The Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) election is not just internal politics of an academic complex. This election is also a mirror of national politics, because the issues and leadership from here contribute to the direction of the country. Many prominent leaders, whether it is Ajay Maken, Arun Jaitley, Vijay Goel or Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, all have started their political life from here. This is the reason that DUSU elections have always received attention from all over the country.
This year’s election is special because about two decades later, women candidates have stepped prominently in the race for the post of president. NSUI has nominated Josalin Nandita Chaudhary, who is the female contender of the post after 17 years. At the same time, the Left Alliance (SFI-Isa) has fielded Anjali. This return of women leadership is not only symbolic, but it is associated with real issues that these candidates are raising – such as menstrual holidays, safe campus, gender sensitivity committee empowerment and better facilities for girl students.
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Apart from this, this time a new attitude is also being seen in the manifesto. Let us tell you that the three major student organizations-ABVP, NSUI and SFI-Aisa have issued their manifesto. ABVP has promised schemes like subsidized metro pass, free Wi-Fi and health insurance, giving priority to education, health and employment. At the same time, NSUI has stressed on inclusion by issuing special assistance for allowance for disabled students, special assistance for northeastern and linguistic minorities, and separate manifesto for women. On the other hand, the SFI-such coalition has promised menstrual holidays for girl students, and restoration of democratic committees on the campus, opening a front against fees hike. If seen, it is clear from these manifestos that student politics is now becoming a platform of policy debate, not only the war of poster-banners.
But there is another truth of DUSU elections that the old image of these elections i.e. the performance of wealth and muscle power is still not giving up. The Delhi High Court recently strictly said that campaigning with tractor, JCB and luxury vehicles contaminates the electoral process. The court has made it clear that muscle power and money power should not be allowed to enter student politics. This warning is important because if student politics will also be caught by money and strength, then it will weaken the roots of democracy. The DU campus is not only the center of studies, but a reflection of the youth consciousness of the country.
Let us tell you that the results of DUSU elections have always affected the strategy of national parties. BJP-backed ABVP and Congress-backed NSUI are face to face here, while the Left coalition is trying to make the third pole politics firmly. This scenario reflects the polarization trends of national politics and the search for new options.
Also, the importance of DUSU elections is not limited to the election of office bearers only. It is an indicator of the democratic future of India. The specialty of this time is – the rise of female leadership, being central of the real issues of girl students and the impression of policy discourse in manifesto. Yet the real challenge is that by learning from the warnings of the student organizations, you will be able to make a politics that is free from wealth and muscle power? If this happens, DUSU elections can become an inspirational example not only for Delhi University, but for the whole country.
(The author has his own views in this article.)