This Navratri is being celebrated on campus with a filmi twist! Much like in the Anil Kapoor-starrer Nayak (2001), the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) is seeing one-day presidents for each day of the festival. The twist? They will only be female students. “DUSU last had a female president (politician Nupur Sharma) in 2008-09,” shares Tushar Dedha, current president, adding, “So, we initiated this initiative to bring more female students in focus within the world of politics.”
We spoke to seven of them and here’s the one thing that they would want to change in the state of student affairs as one-day DUSU presidents.
Sakshi Patel, a final-year student of BA (Prog) at Satyawati College, says, “I want to start a book bank at every college, for students who can’t afford books and other necessary study material.… It’s a shame there hasn’t been a single female president since the 2008-09 session. Because I believe that if we, as women, don’t step up to do our bit for our peers, we will not be handed the representation that we deserve.”
Anshita Chauhan, a first year student of BSc (Hons) Botany at Daulat Ram College, says, “I want DUSU to ensure safety, security and better facilities for students in PGs. If these places are vetted and ranked by DUSU, they will have greater credibility for the outstation students… I’m a hosteller, and knew that my parents wouldn’t be comfortable with me studying in DU if I had to stay in a PG.”
Preeti Singh Nain, second-year student of BSc (Hons) Zoology at Kirori Mal College (KMC), wants exchange programmes for meritorious students. “I want to bridge the gap between the north and south campuses, as well as off-campus colleges. For instance, KMC has a stellar Zoology department. So, if a student from Venky or Hansraj wishes to study here for a semester, they should be allowed to have that experience. This can help provide education in every college at the same wavelength.”
Zainab Nigar, a first-year student of BSc (Hons) Anthropology at Hansraj College, tells us, “A girls’ hostel has been built in my college recently, but it doesn’t have the same facilities as the boys’ hostel. Five students are forced to share one small room, which is extremely unfair! I want to address this issue as a one-day DUSU president. I want to spot the ground realities of random difficulties in colleges, and work towards eradicating them.”
Isha Awana, a first-year student of MA Hindi at the Faculty of Arts, says, “New books in the library — this is my manifesto. From BA to PhD, students from almost every course face the challenge of libraries not having enough stock of books, and the ones available are usually ragged or torn. It’s high time we upgraded our libraries. I feel if more female students become champions of change through student politics, then we can make a difference at the grassroots level.”
Akshita Johar, a final-year student of BSc (Hons) Mathematics at Ramjas College, is all for the safety of women on campus and, hence, wants to bring back the U-special buses that once operated exclusively for students on campus. “Shuttling between the Metro stations and college, we need to take rickshaws or walk for long distances. If we revive the U-special buses, we will surely see improvement in women’s safety. The staffers on these buses could also be trained to take charge in case of any emergencies, or to prevent instances of mobile or bag snatching,” she says.
Shyama Arunbhai Trivedi, a final-year student of BA (Prog) at Shyama Prasad Mukherjee College for Women, votes for better representation of women. “There are cells working for the upliftment of disabled students, but most of them are dormant. As a DUSU president, even if just for one day, I want to ensure that disabled students are seen and heard. There must be stage functions and organised programs to celebrate their skills and achievements. This is my vision as DUSU prez: An inclusive future.
