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Religion, Gender and Language: Navigating Identity in Multilingual Societies

By DU Beat November 27, 2023

Language is a medium that allows us to communicate, identify, and express ourselves. However, this kind of expression, along with other social identities, usually results in systemic prejudice against particular communities. Whether it’s the language’s fundamentals, which reflect and reinforce gender binary norms, or its intersection with an individual’s religion, nationality, or place of belonging.

Religion, gender, and language are often categorised as the building blocks of an individual’s identity. Each of these factors influences a person’s beliefs, values, and perceptions of themselves and others. Often, discrimination based on religion, gender, or linguistic choices is seen independently; nevertheless, the confluence of gender and religion, as well as linguistic preference, has a significant influence on individuals and communities. While religion influences a person’s moral and ethical ideals, gender incorporates social and cultural expectations, and language both reflects and reinforces gender binary norms in society.

Religion & Language:

Language has always been a fundamental tool for portraying a religion. Whether it’s Arabic for Islam, Sanskrit for Hinduism, or Hebrew for Christianity, all of these affiliations stem from sacred texts written in these languages. Harold Schiffman in his book, “Linguistics, Culture and Language Policy’ explains that “One of the most basic issues where language and religion intersect is the existence, in many cultures, of sacred texts […]. For cultures where certain texts are so revered, there is often almost an identity of language and religion, such that the language of the texts also becomes sacred…”)

However, with the need for a separate identity, this linkage of languages tied to certain religions mutated over time. The shift in language of South Asian Muslims to Urdu, Hindus to Hindi, and Christians to English is an important example of this. This language shift describes how linguistic choices change as the need for a separate identity grows.

However, these linguistic freedoms quickly devolved into systemic discrimination against minority populations. Massive protests erupted at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 2020 over the appointment of a Muslim associate professor in the faculty of literature of Sanskrit Vidya Dharm Vigyan (SVDV). Protesters argued that a Muslim professor would be incapable of teaching Sanskrit, a Hindu language. NDTV writes, “The administration backed the professor. The panel that selected him, which includes Professor Radhavallabh Tripathi, one of India’s most eminent Sanskrit scholars, repeatedly said he(the appointed Muslim professor) was the most qualified candidate.”

Not only that, but hate campaigns and violence erupted in various parts of India in light of the use of Urdu in advertisements for ‘Hindu festivals.’ Nivedita Menon, a professor at the Centre for Political Studies at JNU, told Al Jazeera, “The Hindutva project sees Urdu as a ‘Muslim’ language. And invisibilising Urdu is part of the larger project of marginalising the Muslim community, in fact, physically eliminating it.” Linguists and historians contend that Hindi and Urdu evolved from ‘Khadi Boli,’ a dialect of the Delhi region, and are profoundly influenced by Persian, Turkish, Arabic, and Sanskrit. This hatred of a language because its identity is associated with a minority religion, despite its origins in India, highlights how segregation and systematic hatred towards minority religions are carried out through the use of languages.

Gender & Language:

Languages reflect and reinforce gender norms and the gender binary. This has an intricate connection with the culture, religion, and history of the language. In recent years, queer activists and linguists all over the world have advocated for the necessity of gender-neutral terms. While some languages incarcerate gender in binaries, others prove gender’s presence outside of binaries by not gendering inanimate objects. While individuals assert that gender-neutral language is a Western concept, many Indian languages dispute this claim. Languages like Bangla, Assamese, Bhojpuri, Kannada, Angika, Maithili, and others do not limit gender into binaries, while Sanskrit uses masculine, feminine, and gender-neutral terms to refer to inanimate objects.

However, the most widely spoken languages, such as Hindi and French, do enforce binary. So, why are certain languages unable to use gender-neutral verb conjugation? While extra research is needed, basic efforts by native speakers of these languages may increase the possibilities of making these languages inclusive for everyone.

“On my first day of my bachelor’s degree, when I addressed myself as ‘hum’, my professor asked me how many people I am addressing with myself.”- Chandan Kumar, in an article by Youth ki Awaaz. This linguistic rigidity is a result of the Hindi belt’s class superiority. Hindi teachers must stop such rigorous pronoun implementation, and textbooks should be revised to include a discussion of gender outside of binaries. Another source of optimism is the use of second-person pronouns in Hindi. The usage of ‘aap’ while speaking to elders or as a sign of respect, regardless of gender, supports the idea that ‘aap is neutral and assuming someone’s gender is disrespectful.’ Aside from this, we can make our language more inclusive by not strictly categorising non-living things as masculine or feminine.

While language has the potential to bring people together, it can also be used to isolate and oppress them. While individuals argue that changing language to incorporate gender-neutral terminology is impossible since language represents history and culture, the development and shift to new languages by religious communities as the need for a separate identity emerged rejects this notion.

Featured Image Credits: Deccan Herald

Dhruv Bhati

DUB Speak

From Ignorance to Refutation: Mapping Communal Violence in India

By DU Beat October 27, 2023

One after another, Indian states are burning in the fire of communal violence while we sit in our homes, unaware that these flames can reach our doors at any time. While data highlights a decreasing trend in communal violence, the washed-away ash and walls of half-burnt houses convey a rather different image.

For the past 5 months, the north-eastern state of Manipur has been constantly burning in the flames of communal violence. According to the official data, the violence killed around 200 people and displaced more than 70,000 people. The north-eastern state continued to burn while the majority of Indians were occupied watching the live telecast of the G20 summit. Not just Manipur, but numerous Indian states experienced communal clashes in 2023, with major incidents recorded during the Ram Navami festival. Nevertheless, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), there has been a constant decline in violence in India. So, is there really a steady decline, or are we reading the graph upside-down?

According to the data by the NCRB, during 2014-2017, 3508 incidents of communal violence were reported in the country, which claimed the lives of 75 people. However, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) answers in the Lok Sabha, India saw 2920 instances of intercommunal violence, which resulted in the deaths of 389 people. This significant discrepancy between the NCRB and MHA statistics is one of the main causes of scepticism about the decline in incidences of communal violence. The government claims that the primary cause of the data mismatch is the grouping of the data. NCRB gathers police-registered (FIR) incidents of communal violence from states, and numerous FIRs might be filed in the same occurrence, but MHA data is not dependent on FIR.

This argument appears logical, yet the government’s own data pulls it into doubt. NCRB data, according to this theory, should be greater than MHA figures. However, according to 2017 data, the NCRB documented 723 incidents and 16 deaths, whereas MHA data shows 823 cases and 111 deaths due to communal violence in India. Factly writes,

For 2014, there was a discrepancy between the numbers reported by the NCRB and MHA for as many as 23 states/UTs. Strangely, in states such as Haryana, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, the numbers reported by the NCRB were way higher than the ones reported by the MHA, whereas in states such as Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh, the MHA numbers were higher than those reported by the NCRB.

This trend was repeated in 2015 and 2016, where the discrepancy was observed in as many as 24 and 25 states/UTs respectively.

Another substantial reason to question the reliability of the data is that the NCRB does not collect disaggregated data on attacks against certain communities. This results in the formation of a hazy image of communal violence in India. According to data from the United Christian Forum (UCF), 525 attacks on Christians took place in India during the first eight months of 2023. This data on attacks on only one community in 8 months outnumbers NCRB data on communal violence incidents in the year 2021.

What’s concerning here is not just the reliability of the data but also the government’s refutation of communal violence in the country. Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, stated that no riots occurred in the state between 2017 and 2021. However, according to NCRB data, there were 35,040 incidents of rioting between 2017 and 2021.In the last two to three years, there has been not only rebuttal but also systematic planned action against a specific community in the aftermath of communal conflicts. Since the 2020 Delhi riots, there has been a spike in false police charges against Muslims, as well as arbitrary demolitions of their properties.

While the government and its statistics are busy establishing a decrease in communal violence, a report by the Pew Research Centre graded India 9.4/10, first on the Social Holistics Index (SHI) 2020, worse than its own score of 2019. (A High score indicates an increase in communal clashes.)

A recent report by the NCRB reveals a steady decline in the last 50 years. What’s questionable is a sharp decline in cases during every NDA’s regime and an increase in cases during the UPA’s rule. Not only this, but reports from several International Human Rights Organisations (IHRO) concerned with a decrease in religious freedom in the nation conflict with data indicating religious harmony and a decline in communal violence.

While multiple IHRO reports labelled India an “Electoral Autocracy”, and demoted it on the Democracy Index, the Indian government refuses to recognise or debate any of these reports. The growing religious hostility we witness around us raises the question, “Are we really heading towards communal harmony, or is this just a mirage?”

Read also: The Fear of Being Identified

Featured Image Credits: The Wire

Dhruv Bhati
[email protected]

According to the Hindu code of Manu,

Is Religion Made for Women?

By Manasvi Kadian March 9, 2022

In a society that is run on patriarchy, by patriarchy, how much autonomy do women get in religious spaces? Are religious spaces even made to accommodate women?

As someone who identifies as a woman, you will know what I mean when I say “male gaze”— something that doesn’t leave your side in public, something that still occupies your mind in private. This isn’t something that is found only in one aspect or one dimension of society, but rather it forms the foundational structure of the world we live in.

Women are making their choices from a menu of options that has been structured by men for men.” -Adam Swift

Ideals and practices of patriarchy or misogyny can be found in every nook and corner of the world, as easily as the potholes that are found on every single street in India. Thus, this sexism is not just a regional problem, but rather a global one.

But humans being humans are still sitting with their hopes in one hand and their miseries in the other. We are still trying to find places where we might not be treated differently, where we might not be unequal. One such place, where anyone would rationally expect equality in its truest sense to exist, is the “house of God”.

Religion occupies a huge proportion of importance and value in the lives of a majority of individuals living in the world— be it in the form of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, among numerous others (the list of religions that exist in the world currently is virtually endless).

But reality exists in stark contrast to this theoretical view and belief of gender equality. Most of the world’s religions consider women to be part of the second tier of devotees, the first tier being obviously occupied by men. They are usually seen as a sort of support system to the existence of man in the religious world, existing only to augment the male purpose and ego. Historically entrenched, women have been denied rights to property, wealth, and even things as basic as the right to freedom or opinion, while all of these claims have been held up by crutches that we call religion.

This is not a novel phenomenon. In early Indian history, the Vedas (which are considered as one of the earliest religious texts in India) were conceived and popularised to establish the dominance of the Brahmans and their worldview. They reflected the realities of society but also tried to shape the perceptions of those living in this society. Based upon similar ideals, modern religion has taken assistance from age-old traditions, interpreting even the handful of non-sexist ideals through a misogynistic eyehole.

Under Hinduism (a religion followed by a huge majority of the Indian population), women are not considered independent individuals but are only seen as attached to the authority of a man.

In childhood a woman must be subject to her father, in youth to her husband, [and] after the husband’s death to her sons; a woman must never be free of subjugation.”

Under Christianity, the scripture in Genesis says,

The Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet (fit or suitable) for him,”

again, suggesting that women are to play a supportive role to men. This is further found in passages in Colossians and Peter, which call for women to submit to their husbands and to stay silent in their shadow.

Islam might be seen as holding a better position in some respects— such as the existence of alimony (nafaqah) and the provision of a right to divorce for not just men, but also women under Islamic law (khul). But in other respects, Islam also holds a similar notion where women are seen as inferior and subject to subjugation by men. It also gave men the unequal and unfair right to instantly divorce their wives by saying “talaq” thrice. This led to a massive judicial case, bringing to light the question of religious boundaries and state intervention. Ultimately, the Indian government ended up criminalising the practice of “triple talaq”, but that does not point towards a very significant betterment of the status of women in Islamic society.

One branch of Jainism, that is, the Digambars, does not even consider women eligible for enlightenment as they believe that enlightenment is only possible by giving up all possessions, including one’s clothing. As the female body goes through the biological process of menstruation, it becomes inherently impossible for women to give up clothing, thus, leaving them excluded from even the choice of being part of this process.

How much sense does it make— that owing to an inequality based not on one’s choice but rather on the autonomy of nature and biology— women are subjected to such rules and restrictions, not even free from this bias in a place where people turn to for finding intrinsic peace?

A similar incident gained a lot of media coverage in the past years, that is, the Sabarimala case. A 2018 Supreme Court verdict lifted the ban that had prevented women of menstruating age to enter the Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala. Not surprisingly, this was met by a lot of outcries from religious groups as well as the inhabitants of Sabarimala itself. The breaking and violation of an age-old tradition, that had been followed by ancestors through centuries, was enough blasphemy for the people. But does faith in a religion or God or divinity give an individual or society the right to deny women (who, ideally, should also be as important in the “eyes of god” as men) their freedom of faith and practice?

The feminist movement has constantly argued about the problems that exist in the religious sphere and stem from the religious sphere— the practice of Sati, the Pardah system, unequal property rights (and the ensuing social and political inequality and dependence). But this also does not mean that religion as a whole only exists as a tool for the subjugation of women (even if a majority of it does).

Case in point would be the constant discussion over the wearing of the Hijab by Muslim women, a practice that people jumped upon as being “oppressive”, “unfair”, or “going against modern feminist ideals”. This is not what feminism truly means. Feminism gives women the right to freedom— to make choices for themselves, be it in alignment with traditional practices or with the modern. Such a blatant and blind viewpoint does not achieve anything for women and their rights. Rather it builds upon the same precept that has been put forward by the proponents of patriarchy for decades, taking away from women the freedom to make an independent choice for themselves.

But coming back to the norm and not the exception, most independent-thinking women do not think that the co-existence of religion and feminism is possible. Every step that is taken differently from what your religion or its scriptures or religious leaders prescribe and preach, is also seen and considered as a step away from your faith.

If a religion simply becomes a tool of subjugation, and not of freedom, then such a faith has nothing to contribute to human society,”said an article from dailyo.com

So, does that mean that in this modern world women still need to exist in parts, hiding away something to be a part of something else? Does it mean that women cannot exist as a whole, as human, but only as an anomaly of pieces stitched together as per convenience?

Read also ‘Show Me the YA Section, Please!’

Feature Image Credits: ‘Women and Religion’ by Carole A. Barnsley

Manasvi Kadian

Campus Central

Religious Politics: ABVP Members Seek Blessings, NSUI Files a Complaint

By Kartik Chauhan September 12, 2019

National Students Union of India (NSUI) issued an official complaint against the candidates of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for visiting the Jhandewalan Mandir on Sunday, 8th September 2019 and posting about the same on social media.

The National Students Union of India (NSUI) recently condemned its opponent, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for adopting the practice of religion and religious symbols for the purpose of political campaigning which stands in direct violation of the Lyngdoh guidelines which all students contesting the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections are supposed to abide by, in order to not encounter direct disqualification.

In 2005, the Supreme Court decided to set up a committee to ensure measures that would hamper disruption caused by college elections. Following the order of the Supreme Court, a panel was set up by the ministry of Human Resource Development headed by the then Chief Election Commissioner, J.N Lyngdoh for the same, limiting the democratic functioning of the Student Unions and was called The Lyngdoh Committee.

The Lyngdoh guidelines clearly state that:

“No candidate shall indulge in, nor shall abet, any activity, which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic, or between any group(s) of students.”

According to the allegations made by NSUI, the following four candidates of Akhil Bhartiya Vidya Parishad (ABVP), Akshit Dahiya (President nominee), Pradeep Tanwar (Vice President nominee), Yogit Rathee (Secretary Nominee) and Shivangi Kharwal (Joint Secretary Nominee) along with Professor Manu Kataria of Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Science (State President of ABVP Delhi) were sighted using religious symbols for their campaigning. Later, a Facebook post was uploaded by the Presidential candidate Akshit Dahiya in which they visited a famous temple in Delhi wearing religious garments while making an appeal to vote for them, which disregards the Lyngdoh guidelines for social media campaigning as well.

Apart from this, under the Delhi University Act, any Professor under the paid role of Central Government is not allowed to display their political affiliation in public but sources have also proclaimed that Mr. Manu Kataria endorsed candidates for the DUSU election, hence violating the Delhi University Service Rules.

As per sources, NSUI has registered a formal complaint on the issue and made a request to the Election Officer to constitute a Grievance Redressal Hearing against the violators under the Lyngdoh guidelines and withdraw their nomination at the earliest as it is against the norms of free and fair elections.

Shri Akshay Lakhra, NSUI Delhi State President stated, “NSUI will ensure no polarisation of University takes place. ABVP already used cheap rhetoric this election by illegally putting up the statue of a highly controversial figure Damodardas Savarkar. When the move failed, they retorted to further downgrade cheap theatrics of using religion as a tool to safeguard their defeated campaign. Delhi University students are not going to be fooled by such rhetoric of ABVP again after the fake degree issue, and would give a sounding reply to them in upcoming student union elections.”

Following this news, the students of University of Delhi didn’t take it as a surprise that candidates do not follow the guidelines established for running a campaign, they believe that the Lyngdoh Committee is not a solution to strengthen or improve the prevailing conditions of student politics and DU stands as a classic example of its failure in limiting money and muscle power politics.

Feature Image Credit: ABVP Media

Avni Dhawan

Raising children with no religion: a parental ideology

By DU Beat August 25, 2019

Parents of two daughters narrating as why it was so imperative to raise their children with no religious beliefs is a tale that lights a new perspective of secularity and dharma.

In today’s time where national politics has boiled down to religion. It became important for me to ask my parents why they raised me and my sister with no religious faith. And here is there answer in my parents’ words

‘People often mistake our choice of upbringing our children as our unawareness about our religion, other religions and spirituality in general. However, it was only truly understanding teachings of holy books, the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Quran, the Bible and others that we came to this conclusion that our children will follow no particular religion.

If someone actually takes the time to understand these texts, he/she will realize that the end goal or the preaching of each book is the same. It states very evidently that all of us are a small part of larger conscious and each says that the only path of living is to be dutiful and responsible. If all paths have same ideals and all end goals are same, then why should we pre-impose certain set of rules on our kids and rob them of the choice of finding the path that convinces their individuality. It is the same as saying that our child would be a doctor.

In 2001, our first child was born, at that point admiring our daughter both of us decided we will never rob her of her originality as a human. All we will do is give her exposure to all rights and all wrongs associated with each philosophy and religion, then she can make an informed decision of what she believes for herself.

The other thing we strongly believed was, once we start belonging to a particular religion or follow a certain thought process, we lose the capability of imbibing the great of other religions and questioning the flaws of ours. When we wanted our daughters to meet people, we wanted them to judge them on their opinions and thoughts, not where they come from and what they follow.

The greatness of our nation lies in the fact, that all people from various ideologies can co-exist and celebrate all types of festivals with each other and we wanted our kids to enjoy all spheres of the society.

A huge problem we faced was if we had subjected our kids to one particular thought, we would have the risk of them being victims of false propaganda and pseudo-spirituality which is preached often by bearers of these particular religions and our children lacking the exposure would have taken them as the gospel truth.

We wanted our children to understand that to respect your community, you need to respects others first because all have the same purpose and teachings, to make sensitive human beings. Our choice also allowed us to interpret their teachings in the way we understood, instead of how they are manifested in society.’

My father added, ‘The biggest motivation of teaching no religious ideology to our daughters came when I studied Bhagwat Geeta, a sentence said ‘ek aadmi ka dharma kya hai’, when I analyzed this I got stuck on the word ‘dharma’, I realized this word is used in the context of duty. As in, if you translate this word to the English text, it means duty and not religion. In fact, Hindu sub-texts don’t have a word for religion. In our Sankskriti, religion is nowhere mentioned, only duty is. Duty towards your parents, towards your environment and fellow people. And this definition of dharma is same for every religious ideology. It is not that Hinduism teaches you to take care of your parents, but Sikhism doesn’t. So, religion is just a set of rules to fulfil that dharma. So, if I make my kids dutiful, they won’t need religion. Religion only became an unnecessary word to separate us into smaller groups and propagate politics and is nowhere involved in the personal growth of human beings.’

‘People often say you will find Moksha and Nirvana through religion and that’s not true at all. They believe that our Geeta says that the following religion rigidly finds you happiness, a saying in Geeta has been translated to ‘tu kam kare ja fal ki chinta mat kar’ means you work and god will give you your prize in next life or when you reach heaven. It actually means that when you do a good deed, you instantly feel happiness. and when you hurt someone, you feel guilty.

It also paves the way to think that humans in their intrinsic fabric have a moral compass, then you don’t need religion or set of rules to fulfil your dharma.

Religion has no role in personal development, otherwise people wouldn’t kill each other for religion. It is a means of highlighting festivals to move economy or have a system for society.

We wanted our children to be rationalists, for them to always have the capability of asking questions. Both of us come from scientific backgrounds and we knew the importance of scientific temperament. It gives you the power of innovation and yet a check on reality. Science is fact-based that gives you concrete knowledge you can build upon, but history has been the witness of so many religious texts becoming irrelevant due to scientific advancements. When Galileo Galilei proved there are moons orbiting Jupiter, it forced the Bible to accept that earth is not the centre of solar system and the universe. These holy texts were written as per the need of the society then. However, they should adapt to the needs of society today. And being part of one religion would’ve halted their personal evolution.

In conclusion, I believe all we wanted was that our children to be kind, dutiful and secular. When we mean secular, we mean they can do whatever they want until they hurt someone else. We don’t mean pro-Hindu or pro-Muslim, just inclusive, pro-choice, pro-people and constitutional citizens. Hence, philosophy and scientific narrative proved to be better tools of upbringing than religion ever did.’

Listening to their answer, it made me wonder, is religion the root cause of the bias that we share as a society and does liberal children, hope to solve pressing problems of today. Whatever the answer to those questions be, it is imperative that we have children and youth, free from every bias so they can pave way for a more inclusive, sensitive and better society.

Feature Image Credits: Sacred Games (Netflix)

Chhavi Bamba

DU’s take on the Zomato Debacle

By Sakshi Arora August 18, 2019

With Zomato delivery executives in Bengal protesting against the delivery of beef by Hindus and pork by Muslims, we see solidarity against the food delivery giant which finds itself in turmoil.

Another day in our secular country, another attempt made to communalise food on the religious grounds while the entire narrative on twitter shifts into countless debates on eating beef or pork.

However, for the students of the University of Delhi (DU), this opens up an interesting arena of speculation.

The majority of the student body considered animal cruelty as the reason for not eating beef/pork and very few considered religion to be behind this. A student stated, “I am against any sort of animal slaughter done for the sake of greed, taste or nutrition. They are sentient beings that deserve to live and we can survive without eating them.”

To further elaborate this point another student added, “I belong from a rural background, I am aware of the significance of livestock and cattle in shaping the life of village folks. Right from the agricultural activities, with the dung cakes used as fuel to cook food, to the dairy products used in everyday life, cattle form an essential part of their lives. I don’t consider religion to be the reason behind my choice.”

When religion comes into this narrative, the views are conflicting. Most of the students consider it as a matter of personal choice. However, it seems evident that family and upbringing plays an important role in influencing and strengthening one’s views. Some of them term it as a “disgraceful sin”, while others don’t associate themselves with this debate.

Another student came forward with a separate angle on this debate. She said, “It would be good if people try to understand why their religion tells them not to eat beef or pork, the idea behind it might still be relevant.” She further added that eating or not eating any kind of meat is a personal choice as long as one is not enforcing their opinions on others. According to her, if some religious institutions have certain rules about the consumption of meat then it should be followed while one is within the premises of that institution out of respect.

On the other hand, a part of the DU student body is much in the favour of consumption of beef and pork. “If it appeases the taste buds, it goes on top of the favourite food list” says a History student. The consensus either leans towards exploring the various delicacies that meat has to offer or rebelling against the societal diktats. As one student puts it, “I eat pork even though nobody in my family does. It’s my life and nobody can force me to not do something if I want to. I don’t eat beef because I never felt like trying it.”

Growing up it was hard to acknowledge the idea that beef can be eaten and God won’t smite you if you indulge in this practice. It was even harder to understand that people consume beef and it is perfectly normal for them as they are not indoctrinated into the belief that cow is a holy animal, the way I was from the age when my senses were not even fully developed. However, your beliefs and practices cannot be imposed on another person.

Like a rusty coin, with two alternative sides, this debate is going to be here for a long time much to the delight of the debating circuit of the varsity. Till then, I am here with my double-decker beef burger with a side of bacon to see how this whole debate moves forward.

Feature Image credits: WSLM radio

Antriksha Pathania

Tu: A Stupendous Specimen of Film-making

By DU Beat May 22, 2019

Here is my review of Tu (you), a short film by Royals Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films starring Sayani Gupta and Arjun Radhakrishnan.

Tu, a short film directed by Rahul Nangia, is a meticulously crafted tale of two ill-fated lovers told in under eight minutes. In its run time, it successfully establishes the relationship and its conflict. The tonality and lighting are dark, their space seems claustrophobic, the blatant intimacy between the two leading characters in the opening shot itself makes you uncomfortable, and ever since the beginning, the audience understands that their relationship is doomed.

The film runs on a single string conversation between the two lovers where the writers have brilliantly woven their love story which unfolds in front of your eyes. Over the course of this conversation, you realise that her name is Supriya, while he is a Murtaza; that their inconspicuous meetings are going on for a long time now; that she is the one who is rebellious (because she arranges the rooms for their meetings); that he is utterly scared of his father and works at his shop; that she is engaged to another person; that he is still economically dependent on his father (his phone is taken away because the bill was INR 3,000) and even though all this is an age-old, monotonous, repetitive conflict you still become completely invested in their story.

Visually, the short film aims at making you aware of the couple’s comfortable relationship. Throughout the film, we only see the two characters totally invested into each other, giving us a closer look at their bond which further fuels our pity for them. In the midst of this, using the narrative of them watching their old video at Mumbai’s Lover’s Point, out in the open, under the blue sky, near the uncontrollable waves of the sea and away from their present situation works wonders for the film. It symbolises the naivety of love, which transforms into a complex cacophony when it transcends the societal demands and rules.

The ending is ambiguous, but anyone can complete the story without any faults because it is a story which has been told a million times, one which we all have heard, read or watched. The last sequence leading up to the end shows the two characters panic-stricken, running around in their limited space, the rebellious girl finding an escape while the scared boy all set to face the reality, with their wobbly voices running in the background. You can hear the tears in their voices and the rawness of their fear. Herein, again, the screen miraculously cuts back to that happy video, making our heart sore for the hopeless lovers. The video has a cinematic zoom-in and out between timelines.

In its short run time, Tu is successful at making you feel things for the poor couple, a feat that many-a-times even 3-hour long Bollywood Romances are unable to achieve. Watch it for its simplicity in storytelling, sincere and honest filmmaking and utterly graceful performances by the lead characters.

Image Credits: Film Companion

Sakshi Arora

A Review: 'God Promise’ by Pratibimb

By Anushree Joshi February 7, 2019

A commentary on religion and its impact on the present-day society- this play by Pratibimb deserves a watch. Read the review, and catch a screening soon. Religion is a part of every individual’s identity and, in the Indian context, the framework for the society as well. For centuries, the Indian subcontinent has seen the influx of new religions owing to foreign invasions, trade, and migrations. With the caste system in place, religion has also been used to dictate one’s position in the social atmosphere and to determine one’s social status. Caste and religion have been used to deny access to spaces (social and religious) to members of communities which are considered ‘lower’, and they thus remain marginalised. India is no stranger to religious violence and stereotypes which have found themselves ingrained in religious identity. Having received praise for their previous production on drug addiction called ‘TripT’, the Dramatics Society of Delhi Technological University (DTU)- Pratibimb- is back again with their annual street production titled ‘God Promise’ which explores the concept of religion in the present-day scenario, its relation to identity, its various interpretations, and religion as a ‘tool’ devised by humans, for humans. The play explores multiple scenarios revolving around religion and its societal impact. The most memorable scene from the play, in my perspective, was the build-up in the forest. The actors are seen mimicking voices of animals and birds, and if you’d close your eyes, you might as well confuse it for a real forest. The drum-beats start slow, the birds chirp softly, and an animal is seen lurking in between. He is scared with his eyes frantically search for comfort and familiarity. The drum-beats and the animals’ screeches get louder, and his limbs shake; is he in danger? The drum-beats get faster, the animals launch themselves on him; he is a new prey to their system. Storytelling through street theatre involves the usage of the human body as an instrument, and the play delivers that perfectly. A parallel storyline runs in the play as the audience moves from scene-to-scene with the creation of a zanjeer– a metal chain. Two workers focus on building the zanjeer, and their boss tells them it isn’t heavy enough every single time, until the zanjeer becomes too heavy to lift and needs to be molten down. With brilliant performance by Naman Roy, the zanjeer serves as a metaphor for the concept of religion and the principles of religion. With time, it becomes too heavy for the society and the society crumbles as a result. The story moves fluidly and the role of sound plays in a significantly remarkable fashion throughout the performance. The play ends with narratives of different religions, exploring death, love, and loss, with unity in times of grief and distress, leaving the audience with food for thought. Click here to follow Pratibimb’s Facebook page. Image Credits: Jaishree Kumar for DU Beat Jaishree Kumar [email protected]]]>

A Review: ‘God Promise’ by Pratibimb

By Anushree Joshi February 7, 2019

A commentary on religion and its impact on the present-day society- this play by Pratibimb deserves a watch. Read the review, and catch a screening soon.

Religion is a part of every individual’s identity and, in the Indian context, the framework for the society as well. For centuries, the Indian subcontinent has seen the influx of new religions owing to foreign invasions, trade, and migrations. With the caste system in place, religion has also been used to dictate one’s position in the social atmosphere and to determine one’s social status.

Caste and religion have been used to deny access to spaces (social and religious) to members of communities which are considered ‘lower’, and they thus remain marginalised. India is no stranger to religious violence and stereotypes which have found themselves ingrained in religious identity. Having received praise for their previous production on drug addiction called ‘TripT’, the Dramatics Society of Delhi Technological University (DTU)- Pratibimb- is back again with their annual street production titled ‘God Promise’ which explores the concept of religion in the present-day scenario, its relation to identity, its various interpretations, and religion as a ‘tool’ devised by humans, for humans.

The play explores multiple scenarios revolving around religion and its societal impact. The most memorable scene from the play, in my perspective, was the build-up in the forest. The actors are seen mimicking voices of animals and birds, and if you’d close your eyes, you might as well confuse it for a real forest. The drum-beats start slow, the birds chirp softly, and an animal is seen lurking in between. He is scared with his eyes frantically search for comfort and familiarity. The drum-beats and the animals’ screeches get louder, and his limbs shake; is he in danger? The drum-beats get faster, the animals launch themselves on him; he is a new prey to their system. Storytelling through street theatre involves the usage of the human body as an instrument, and the play delivers that perfectly.
A parallel storyline runs in the play as the audience moves from scene-to-scene with the creation of a zanjeer– a metal chain. Two workers focus on building the zanjeer, and their boss tells them it isn’t heavy enough every single time, until the zanjeer becomes too heavy to lift and needs to be molten down. With brilliant performance by Naman Roy, the zanjeer serves as a metaphor for the concept of religion and the principles of religion. With time, it becomes too heavy for the society and the society crumbles as a result.

The story moves fluidly and the role of sound plays in a significantly remarkable fashion throughout the performance. The play ends with narratives of different religions, exploring death, love, and loss, with unity in times of grief and distress, leaving the audience with food for thought.

Click here to follow Pratibimb’s Facebook page.

Image Credits: Jaishree Kumar for DU Beat

Jaishree Kumar