Delhi University Politics

mandal commission? rath yatra? a lot of stuff going on that i can`t understand.

but the piece is well written and easily readable. good portrayal of mayhem.

Stuka,
I really enjoyed this piece. It brings back memories of the general idiocy underlying campus politics. The curious correspondence between the strikes held for burning causes and prescheduled class tests was the best thing about it all :).

I was in N. Delhi for a while upto early `90, though not in DU. The Mandal agitation had not begun but the `holy bricks` for Ayodhya had already begun to be rallied. I remember girls returning to hostel after the weekend in the suburbs, saying `do you know today my colony dispatched its share of mandir bricks and I was shocked that my parents participated in the ceremony, I didnot expect this from my parents of all people`. I would myself have long arguments with my own rels., I would say BJP`s politics was destructive and dangerous and they would say `once they are in power, they will change and become responsible`. Those were such innocent times!

{{Get me admission into the BA (Hons) English program, which is predominantly girl dominated}}

nice..hotties or nerdy girls?

Re: the article

Mr Vohra,

An interesting piece. I have seen strikes from close quarters. I always thought they were a waste of time. It is basically testosterone running amuck among teenage boys.

Sridhar

Ref AAmir #: 2

[Do you or any Chowkie know how important is Students Union.I remember many strikes, processions ,protests & Vandalism done but looking back it was all waste of time property & energy.]

Nope. It is excellent training for participation in riots similar to those you have today in Gujarat.

I for one am glad that the policemen gave the author a sound thrashing.

Good work!

Knowing some Delhi University student ``politicians`` on a personal basis, I pretty much know this stuff.

You spoke of Karnal. Any connections, stuka?

ref: replies 1 and 2:

Hey, How`d you guys know that Parag is Stuka?

Very well written piece Parag. I remember my first year at the University was also in 1990, the year of Mandal. Classes were cancelled, but we were so excited about being in college that the entire incoming class used to end up in College anyways. This was no mean task given that buses would not go into DU, and everyday I would walk/hitch a ride to college, and the same on the way out. And all for what? A few hours of hanging out in the hallowed halls of Hindu College!

I remember the fun of chalo-ing ``Staff`` on bus-wala`s. That they would accept this from a small, thin guy with specs shows how scared they were. Not to mention the excitement of trying to fit 10 people into the only car which stopped in half an hour to give us a hitch.

I cannot say that I took any active role in the anti-Mandal movement. I only made angry statements about it within my friends circle, and to vague strangers in DTC buses who asked me what the news from DU was, and expressed their support for ``the movement``. I was one of those completely apolitical students who come in and leave DU without ever having voted in any student election. All I can say is that I had a really good time in the three years that I was there, and your piece reminded me of those good years.

-narain

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Stuka,

This is an extraordinarily interesting piece. I`m afraid I`ll need to read it a few times to understand it completely...

Welcome to Chowk! :)