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Delhi University gearing up for polling day

Mandira Nayar

Only four days left for D-Day

NEW DELHI: There may be only four days left for D-Day when students will cast their votes to elect the new office-bearers of the Delhi University Students' Union, but apart from the carpet of handbills and posters on the roads, the tempo is yet to build up on the campus.

But hoping to lure students with promises and issues, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) released its manifesto here on Monday. While more U-specials and hostels for outstation students always find a mention in the manifesto, NSUI has also promised students better Internet facilities if elected this time round.

The manifesto says that the organisation will co-ordinate with college unions to ensure that at least two computers with Internet access are made available for use of the college students.

There will also be adventure clubs for students at the University level to encourage extra-curricular activities like mountaineering and river rafting. NSUI has also proposed appointment of a committee against sexual harassment in all colleges.

The student outfit has also promised that it will strive to implement 100 per cent "free-ships" for socially and economically deprived students in all colleges. Internal assessment and delay in examination results would be tackled.

While no party can completely claim a moral high ground on the Ujjain issue, the episode is finding an echo dramatically on the campus in "Nau Jawanon Ka Bharat''. The street play being staged by NSUI makes a clear reference to Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) without taking any names.

"The play shows violence that took place in Ujjain. It deals with the group that doesn't want to apologise publicly for the incident. There is another play, `Kabaddi', that deals with one group which follows Mahatma Gandhi's non-violent methods and another that follows violence,'' says Poonam Yadav, NSUI media co-ordinator.

ABVP has chosen to focus its own creativity on lack of performance by the NSUI-led DUSU.

Though the run-up to polling day has been a low-key affair so far, student leaders expect that things will change in the last couple of days. Issues like reservation, Ujjain, even the sealing of property, are some undercurrents that are expected to make a difference.

In its manifesto NSUI has thanked the Government for "increasing the budgetary allocation to the education sector to 6 per cent by starting programmes like "Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan''. From the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment assurance of a grant of Rs. 2 crores for construction of hostels for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes students to the 2 per cent cess on the corporate sector in the budget, NSUI claims that all the policies are its achievements.

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