Congress-affiliated NSUI launches 'Awaaz Uthao Seeti Bajao' campaign ahead of DUSU polls

Ahead of the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) polls, the Congress-affiliated NSUI on Tuesday announced the launch of its campaign 'Awaaz Uthao, Seeti Bajao' aimed at highlighting instances of inequality at different levels in the varsity. DUSU polls are scheduled to take place on September 12.

The campaign aims to blow the whistle against inequality in Delhi University, the student outfit said. Talking about their achievements, the student outfit said that last year, their manifesto was focussed on fighting for the 'Institute of Eminence' tag for Delhi University.

DU was accorded the 'Institute of Eminence' tag and which means the varsity will now get Rs 1000 crores extra, and "we want this extra money to be utilised to ensure equal opportunity for all students," the NSUI said. Ruchi Gupta, AICC joint secretary and National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) in-charge alleged there is "pervasive inequality" in DU - between campuses, between colleges, between students (caste, region, linguistic, rural versus urban etc), between morning and evening colleges as well as between certain streams (science and commerce).

"At the same time, attempts are being made to establish a dominant narrative and cultural hegemony through coercion, violence, falsehood and institutional capture or subversion, where other viewpoints are being denied equal space in the public discourse," she told reporters. As whistle blowers of the student community, the NSUI through the campaign will highlight each and every instance of inequality at the campus level, at the college level and between students and demand that DU fulfil the implicit promise of 'One University, Equal Opportunity', she said.

Gupta aso alleged that inequality is the centrepiece of RSS' politics and said there is institutional inequality under the current government. NSUI will blow the whistle against inequality between campuses, economic inequality and linguistic and regional inequality, for respect and security of women, social justice, LGBTQIA rights and rights of the differently-abled, she said.

Under the campaign, the student outfit is also offering free movie tickets to students who will use the #AwaazUthaoSeetiBajao on social media and share their views on what equal opportunity means to them. When asked whether the student outfit is using its 'money power ' to lure students, a charge they level against the RSS-affiliated outfit ABVP, Gupta said, "How is it money and muscle power? We are incentivising their feedback. Why are questions being raised on a few hundred rupees that are being spent for movie tickets? At least we are not beating up people like ABVP."

Some of the demands of the NSUI include stopping backdoor privatisation of the DU through self-financing courses, rationalisation and reduction of fees in all colleges, scholarships for needy students to prevent mid-course drop out, proper implementation of EWS category reservation across all colleges and hostels of DU and metro concession passes for DU students. The NSUI also demanded ending of hostel curfews for women, end of moral policing against them and sanitary pads at every college.

The other demands include extra English classes for students from regional language backgrounds, reservations in hostels for LGBTQIA community, appointment of queer affirmative counsellors and psychiatrists in the varsity, minimum infrastructure like 24X7 library access, hostels, public transport, effective and working placement cells for all DU colleges. On being asked that the NSUI's campaign is similar to the earlier ones, she replied, "Some issues are systemic and continuous. Last to last year, our campaign was Take Back DU and last year our campaign was 'DU Speak Up'. There is a difference and we are talking about the pervasive inequality in the university." PTI SLB

RCJ