The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) on Thursday launched its manifesto for the upcoming Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections, scheduled to be held next month.
The NSUI promised to fight the elections on real issues faced by students instead of addressing abstractions like “national” and “anti-national”.
Promising to be a torch bearer of “democracy”, “freedom” and “transparency”, the NSUI alleged that ₹35 lakh of ₹41 lakh was spent by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad-led DUSU on miscellaneous expenditure over the past two years instead of tea, coffee and photocopy bills.
Budget allocation
NSUI national president Fairoz Khan said budget allocation will be open to public scrutiny. If voted to power, Mr. Khan added, the NSUI will help create a safe environment by working closely with the police to create a secure campus and will ensure that re-enforcement agencies take action against perpetrators of violence.
“We will raise issues with appropriate authorities and use the office of DUSU to track violent incidents that need institutional support,” AICC in-charge for NSUI Ruchi Gupta said, adding that as a student organisation they cannot take up the role of policing but can ensure that proper procedure is followed when a case is reported.
Campaign plan
Ms. Gupta said the NSUI released the manifesto before the DUSU elections dates were announced as it plans to conduct a classroom-to-classroom campaign and reach out to every student individually. She said the NSUI would like to bring in a culture where DUSU elections are fought on the basis of issues and not muscle power.
“The culture of DUSU elections is such that one party alone cannot change the way elections are fought. But we can bring in change by ensuring that pamphlets are not thrown around and actually read by students,” she said.
Misogyny on campus
The NSUI said it wants to reach out to the more thoughtful students who usually stay away from the election process due to the use of money power and glamorous campaigns. The NSUI is also actively trying to encourage female voters to come out and vote against the ABPV.
Ms. Gupta said, “We are going to run a campaign against misogyny on campus brought in by the APVP.”
Some of the issues the manifesto deals with include setting up of grievance redressal mechanisms, opposing privatisation of the varsity, fighting to make it accessible through fee rationalisation, and ensuring affordable paying guest accommodations and hostels.
Mr. Khan said the NSUI plans to organise English classes for first-generation students from marginalised communities, and ensure equal exposure and opportunities for all DU colleges.
Last year, the NSUI managed to win one of four seats in the DUSU panel — that of the joint secretary. The ABVP has been in power for the past four years.
