The Hindu : New Delhi News : Pamphlets, chit cards and pens

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 04, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Pamphlets, chit cards and pens

By Our Staff Reporter

Rapid Action Force personnel patrolling the campus during the Delhi University Elections on Friday. Photo: R.V. Moorthy

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 3. But for the colourful pamphlets and chit cards that literally ruled the roads of the campus area this Friday afternoon, there were little signs to show that the spirit of democracy or the power of youth still reigned in the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) elections.

The writing on the wall may have been "clear'' this time with the posters being successfully kept out of the North Campus, but that did not prevent the colleges from being flooded with all the publicity materials that made their way into the campus in the last couple of weeks.

From being hounded by supporters at the gates to having chit cards being thrust into their hands, and ballot numbers shouted into their ears, it was a new experience for the freshers who took it all with a pinch of salt. But for the experienced ones, it was time to learn form the past and vote even with a little more responsibility.

The reasons for voting were different for each voter as were the issues that they voted on. "It obviously does depend on the personal rapport that one shares with the candidates. I would prefer to vote for someone I know well and someone I think will help me later. The issues do matter a lot. One of the things that we would like to put forward as part of our demands is the facility of more Braille books,'' said Narayan, a student of M.A Political Science in Hindu College

As scenes in most colleges clearly enough showed, it was not the DUSU but the college union polls that most were interested in and not without reason. And with freebies like small notepads, pens being distributed students had more than just the right issues to vote for.

"The college elections matter much more because you know the people you are voting for as well as the issues concerning the college. Also, if you have a problem regarding anything in the college, then the chances of the college union solving your problem are much more than that of DUSU,'' felt a second year student of Ramjas College.

As has been in the past, the North Campus colleges that witnessed a good turnout included Ramjas, Kirori Mal College, Campus Law Centre and Hindu, while on the South Campus, ARSD was one of the few colleges that was reported to have witnessed one of the highest polling. Although most DUSU affiliated colleges did not witness any classes, it was work as usual in some colleges like the Miranda House.

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