This year, the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) is celebrating Navratri with a unique twist. Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) has decided to empower and encourage women by “One-Day President” initiative. This initiative was inspired by the famous Bollywood movie “Nayak,” where the protagonist becomes Chief Minister for one day. DUSU has decided to appoint a female student as president for each of the nine days of Navratri. This initiative mainly focuses on increasing women participation in student politics.

According to current DUSU president, Tushar Dedha, the Union has failed to have a female secretary for the last 15 years. He points out that the last female president was Nupur Sharma in 2008-09. Sharma was in headlines during the controversial statement regarding prophet Mohammed in June 2022. Dedha says, this one-day president program will encourage women to speak up for their rights and enter into politics.

The ‘Nayika’s of Navratri 

What are the thoughts of the chosen presidents? What do they want to introduce in their 24 hours tenure? Here are few glimpses-

Sakshi Patel, a final-year student, focuses on affordable educational resources. She proposes setting up book banks in every college to provide textbooks and study materials to students facing financial difficulties. According to her, DUSU has lacked female presidents over the years. To change the situation it is very important for female students to come in front and take part in student politics activity.

 Anshita Chauhan, a first-year student, has also been nominated for one day as president. The 20 year old kid is brimming with excitement. When she was asked about her policies, she preferred to emphasize student safety and well-being.  She particularly pointed out that those who are living in rented accommodations (PGs) face various kinds of difficulties. She proposes a DUSU-led program to inspect these problems and create more affordable stays for students.

Preeti Singh Jain, a second-year student, highlighted the importance of academic exchange programs. According to her, DU should implement student exchange programs on a regular basis. This would allow students to explore different academic environments and broaden their educational experiences. She proposed that at least every student should get a chance to spend at least one semester in another college.

Shyama Arunbhai Trivedi, a final-year student, brings attention to the needs of differently-abled students. She feels that existing support programs are often inactive. Though she is a symbolic president, she has chalked out her plan. Having one day in hand, she will work on for the betterment of the specially abled students. 

Symbolic but Significant 

By all the proposals and narratives we have heard, it leads to one important conclusion. This Navratri in Delhi University is completely different from other years. Finally the female students are coming out of their shell and sharing their thoughts. As a whole it will enhance the community and hopefully generate a holistic environment for education. Their thoughts are quite impressive and hopefully it will be implemented by the union even after their term ends.

With the last female president in 2008-09, DUSU has lacked strong female representation. This initiative allows female leaders to come up and claim their rightful space in student politics. It sends a powerful message: women belong at the decision-making table.

The limited term of the one-day presidency might seem like a symbolic gesture. However, it can be a small beginning of long-term change. Such young girls will have an experience of responsibilities and hopefully understand the potential in them.

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Whether or not students should take part in politics is a very debatable issue and what can be said for or against it. We do see students take part in politically organised slogan shouting processions, demonstrations, strikes and so on. One feels sorry for them, for what they appear to be misguided sometimes. In fact, it’s a wondering question whether they are even aware of what they are shouting against and the dirty politics involved behind the scenes.

Primary duty of a student whether in school and college is to study hard and acquire as much as knowledge possible, for this period of can never return again. On secondary thoughts as well, it’s about having as much as fun with friends,exposure, participate in co-curricular, bit of knowledge on how life works and the rest the life will teach them. This time of a student is the time he can imbibe the maximum, get to know is aptitude and give positive direction to his life.

Getting into politics may or may not be a positive aspect or something that a student wants in his life, but how good would it even turn out, if he has no knowledge about it and just got stuck with it? It is not just about academics, but everything else that might stand in the way of his career prospects later on. Becoming a politician without having to know what politics is, how dirty it can be, is surely not a good career prospect.

However this does not mean that the student should totally stay away from politics. He can take part in what one could term as ‘passive’ politics. This means that he considers this period of life as a time to prepare themselves for the ‘active’ politics later on in his life. This way he will get to know better how politics is played, and he wouldn’t be playing with their life instead.

If a student is politically ambitious and wishes to be a leader in his country for the betterment and changes that are required, the first step towards this is to concentrate on acquiring good knowledge, general education, and developing his intellect. Only then can he aspire to reach the Heights of wanting to be a good leader and not just remain a slogan shouting follower amongst others.

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The organizers have listed out the concerns that they wish to debate upon in the seminar. Allahabad HC verdict of 2010 had acknowledged the disputed site as the birth place of the Lord Rama and it was divided among three parties and from thence nothing moved ahead of that. In the 2011 the supreme court of India stayed the verdict of HC. The seminar will be held at the convention hall of the university which has booked in the name of the chief librarian of the university. It is interesting to note that librarian himself is a member of Academic Council of the university. According to the rules it is not permissible for outside organizations to book the university convention hall.

Most left and secular organizations of the university have started to raise their voices against the administration and demanded the suspension of the permission. Some of the student from a left students’ organization told DU Times that “education is a canvas of the free and religion and related organization should stay out of it, it is an attempt to polarize youth and create general opinion around the Raam Janm Bhoomi issues. Public universities and youth is being targeted this time to spread the right wing propaganda of saffronization backed by the current right wing in power. DU administration has turned blind eye to please the BJP led centre”

Where would this difference of opinion head to would only be clear after a few days.

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