sutta lane within the Ramjas College campus. In response, the student and teacher protestors sat down and began their own chants of “Hum honge kaamyaab ek din” on a lawn adjacent to the ABVP gathering. Within a few minutes of this standoff, members of ABVP were seen entering into the lawn space where the students were gathered. There are eyewitness accounts and videos floating on social media of the ABVP activists beating, shoving, and grabbing the students gathered. The police intervened immediately and the students shifted towards the canteen premises.

The protest march being blocked by ABVP activists and supporters
The protest march being blocked by ABVP activists and supporters

A large gathering of students sat down in front of the canteen and under the conference hall. Reports came in of a large number of protesters consisting of students, teachers and activists gathered outside the college gates. Students and teachers who were inside the college sat down in silent protest. The police tried to form a barrier between the two groups. The ABVP activists repeatedly tried to break the barrier and attack the students. Fearing escalating violence, the police escorted the students out through the back gate where they were transported to the metro station in Civil Lines.

Meanwhile, outside the college, students and teachers who had congregated for the protest march, and journalists covering the issue, encountered ABVP activists. There are videos and evidence of students and faculty members being injured during this encounter. Around this time, roads leading to the Maurice Nagar police station were blocked by the police and shopkeepers around Patel Chest area were asked to bring down their shutters. The protest reached the Maurice Nagar police station area after 3 p.m., where police had been deployed to keep the violence from escalating and forming a barrier between the two sides. The protesters placed themselves outside the police station, demanding that an FIR be lodged against the violence committed by the ABVP. Slogans like “Aar ho ya paar ho, aaj FIR ho” were heard from the protesters’ sides.

Protestors in front of Maurice Nagar police station on February 22
Protestors in front of Maurice Nagar police station on February 22

At around 6.30 p.m., just after protesters were speaking to the police about their demands, a commotion broke out as the police surrounding the protesters started absconding them, in some cases with unnecessary force. The protesters were rounded up in police buses and taken to different corners of the city in an attempt to break up the protest on campus. They were dropped off later in the evening. There were reports and rumours of a potential ‘witch-hunt’ by ABVP members around the campus in search of people at the protests. No such incidents were confirmed.

February 23, 2017:

Another peaceful protest was organised today by the students and teachers at the Delhi Police Headquarters in ITO with heavy police presence around the area. Hundreds of students attended the protest, where sloganeering was heard and protest signs could be seen condemning the police brutality against student protesters yesterday. An exit gate at the ITO metro station was closed around noon. The protesters pushed for an FIR to be lodged and for a meeting with the police officials. After meeting with the students, who wanted separate FIRs to be lodged against the ABVP members who engaged in violence, the police informed them that separate FIRs cannot be lodged and they would need to be clubbed under one FIR. The student protesters then took the decision to have affected students write down testimonies of violence committed against them, with which they’ll approach other authorities given the contention between their demands and the police’s stance.

The police has admitted to the use of excessive force against students on February 22nd. The case related to the entire incident has been transferred to the Crime Branch. They also invited students to submit their complaints to the police which can then be clubbed together.

The student protesters are reportedly upset about the incident being branded an ABVP-AISA clash and the protesters being clubbed together as AISA members. They have called these protests movements by the students and teachers of Delhi University, and not a political party. The protesters comprised of students from across Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and other institutions across Delhi, with supporters of various movements and parties, and many with no political affiliations.

There were other protests in North Campus as well, with NSUI carrying out their peace march from the Arts Faculty to the Maurice Nagar police station, and the ABVP continuing their stance of protesting against ‘anti-national’ activities and elements. There were reports of considerable police presence around the campus.

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Ramjas College

ABVP protests against Umar Khalid; disrupts two day conference

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A two day seminar on Cultures of Protest, organised by Wordcraft, the Ramjas literary society and the English department of Ramjas college, was disrupted when members of the ABVP protested against Umar Khalid speaking at the conference. Khalid is a PhD scholar from Jawaharlal Nehru University and a student activist who was slapped with sedition charges last year. The two day seminar was set to explore the representations of dissent in literary productions, and Umar Khalid was invited to speak on the theme ‘The war in Adivasi areas’.

ABVP protested against Khalid’s presence inside the college campus. They went to the Principal’s office claiming that the majority of the students were against his speaking at the conference as well, and therefore the conference should be cancelled. “Majority of the students were against Umar Khalid speaking and they were calling us up, asking us to stop the event from taking place. Moreover, the organisers had no approval from the faculty. So we marched inside and managed to stop the conference from taking place,” said Priyanka Chawri, the Vice President of the Delhi University Student Union.

We spoke to one of the teachers-in-charge of the event, Vinita Chandra, who said, “We had approval of the principal and we had been planning this event for months now. We have official proof of the invitations as well. The Principal expressly said, ‘I believe in tolerance and I believe in freedom of speech’. I have always assured my students that when teachers are there, nothing is going to happen to the students. In my 30 years of teaching here, for the first time I feel no confidence at all in being a teacher.”

Apparently, the faculty was aware prior to the event that there could be some form of protests but the college union president assured that all protests would be peaceful in nature. Moreover, the police had said that they would not be able to provide protection to Khalid or the members of the organising team if any major disruption takes place. Apprehensive of any violent outbursts, members of the literary society decided to cancel Khalid’s talk and proceed with the conference. Before beginning, the teachers and students organised a short march around the campus, protesting against the disruption in the day’s events.

After the session was about to resume, the ABVP protesters turned violent and started throwing bricks and stones at the windows. Groups with lathis and rods were seen rioting around the area and the police had to resort to the necessary means to quell the violence. Students and teachers attending the conference inside the conference hall were locked in and the power was cut. The police had to barricade the entrance to the conference hall to stop the protestors from getting inside. After an hour of struggle, the police formed a human chain and helped the students trapped inside to exit safely through the backgate of the college. A student present in chaos said, “The protesters abused and threatened even the teachers of the college. Goondagardi hai yeh toh.’’

In the entire process, a few students were injured and one had to be taken to the hospital for immediate treatment. Umar Khalid in response to these events, posted on Facebook, “ Such open brazenness is only possible because of the institutional impunity ABVP goons enjoy in universities’’.

Feature Image: Arindam Goswami for DU Beat

Arindam Goswami

[email protected]

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Arts & Culture

The Glorious 100 Years of Ramjas College

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A glimpse is obviously not enough to gorge on the rich history of the college, but Ramjas College’s Grand Centennial Celebration is right around the corner as they complete a hundred years in 2017 and we decided to take a look at the past.

Located in the heart of North Campus, surrounded by an air of political sway and a hundred years’ worth of dignified history as its foundation, stands Ramjas College – known for a lot more than just its education. With the college completing a century with abundant achievements and alumni in its list, let’s look at what makes Ramjas College exceptional:

1. The college was founded by Rai Kedarnath, a philanthropist, who created the college for the lower middle class students who couldn’t afford the education in other colleges. Admission of students was solely on the basis of merit and no student was discriminated or denied admission on the basis of caste. All you needed to be at Ramjas was a will to study.
At first, the college was run by the Ramjas Foundation, that was meant for schools and educational institutions, but later, it got affiliated to the University of Delhi . Ramjas College is one of first three colleges that were established in Delhi University.

2. Ramjas was the first college to run their classes in shifts. This started due to Partition and the morning classes were affiliated by the University of Delhi and the evening classes were affiliated by the University of Lahore. The college provided accommodation for many refugees from Pakistan, however students were having troubles in commuting to the college. So, Rai Kedarnath went to ask for donations from people in places like Chandani Chowk and made sure that every student had one bicycle for commuting.

3. The provision of bicycles led to the start of another trend. In order to earn money, students from Ramjas delivered door-to-door newspaper service on the cycles. This was the first time that something like this happened in Delhi.

4. The students of the college were actively involved the freedom movement and a group of students were arrested for their involvement in the struggle. A plaque with their names inscribed on it has been put up near the college auditorium gate in memory of the brave students. Two students, Ram Bihari Mathur and Saxena, were sentenced to life imprisonment and shipped off to Andaman.

5. Ramjas College’s involvement with the freedom struggle is extremely memorable. Chandra Shekhar Azad hid in the hostel of the college, pretending to be a Sikh student from Pakistan, when he was evading the British Government.

6. Ramjas College location was shifted from the Anant Parbat location in 1950, when the previous building was ceded to the Allied Forces of the World War II. The first President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, inaugurated the college’s new location.

7. This is the only college in Delhi to have Dr. BR Ambedkar as the Chairman of the Governing Body of Ramjas College. After the death of Rai Kedarnath, the father of our constitution took over and honoured the college.

Ramjas not only has a rich past, but a very exciting present. With alumni including film-maker Prakash Jha, actor Manoj Bajpai and singer-musician Papon, the college is a place for budding artists, politicians and activists.

A huge congratulations to the college for its glorious 100 Years!

Anagha Rakta
[email protected]

Image Credits: educrib.com

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Ramjas College

Ramjas Rocks On with Farhan, Arjun, and Shradha

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With Ramjas College celebrating its centennial year, it has seen quite a few musical nights. Starting from Papon and Astitva performing around late January this year to now, the star-studded cast of the upcoming film Rock On 2, a sequel to its hit musical predecessor, Rock On, which is all set to release on November 11.

The ‘Magik’ entourage brought to life their own on-screen roles as singers and musicians of the grunge-rock band, comprising of Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Rampal and Shraddha Kapoor. Singing along to the tunes were scores of students, enjoying the much welcomed respite from the drudgery of oncoming exams. Farhan Akhtar also sang his old popular hits from the much beloved Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and the song Main Aisa Kyun Hu, which were definite crowd pleaser.

Shraddha, being the new entrant in the sequel, plays Jiah who is a rich girl who deviates from the beaten path in pursuit of becoming a singer, while Farhan and Arjun play the lead singer and lead guitarist respectively, the roles which they took on in its prequel.

It was quite the sensational night as college students from all over the University thronged the Ramjas grounds, most snapchatting away as the crowd hooted and cheered at the sight of the celebrities. Ramjas College has had a wonderfully eventful year when it comes to concerts, events, academic seminars, etc. as part of their grand year long celebration of it entering its 100th year on January 17th 2016, a feat to be immensely proud of. Farhan Akhtar said, “I am very happy to be here this evening. We know that the weather here was a little bit suspect but we can see all the people standing in the back. We are here to have fun with you all.”

At the end of the night, the trio wrapped up the concert, thanked the students for their overwhelming support and turnout. In sum, it was a promotion well executed.

Feature Image Credits: Ramjas College Facebook Page

Debashree Unni

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DUB News

Protests at Ramjas College regarding canteen prices

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Ramjas College saw organised protests held by its students on 11th August, 2016. The protest primarily targeted the exorbitant increase in prices in the canteen since the start of this academic year. The canteen staff apparently charged higher prices than those mandated by the college. In what a student called an act of “corruption,” the canteen staff would charge a first-year student INR 50 for an item that actually cost INR 30. Speaking out against this practice, a group of students spread word through social media and organised a protest by inviting the Ramjas community to gather at the college gate and march towards the canteen.

The canteen was accused of not only charging more than what was written in the price list, but also of failing to provide good quality and hygienic food. The staff does not provide receipts or bills and has failed to deliver on the promise of a digital price list. There is also a shortage of staff in the canteen. Students demanded the lowering of prices, failing which they intended to boycott the college canteen.

Rishabh Bajpai, who is also running for this year’s college elections, along with a group of students filed an application. However, when no action was taken, they staged a peaceful protest to grab the attention of the administration. The tagline of the protest was “halla bol,” a sentiment close to the students’ hearts. The protest had no political backing, and the organisers ensured that the student body was fairly represented in terms of their demands and grievances.

sign campaign 2

The hard work of the students was indeed fruitful as the Principal and Vice Principal themselves conducted an examination of the canteen, and invited the students to hold meetings regarding their issues. Some student representatives went on to discuss their requests with the staff advisers and the Student Welfare Committee. Here, they brought up additional concerns regarding the water coolers, hostels, etc.

In an effort to thank the students for showing their solidarity and to inform the college community of the consequences of the protest, the organisers set up a signature campaign. Approximately, a thousand students acknowledged the protest and the steps taken by the administration. The canteen prices have since been lowered and the other issues are on their way to being resolved.

Image Credits: Halla Bol Campaign

Vineeta Rana
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Top Societies of DU Fest Season 2016

Top Societies at Delhi University Fests 2016: Shunya, Ramjas College for Stage Theatre

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Delhi University’s fest season witnesses several societies competing for the top spot at various cultural events, out-performing their rivals and sometimes bettering their previous standards and performances. In the stage theatre category, the theatre society at Ramjas College, Shunya, was ranked best for their play ‘Deluxe Hair Cutting Salon.’

The Winning Society at a glance

Shunya, Ramjas College

 

‘Deluxe Hair Cutting Salon,’ a play written by Sandeep Shikhar, revolves around the eponymous salon, which is located beside a mechanic’s workspace and a pathological laboratory. The world created within the space of the salon and its neighbours seeks to explore the quick manner in which people are likely to find faults with another’s character, often forgetting those in their own. The significance of introspection is a pertinent question that the play addresses. The play also brings out the polarity of characteristics present in individuals-a facet of human nature that must be recognised and acknowledged.

On the reason behind their success this year, Shubham Vaish, actor, said, “The entire production worked like a well-oiled machine. A well thought out strategy of work, utmost dedication by all actors in terms of being sincere to their respective roles, and coordinated efforts between both directors in managing time, people and resources is what made ‘Deluxe Hair Cutting Salon’ a fairly successful play in the DU theatre circuit.””A common reception that we saw for the play, was the appreciation for the acting,” he adds. “Every actor, excluding two, played two characters each. Some of these characters had a wide age gap between them, which was a challenge for the actor to switch between the roles. But the portrayal was appreciated by the audience. “A million people often means two million faces, and this is what the play embodies,” he concludes.

Theatre_Ramjas

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cast and Crew

Shobhit Bhatia as Bachan
Jayant Chand as Binay Da and Bablu Pandey
Soumik Roy as Das Babu and Pancha Babu
Shubham Vaish as Sanjay and Raju
Kumar Abhimanyu as Bapi and Salesman
Kritarth Sethi as Dilip
Deepak Singh as Customer

Directed by : Shobhit Bhatia and Dewang Mulani

Sound Design and Execution by : Shrishti Chakraborty

Lights Design and Execution by : Dewang Mulani

Production Team : Aishwarya Sharma, Salonee Sharma, Deepak Singh, Disha Sukhija

Winners Tally: Shunya, Ramjas College

‘Deluxe Hair Cutting Salon’ was staged at 13 different venues this year at competitive and non-competitive events, including India Habitat Centre and Shri Ram Centre, besides the fests at various Delhi University colleges.

The play was adjudged the best play at Daulat Ram College and at Gargi College’s Reverie. The play has also secured various other accolades for best direction (at Hans Raj College, Daulat Ram College and Gargi College), best ensemble cast at Gargi College, and best actor and best production team at St. Stephen’s College.

 

Abhinaya Harigovind

[email protected]

 

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Ramjas alumnus becomes the youngest Indian to feature at Cannes

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As admissions session draws close and students ready their certificates, letters and documents related to their achievements in ECA to try their luck for getting into the colleges which they couldn’t due to their cut offs, we present a story of a student who was in the same shoes at one time.

Years before, Varun Chopra was also one of them who got into Ramjas College through ECA. He is currently pursuing his masters in Film and Television at the School of Film and Television, Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. He is the youngest Indian whose film was screened at the highly popular and prestigious Cannes International Film Festival. He talks about his experience of theatre in Delhi University and his film “God on a Leash” which is woven around the story of being held on a leash to the hands of faith, heritage and poverty that explores the concept of humanism and divinity.

Q. You were a student of Mathematics at Ramjas. When did you decide for going for a masters in Films?

I was studying Mathematics (Hons.) at Ramjas College. I got my admission by the ECA quota in theatre which was a great ordeal in itself. Consequently, theatre turned into an indomitable element of my college life. Being in Shunya, one of the premier theatre societies of the University was the most fruitful experience in itself. There was a massive spirit of creativity and collaboration, it just propels one forward in terms of innovation and exposure. It was here that I directed my first play Saints and Sinners and later got involved with some exceptionally talented people who refused to sit idle. Most of us are now theatre artists and filmmakers trying to make our way up.

Q. You have been a student of DU and an active member the Delhi Theatre circuit. What is the scene of film making in DU?


As I mentioned before, the theatre scene in DU is blooming. It is very demanding but the kind of creative satiation people achieve here is unparalleled. Filmmaking however is still practiced in closed quarters and I fail to understand why DU still does not have a filmmaking course. It shows that the University has lost touch with the demands of the youth today. Students are trying to get out and organize festivals for films there, but they remain amateur since one does not have the apparatus to create something which is at par with what the 18-21 year olds in universities outside India do.

Q. What can DU do to promote these fields within its campus??

DU can organize more and more festivals which would push the status quo of the University. You should not have to spend a fortune to learn something. Get your college to get a course. Even if it is a workshop as a starter, the initiative must start.


Q. Do you think the young film makers in India have any good platform? What advice would you like to give to the Aspiring film makers of India.

The fact that we have one of the biggest film industries in the world and only a handful of institutes for film making is appalling. Those that exist aren’t even comparable to the universities abroad. What you end up doing is going to Mumbai and leading the quintessential “struggler” life, at least that is my understanding of it. All in all, one must be forced to do that. It is obvious that we are going tangential to the needs.
There is some brilliant talent but a dearth of opportunities too.
I don’t think I am qualified enough to give anyone advice, but to a hopeful person who is reading this and thinking if they stand any chance. I would like to say take the leap of faith, you’ll be surprised to see how many people would support you. If you want to be a painter, just paint. Likewise, if you want to be a filmmaker, make films.

Q. How do you feel to be the youngest Indian in Cannes International Film Festival? What would you like to say about your film which got screened at Cannes?

I am very fortunate to be able to experience Cannes at a young age. It is more of an opportunity to engage with interesting people than anything. The film is special as it took me back to the University. Parts of the film were shot in North Campus itself. With all honesty, I feel a sense of gratitude towards Shunya and the people I met there. I would want to give a big shout out to the folks there today, they are churning out some amazing stuff every year.

Through this documentary, I was able to unravel the intricacies of this culture. We followed a Madari, who sat with his macaques and their offspring near a Hanuman temple at North Campus. It seemed the baby’s future in chains was indomitable, much like the off springs of the ancestral impressionists’ community. It created a cruel euphemism about our ignorance, the way we choose to live our lives, follow our traditions and practice our faith. The film is a window to a highly embellished niche world with a contrastingly unembellished human experience.

Here is the link of the film: https://m.facebook.com/godonaleash/

Interviewed by Srivedant Kar for DU Beat

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DU Annual Fest Season

Mosaic’16 at Ramjas College: Events and highlights

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Ramjas College held its annual fest Mosaic 2016 from 15th March – 16th March.
Day 1 started with a colour marathon. The marathon was a 3 km run starting and ending at Ramjas College covering Daulat Ram College, Patel Chest, SGTB Khalsa and Vishwavidyalya metro station. The event saw participation from over 1500 enthusiastic students. The run was powered by Roposo and aimed at promoting women empowerment. The Chief Guest at the event was the Deputy Commissioner of the Anti Corruption bureau of Delhi Police. The Principal of the college, Dr. Rajendra Prasad cheered the crowd and initiated the run. The students were provided t-shirts and during the course of the run were showered with colour to add to the fun.

 

This was followed by a street art display in association with MTV Junkyard Project.  The DUSU members had arranged a display in the college. The idea behind the project is to clean up places in an innovative and quirky manner. The team from MTV had artists painting the boundary walls with some cool street art, keeping it cool and clean. The project has had successful endeavors in Mumbai and Pune and regularly spring up at college fests to spruce it up with quirky paintings and keeping the premises clean.   The fashion show followed next with 9 teams participating. The teams were from Amity, Institute of Home Economics (IHE), Dyal Singh college, Kamala Nehru college, Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies, Sri Guru Gobind Singh of Commerce, Satyawati college, Shavji college and Bharati college. The performances, costumes and themes, all made for a show worth watching. The judges were Suraj Soni, who was part of the Ramjas fashion society and Stefy Patel, actress and model. The first position was bagged by Kamala Nehru College followed by Dyal Singh college and IHE tied for second and Shivaji college in the third position.

  The star cast of Kapoor and Sons arrived as the fashion show was going on. Sidharth Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Fawad Khan came on stage as the shouts and screams of fans. The highlight of the event was that it was Alia Bhatt’s birthday and the crowd screamed ”happy birthday” along with the people on stage. Balloons were let loose as part of the celebration and free CD’s were distributed among the crowd as a part of the movie promotion. After they had left, the fashion show resumed from where it had stopped.

    The second day of Mosaic 2016 began with the annual western dance festival, RAQUS, organised by the dance society of  Ramjas college. Eleven teams consisting of Satyawati evening college, Hansraj college, Mata Sundari college, Janki Devi Memorial, Maitreyi, Aurobindo, Venkateshwara, Lady Sri Ram, Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology, Indraprastha and Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi competed in the event, in that order. After a tough competition, the judge finally selected the winning  teams. Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology’s ”Funk In Motion” won the first position and Venkateshwara’s ”Verve” tied for second place with LSR.

Maharaja Agrasen College's Funk In Motion won the western dance competition | Image by Tejaswa Gupta for DU Beat
Maharaja Agrasen College’s Funk In Motion won the western dance competition | Image by Tejaswa Gupta for DU Beat

  RAQUS was followed by a Punjabi powered performance by Gurnam Bhullar. The songs were a hit with the crowd as they danced to every song. After Gurnam’s short performance came the most awaited event of the day, Anushka Manchanda’s performance. The crowd sang and cheered along as she sang popular hits like ‘Dance Basanti‘ and ‘Manma Emotion Jaage‘.  After a lot of selfies and lots of song requests, the show finally came to an end as she sang the last song of the evening from the film Dil Chahta Hain.

 

 

Images by Chirag Sharma, Tejaswa Gupta and Harshit Thukral for DU Beat

Kriti Sharma

Arindam Goswami

Akshara Srivastava

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