DU FAMILY

A nostalgic feeling still shrouds my mind whenever I look down the memory lane – my SCHOOLDAY, those precious 14 years that made me what I am today but just the mere thought of being a part of the DU family lifts my spirits and makes me less morose. 47 days on and now I am well adapted to the rocking DU lifestyle. I got a funny feeling that being in DU is like being trapped in a computer program amidst great chaos except in the case when you know the basics. Let me make it a bit simpler for you to comprehend. Since entering this new life, I have met a wide variety of people who earlier used to make me flinch and even become flimsy, but nowadays, just a mere look tells me how to confront the person in front of me just because I have got the hang of BASICS.

What I realized is that there are 3 classes partitioning the DU family.

1… The SO-CALLED ELITE CLASS

      Basically, its members are those coquettish covetous butterflies who walk as if on ramp, talk as if crooning (inaudibly) and live in their hive with their own species as if being near you would suffocate them. It also includes those studs who consider them to be the world of one and all. But in reality, who cares??

2… THE BINDAAS CLASS

      This is my personal favourite. Its members are not only people but people you can call friends at the end of the day. You can chat, eat, laugh, cry, study- in other words live life to the fullest with them.

3… THE GLUE CLASS

      Well! Its members are creatures who are actually synonymous with parasites. They will follow you wherever you go but won’t speak a word; would take spoonfuls from your “anmol thaali” but won’t dare shell a buck for you. They will call you their world no matter how hard they try to make your world topsy-turvy so that you may fall down.

Now, I know why college life is known as the stepping stone of life because one becomes wary of so many personalities here that all the apprehensions fade away. DU gives you some best friends, some friends and not to forget our beloved parasites. But at the end of the day if you are perplexed, just sing to yourself…

KOI ACCEPTED KOI FORCED HOTA HAI,
         PAR HAR EK FRIEND ZAROORI HOTA HAI…….

Image Courtesy: Google



Article By: Ritu Garg

DU ELECTIONS

Two weeks of slushy and wet rains failed to dampen the spirit; perhaps only agitated more the zest and competition in the various parties as they campaigned for the forthcoming DUSU elections. A week back, DUTA elections had led the way in exercising Democratic participation in electing the representatives; the ones who would come to represent them and fight for their rights and opinions. DUTA preceded the DUSU elections in an exemplary behavior, keeping alive the age-old tradition of Guru-Shishya handing down of knowledge and responsibilities. The protocols were observed in letter and spirit in as flawless a manner of a role-model as possible; even as coarsened disputes materialized in corners of newspapers and there were reports of grouches bullying those standing in elections, especially lady students from filing their affidavits and documents in North Campus. There is little fun in winning without a little tussle. In keeping similar spirits, the student bodies held up their nominees onto the larger platform of University from colleges.

How high and prestigious the offices of the victors would be was obvious from the ceaseless cheering by the participating bodies and their supporters. And the voices got louder as D-day approached. 9^th September loomed large. Many had spent hours; there was behind-the–curtain strategizing. Each day there were supporters to be won. From the past three weeks curiosity was cooking amongst the non-participants. Even as the budding politicians joined their parent parties, there was unconditional support extending from the classrooms. Attendance was marked silently. In gratitude there were also promises of cocktail parties to the boys’ majority and graceful parties to the teetotalers. There was a sudden striking of handshakes with the seniors, they visited the fresher’s classes often: sometimes to introduce themselves, at others to be introduced with the latter. There were smaller associations, like the Political Science Association in my college that asked for contributions and asked us to churn them a Vice- President (Vice-Presidents are supposedly from 1st year).

As 9th September approached campaigning got fiercer and fiercer still. There was to be no stopping until the last supporters to opposing parties had changed sides. Classes were never regular for the hollering in the corridors only got louder. They dropped in amidst the classes; standing to give their manifestos with poise and élan. “Bus service must be started on this South campus route. ….. There should be Metro feeder to AIIMS station. ……The dilapidating canteen needs infrastructure and better food……. Evening college has no club rooms of its own……It has been ages since a new College opened up”, while

one emphasized on what ought to be, another stressed on what they had already accomplished, “In the Radhika Tanwar murder too we had held protests and fought for student rights…etc.”

The last week came as the finishing touch to the hard work of months. “Hamara neta kaisa ho……..Jaisa ho” filled the air. Some dressed in the quintessential Netaji dress, some in Kurtas and Jeans. Garlands hung on their necks like ornaments. The canteen was on-the-house on Wednesday, and there were organized trips to ‘Adventure Island’ in groups throughout the week. When I went to college last before elections on Tuesday, all of the parties barricaded the entrance path. Hands were shook every two meters and pamphlets handed over. Even if you were convinced with one party, the next was standing just ten feet away to lure you into their welcoming embrace. A north-east forum came up in my college in the last couple of days and actively supported NSUI. We visited the Indira Gandhi National Cultural Association (IGNCA) at Janpath with the NE-forum; though it was differently aligned it came as political education and guidance for the campaigners. There was also a Palam Party activist who got cell numbers written so that we don’t shake off balloting on the last day but mysteriously did not come to college on the last crucial days before Friday. Election Day was only dampened by the lashing of clouds, it was one of the wettest days of this Monsoon and the exercise of the franchise stood at a mere 32 percent. (Courtesy: The Hindu) When the results emerged late that day, Prem Kumar Mishra assumed office as President of my college student’s body. (The name had registered like a poem from weeks of campaigning outside our classroom window). At the University level, while NSUI’s Ajay Chikara reined winner of the post of President of DUSU, BJP backed ABVP clinched rest of the five offices. It was all’s well that ends well for the parties and students as life tuned back to normal from Monday.

DELHI MONSOON

The incessant rains have been far from romantic. When I had been to the capital for an exam in May, it had been dreadfully hot. It rained that night, possibly the first time in this summer. When my friend had put up a status update from an opposite end of Delhi, I perhaps couldn’t agree more. It was something like “I love the rains…..It has been terribly hot…..It is raining in Delhi”.

I would differ with him if he asked me now. I don’t stop at two swears each time it starts drizzling now. Or is it just me? My room has a window fixed to a desert cooler (so that it  cannot be closed) and the cooler is barricaded by the wall of the opposite house. Each time it rains there is a shower of water inside my living space. My mattress gets wet unless I move it away from the wall. And every time I am relegated to sitting at a corner of the room, my mattress folded in half and waiting for the spell to end. I can do nothing more than swear and fume and this is the part that puts me off most. Such is my friendship now with the Delhi monsoon.

The other day it was raining cats and dogs when I got down at the AIIMS metro station. The enormous puddles and the maddening rapidity struck out like two big challenges. You just had to step out before you are so drenched; on another occasion you would think you forgot to take off your clothes before a bath. Commuters blocked the exit at Gate no. 4 as they marveled at the wrath of the heavens. Those that finally braved it (I too gave in eventually) crossed the dirty waters to the remnants of the footpaths. Some held

their shoes in hands and folded their trousers to the knees. And in my hurry to escape, I took a wrong bus.

Amidst such turpitude and my aversion of getting wet, imagine the helplessness in me when the bus turned left below the flyover instead of going straight over it. Stranded at a bus-stand that I couldn’t care to notice which it was and with little knowledge of Geography, I succumbed to what I least wanted to. I hailed an auto. Luckily it had stopped raining by the time I reached Satya Niketan. I dumped my clothes until my next washing day of the week and the shoes - they took two entire days to dry!!

In rains, every locality is a sight to see. They would qualify to be pleasant only if the rains occurred were once in a fortnight. Two spells in a day is too much. College is boring and few come to classes. When you live in a locality such as mine where the lanes become an obstacled course and you need to strategize before you can wade to the other side, it is far from fun. Worst is when it rains when you are getting ready to leave for college. Half change their minds right then, the more determined ones grope for shade at every turn on the road. You step out of your doors all smart and trim; then it starts raining and suddenly you have to dodge and dash to reach college in a presentable attire.

Albeit, it would be unjust not to write about the joy in watching the after-shower evenings. This is that brighter side of monsoons that the poets and lovers possibly write about. Because I can’t bring myself to think there can’t be any fun in getting wet. Cups of tea and samosas, and the football in the lawn makes it worth coming to college then.

It is time I bought a raincoat or umbrella……..Well, rain gods we pray to you.

Article By: Tonmoy Barua

Images Courtesy: Google  

A SECOND HOME

Every student steps on the threshold of the new life which college entails with a lot of hopes and dreams brimming in her heart. There are the all too familiar apprehensions of adapting to a new environment, making a new set of friends, adjusting to a new course indeed, for most of us, it is nothing short of a new culture altogether. Perhaps the extent of change is even more incessant for those who choose to leave their homes in the quest for a more secure future. Who else but they can understand what it feels like to go on endless searches for PGs, adjust to new room mates, miss home made food and feel like  packing back home on every phone call from parents. Yet, no more than a few months are required for us to make those very (initially irritating) transitions such an integral part of our lives that life becomes unimaginable without them after a point, and we start thanking our stars that we landed up with these kind of changes and not another!

I had similar qualms and reservations when I first came to the Delhi, goaded on by a very strong cynical temperament. Yet, from the very first day of college, something clicked and I fell in love with its atmosphere, simultaneously fascinated and awed by everything occurring in its midst. Because I was living away from home too, getting through SRCC was only slightly more important than getting through yet another institute, the college’s girls’ hostel. Shri Ram Memorial Girls Hostel or SRMGH (I admit, the name does not sound that fascinating!) was a faraway dream for me, knowing as I did fully well that it was extremely difficult to get through it, since it consisted of only fifty three seats and the cut offs, hence, tended to be extremely high. I gave the interviews but did not get through in the first list. But luck was on my side because two of the girls who had been offered seats in the hostel, declined and I got a phone call from one of the girls - who eventually became my room mate - saying that I was one of the lucky 53(well, those weren’t her exact words but that’s how I interpreted them).

The first few months weren’t all that great. The seniors seemed too bossy; we had a seven o’clock in-time and the mess duty (I definitely do not have either the will or the patience to explain what that means), by popular vote, sucked! Yet, I knew at the back of my mind that I was lucky to be here, because along with the costs came some very special rewards too. Besides gaining the special status of being a hosteller, I got to live within the college campus and hence became an ardent part of each and every happening in the college and did end up making a lot more friends than would have been possible otherwise. The daily evening walks with fellow hostellers around the beloved campus, the fights with my room mate and the consequent making up to her, the celebration of birthday parties in the middle of the night, being among the first ones to know each and every gossip in the college and owning our own hostel t-shirts - there are certain memories and activities the value of which can never be measured, simply because they are too precious for that. And as I have already mentioned, it wasn’t long before I unconsciously started liking these changes too and before the year was over, discussions began among the girls whether they would be a part of SRMGH the next year as well! But most of us did get through and one year and countless experiences later, I can appreciate the fact that I was lucky enough to get the best sort of home possible after the one I have left behind.

Photographs By: Satyendra Pandey

Article By: Jayshrita Bhagabati

...CAMPAIGNING ABHI BAAKI HAI...!!

I had a class to attend an interview to appear and a form to submit. You can certainly guess how busy I was that early September morning. I dressed up for college and left my place at once hoping not to get late for the first lecture as Iusually am. But the way from my place to the college seemed like eternity. I could not help but notice the crowd on the street. And the next thing I remember was being flushed with hundreds of pamphlets highlighting the ballot number and names of the candidates up for the college elections this year!

Right from the Vishwavidyalaya Metro Station to the favourite hangouts in the college campus, the campaigning for DU’s "only" political event was on a high. Placards and posters were visibly all over the University Campus. Printed posters and stickers being banned this year, hand-made posters and pamphlets had taken the centre stage. To quote a student, "It’s maddening! All we can see around are poster and pamphlets." Each barricade that I crossed all I could hear was the accomplishments of prospect leader standing up for the elections this year. Seriously, I have had so much of them that I can practically retell that to you word-to-word. The election budget of Rs 5000 long trailing by, candidates left no stone unturned to woo the prospective voters. Students were eluded by freebies ranging from writing pads and pens to free food and free passes to amusement parks to shopping baskets. Some had even promised attendance to freshers who somehow believed in their promises.

Trending now are the socially active candidates. Major election parties came up with the idea of promoting their candidates online through their facebook and twitter accounts which were periodically updated. They had put up their party profiles and manifestos online and were asking for the support.

By the time I reached my class I was well half for my class but thanks to my lenient math teacher I was allowed in. But throughout the class I was still thinking about the pandemonium outside that I could hear, "Don’t be lazy, vote for...".

Image 1 By: Nirab Jyoti Bora

Image 2 Courtesy: Google

KNOW YOUR FRIEND FROM DU

Radhika Tandon is a student of B.Sc. Physical Science first year from SGTB Khalsa College. She loves to read and write about her surroundings. She is passionate about music and is a trained classical singer. She dislikes meeting new people but loves to hangout with her friends.

ELECTION MANIA

DU elections on the roll
Not at rest a single soul.
Be it DUSU or college union,

Everyone had to make an opinion.

The beginning was campaigning

And minds and tongues straining.
Every nook and cranny the contestants strode
And strident supporters in their names swore.

Slogans, banners all around.
Going on was brain impound.
Promising voters a bright dream
And luring them with ice-cream,
The contestants moved in white,
Aspiring to touch great height.
Insides burning with anticipation
And looking forward to a great celebration.

Some voters looked bored.
Some minds and spirits soared.

Some took the banners and joined campaign.
Some only called out in vain.

This was all out in light.
But in background prevailed dark night.
As parties crossed sabres
And supporters put in hard labour,
Grudges germinated
And then many rules were violated.
Bandages, stitches became ornaments
And suspension letters prominent.

Some stains, some white.
Some in some out of sight.

Then began the countdown.
Only question: Who will get the crown?

Election day was no less dramatic.
We all reached our colleges
Wading through the traffic.
It rained cats and dogs
Bringing low turnouts in the logs.
There was noise all around
But an eerie calm gripped the ground.

Casting my vote, practising my right,
I now just hope that I have made the choice
right....


Image Courtesy: Google


Poem By: Ritu Garg

DASTAN-E-DUSU

Catch NSUI's campaigning at the Faculty of Law. (DUSU Elections 2011)

DASTAN-E-DUSU

Check out the interview of Amit Srivastava, AISA's candidate for the post of DUSU President. (DUSU Elections 2011)

PARTY PROFILE - THE STUDENTS' FEDERATION OF INDIA

The Flag of SFI

The Students’s Federation of India (SFI) is one of the major students’ organizations in India, founded in 1970, is linked politically to the Communist Party of India (Marxist). It is led at the all-India level by P.K. Biju (President) and Ritubrata Banerjee (General Secretary). SFI firmly believes in the importance of Education for transforming the society. Proper education, they believe, will build a new society based on rationality and justice.

As followers of the leftist ideology, the SFI holds the incumbency and lack of accountability on the part of the present govt. solely responsible for the plight of the ‘aam aadmi’ who have to face the serious problems of price rise, natural resource management and food security.  They believe that these issues and also those relating to development are not merely a matter for technocratic adjustments but one that needs serious questioning of our growth strategies.

For this year’s DUSU elections seeks to reassert the correct political practice and to remove the visible signs of corruption – moral and financial – and the inefficacy from our campus. The SFI in alliance with the AISF would strive to achieve the following agendas if voted to power:

1. To organist the students in schools, colleges, universities and other educational institutions of the country and also Indian students studying abroad under its banner to build a powerful and well-knit student movement for the upliftment and betterment of the student community

2. To take active interest in the struggle for liquidation of the evil legacies of colonialism and for building in our country an independent, democratic and socialist society to insure a prosperous and progressive future for our people.

3. To establish a democratic, scientific and progressive educational system ensuring education and job for all that will be facilitated by the implementation of comprehensive land reforms, elimination of the stranglehold of international finance capital and indigenous monopoly capitalism.

4. To organist the student community in the struggles of the wider democratic movement of the workers, peasants, and other progressive forces and to seek their cooperation and support to achieve the immediate demands and aims.

5.  To achieve the democratic rights of the student community

- Right to democratic and independent expression and behavior.

- Right to form student unions and associations and right to assemble

- Right to participate in the management of all educational institutions and of all bodies connected with the academic and other affairs of student life.

6. To work for free universal and compulsory education up to secondary stage and abolition of all school fees up to plus two stage.

and for all necessary and complete facilities of education, hostel.

scholarships, sports and cultural and social activities that would be adequate and within the reach of all students. To ensure that education upto primary level is provided in mother tongue.

7. To struggle for guarantee of employment after completion of education or unemployment grants till employed and fight for the recognition of the right to work as a constitutionally guaranteed fundamental right.

8. To fight against every manifestation of, and oppression or discrimination based on, religion, caste, language. race, region or gender and to work for secularism, communal harmony, amity and equality of all.

9. To extend warm solidarity to all the progressive forces of the world struggling for freedom, national independence and socialism.

10. To establish fraternal and friendly relations with all other student organizations, which are pledged to work for secularism, democracy and socialism and to have united action with other student organizations on specific issues and demands.

11. GSCASH: Delhi is an unsafe city, we are reminded often. But if one makes the mistake for demanding a possible solution, one is squarely recommended a self defense class. However, AISF - SFI believes that a solution exists outside the karate classes in revitalizing of the Gender Sensitization Committee against Sexual Harassment. Many assume sexual harassment to be a girls- student specific issue which is not the case. On paper, the DU has a GSCASH but it has been dormant for past many years. AISF - SFI has had a history of running successful campaigns for GSCASH especially in the Jawaharlal Nehru University. The need is to hold regular elections to the office of the committee the campaign for which will allow a greater awareness towards the body and will also enable more students to think of it as a serious option for redressal of cases pertaining to sexual harassment. AISF - SFI also believes that the ambit of the committee cannot be limited and it should be given powers to hear cases and recommend serious punitive measures for those found guilty.

12. Hindi and other Vernacular mediums: While there is no denying that the medium of instruction in DU is English, there is no denial of entry to students coming from non- English mediums. Since a huge section of kids come from north India, it has been found that many students especially those coming from Hindi- Urdu medium schools find it difficult to make an overnight transformation to the English language instructions in DU colleges and result in their poor scores and eventual drop out. The hasty introduction of the semester system has also meat that students who had almost 8- 9 months to make the transition into the English medium are left with only a month or so to adjust to a system quite alien to their earlier institutions. No thought has been put to address this serious problem as is evident from the abysmal conditions of translation projects or remedial classes. There is a dire need to introduce texts/ books in  Hindi and other vernacular languages and initiate bridge courses for students coming from such educational backgrounds.

13. Student Cards for the Delhi Metro: The metro network came as a boon to many students across the city as it made the campus accessible from many points in the city. It was meant to be an efficient and modern means of public transit which is of course, desirable. However, recently the metro tariffs have seen a hike in the name of recovering the initial costs. As the DMRC is a public private partnership, the need for recovering money will take precedence but it cannot come at the cost of making the metro network unaffordable for the students. If one sees instances of mass transit in many other countries, one sees special efforts made by the governments to subsidize the services for students. A similar initiative should be introduced for students travelling in the metro as well. They can be issued Student Cards that will enable a higher ridership. After all, any effort for recovery will be bolstered by making the service more popular rather than increasing the tariffs and limiting the number of people who can regularly enjoy the service.

14. U – Special: The University Specials was an initiative of the Delhi Transport Corporation to provide buses to students to the twin campuses of the University. However, as the intake has increased and the geographical spread of the students has increased within the city especially those commuting from west and east ends of the city. But what has been seen is that instead of increasing the DTC fleet dedicated to the U Special service, the facility has shrunk. AISF - SFI demands an expansion of the U special fleet and expanding its geographical outreach.

15. Opening New Colleges and Evening Classes: The sky high cut-off percentages for admissions to DU have already generated a national debate. These high cut-off percentages only foreground the lack of adequate quality higher educational institutions in our country and the consequent difficulties posed before the student community in access to higher education. It is estimated that only 9% of our country’s youth in the age group of 17-23 years have access to higher education. Out of the 1.78 lakh students passing the Class 12 exam from Delhi this year, most were not able to enter DU. This calls for a massive expansion of our public education system. However, the last new college created in DU was nearly two decades ago! Even the demand for double shifts in all DU colleges, which can create more seats at minimal expenditure, has been consistently denied. Rather, the HRD Minister is resorting to fraudulent measures like promoting more private universities and the proposed Foreign Educational Institutions Bill, which will only legitimize trade in education and create elite conclaves of education. AISF - SFI calls for complete rejection of such duplicity and urges the expansion of colleges and starting of evening classes.

16. Proper Examination System under the New Semester System: The new semester system has also thrown up a set of challenges to the way a student’s academic performance are being evaluated. The internal scores that a student earns is left to no system of scrutiny or review. The AISF - SFI is aware that the internal scores cannot be brought under the purview of the university as it is the sole prerogative of the individual college. However, we suggest the immediate setting up of a student faculty committee (SFC) that can undertake review of internals that are awarded so that to ensure transparency to the whole system.  

CHARTER OF DEMANDS:

1. Ensure Education for all, jobs for all. 

2. Allocate 10% of the Central budget, 6% of the GDP and 30% of state budget for education.

3. Recognise the right to education and the right to employment as fundamental rights in the       Constitution of the country. 

4. Ensure a democratic, scientific and progressive education system.  

5. Return education to the state list. 

6. Protect and promote the democratization of education. Ensure democratic rights of the entire academic community and the democratic rights of the student community in particular. 

7. Provide free education up to secondary stage and abolish tuition fees up to higher secondary stage. 

8. Stop communalisation of education  

9. Stop commercialization of education. 

10. Provide adequate facilities of education and scope for sports, cultural and literary activities accessible to all.

11. Reform and develop the entire education system and particularly pedagogy and the evaluation system on scientific and progressive lines.

12. Provide and protect the rights and opportunities of the scheduled castes, tribes, OBCs and all marginalized sections in the area of education and employment.

13. Ensure that all educational institutes are free from sexual harassment and gender    discrimination. Form committees against sexual harassment as directed by the Supreme Court in all educational institutes. 

14. Ensure social control over all private educational institutions in the country for the regulation of fess, admission process and the content of education. 

15. Curb all forms of corruption in the sphere of education. 

16. Education up to primary level should be provided in the mother tongue and at subsequent levels in one's, mother tongue, regional, state or national language.

 

THE LIST OF CANDIDATES CONTESTING THE DUSU ELECTIONS

 A.   NSUI - National Student’s Union of India

PRESIDENT - Ajay Chhikara

VICE-PRESIDENT - Bhupendra Chaudhari

SECRETARY - Parag Sharma

JOINT-SECRETARY - Ashish Chaudhary

B.   ABVP - Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad

PRESIDENT - Neha Singh

VICE-PRESIDENT - Vikas Choudhary

SECRETARY - Vikas Yadav

                                             JOINT-SECRETARY - Deepak Bansal

 C.   INSO - Indian National Students Organzation

PRESIDENT - Ankit Choudhary

VICE-PRESIDENT - Rahul Singh

SECRETARY - Ashwani Kumar

JOINT-SECRETARY - Kirti

D.   AISF-SFI - An alliance between All India Students Federation and Students           

Federation of India

PRESIDENT - Soumya Guliyan

VICE-PRESIDENT - Ritu Priya

SECRETARY - Mukesh Kumar

JOINT-SECRETARY - Ajay Kumar

E.   AISA - All India Students’ Association

PRESIDENT - Amit Srivastav

VICE-PRESIDENT - Waseem Javed

SECRETARY - Kumar Saurabh

JOINT-SECRETARY - Puneet Pushkar

So go on and vote for your chosen candidates on 9th September at  8.30 am to 12.30 pm for Day Classes and 4.00 pm to 8.00 pm for Evening Classes.

DASTAN - E - DUSU

THE ELECTION FEVER

Ever since the human civilization began, power has always been a fantasy of all. To hold power means to exercise considerable influence over the lives of those subservient to you, both negatively as well as positively. To hold power also means to have an esteemed position in the society. It is a universal truth that those in possession of power enjoy an unprecedented reverence from one and all, even being compared with the Almighty.

Often, the study of power in a society is referred to as Politics. Hence, it can be rightly said that in order to gain power and enjoy the boons associated with it one has to take an active part in the game of politics. And in order to enter into politics one needs to contest elections (Democracy being one of the main features of the Indian political system, the people have the right to elect their representatives or their leaders).

Talking about elections, one cannot forget the elections that form the stepping stone of one’s tryst with politics. These are the (in)famous University elections that are held almost in all Universities across the country.

These days our Delhi University also is bitten by the election bug. The names of candidates who will be contesting for the four designated posts – President, Vice-President, Secretary and Joint-Secretary – has been announced. The Wall of Democracy is packed with their faces smiling brightly at the passers-by, seemingly trying to assure them of their willingness to serve them. Campaigning to promote and publicize the candidates has started arrantly. Here and there in the Campus as well as inside the colleges, one can see the jubilant candidates (wearing garlands and hands folded in a humble namaste or raised up high in a wave) followed by their party members who try to persuade and coax the students to vote for them.

Charter of demands are released and pamphlets distributed, speeches are being delivered with high promises, more posters are being put up to cover every nook and cranny of both the Campuses, hands are being shaked, phone calls are being made and much more is being done by the contesting parties to ensure the victory of their candidates. Now, who wins the rat race finally will be disclosed on 9^th September. Till the, keep observing and thinking…

Image Courtesy: Google

Article By: Aanchel Ajay Khanna

A LEADER FOR A CHANGE

A new session, a new beginning. Freshers enjoying the newness in their life and the older ones enjoying seniority. It was a zestful start of the new academic year. Most students are in complete action yet some of the timid ones are making their way through the daily happenings.

30th August, yet another common day, horrible sultry weather, early morning traffic congestion, utter chaos at the college entrance, students running late for classes, teachers in full spree - well planned with their lecture schedules for the day, everyone out there was following their daily rituals. This ordinary day became not so ordinary as soon as the news of college Presidential elections made a buzz around. Until last week there were inputs from North Campus regarding the DUTA elections and this week again we had something to our delight, the college President and Vice-President elections. The most spontaneous thought that struck everyone’s mind was of the nominations in the following categories. With immense pride we were informed that a third year student from our course was one of the proposed candidates. Enthusiastically I and my friends began campaigning for her. In the past we had seen her promising performance in all spheres, so to speak. We all know with upcoming positions in life comes responsibility too! Her accomplishments in the past had been such that they were self explanatory of her calibre and dedication.

The election fever was in the air. Everybody was equally excited as the candidates themselves. I and my friends became a part of the core committee for election campaigning. We gave in our inputs too, not only designing posters to be put up all around college, but also to the extent of exhausting our phone balance in promotional text messages, no stone was left unturned. This wasn’t the end to our fancy propaganda strategies, in order to show our support for our candidate we all decided to wear badges with the candidate’s name on it. Each and every person’s support mattered a lot for her victory. Until all this happened no one could have better understood the Airtel advertisement 'har ek friend zaruri hota hai .' We went about the entire campus sporting her promotional colour ‘yellow and black’ in a funny manner yet delivering fashion statements by carrying matching coloured hoardings to team up with them. We also came up with catchy slogans like‘‘hamara neta kaisa ho kanika chaturwedi jaisa ho’. Ignorant of the glances people made to our unusual appearances, we were just so proud to be a part of the campaigning session. The best part of all this was that we could miss classes on the pretext of elections and actually chill in college which was a rare chance for JMCites. Our entire day went by giving our candidate an edge over the other competitors. After a daylong hectic campaigning in and around the college campus, everyone was assembled in the hall as it was time to deliver the much awaited & well rehearsed speech. Each nominee exploited their full potential to deliver a speech of purpose. Each one tried to state their best possible suggestions to address the common problems of their fellow mates.

The current scenario is that election campaigning is an ongoing process and the footfall of supporters is increasing every minute. Fingers are crossed, anxiety levels are at its peak. Everyone’s hopes and aspirations are awaiting the final judgement. I, as an individual gained a lot from this experience, the right kind of spirit, healthy competition, moral and ethical concerns relating to the procedure, free will to support whosoever one likes. I would sum up this article by saying that elections and in turn being voted for a position is a great platform to explore one’s leadership qualities and whether or not one wins, one should not get disheartened as there is definitely a lot to learn, hands down. My best wishes with the candidates. May there be a "a new leader, a new vision and a new direction."

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Surbhi Vip is a psychology student from Jesus & Mary. She is immensely passionate about dancing, an ardent lover of various dance forms. Her hobbies include expressing her inner self and interacting with people through her articles, poems, blogs, etc. and through DU Dastan she wishes to reach out to her peer community at DU.