With the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) polls scheduled to be held on September 12, the All India Students’ Association (AISA) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) released their respective manifestos on Saturday.
While the ABVP released a five-point charter pertaining to various problems faced by the university, the AISA on the other hand claimed that the former should refrain from contesting the president’s post as an “apology” for fielding a candidate last year, who had allegedly submitted fake certificates for admission into DU.
“The ABVP has not apologised for the Ankiv Basoya fraud. Students of Delhi University feel cheated. The outfit should apologise to the students and not contest the president’s post as a way to seek students’ forgiveness,” said Kawalpreet Kaur, president of the AISA’s Delhi unit. The ABVP, however, maintained that “equality of opportunity is not a mere slogan but an article of faith” for the outfit.
Promises made
While construction of new hostels, free education for transgenders, students’ representations in the DU Academic Council and extra writing time for specially abled students were some of the promises made by the ABVP, the AISA on the other hand, promised concessional metro fares for students, constitution of committees to deal with sexual harassment cases and providing a “violence free campus,” among other things.
Mobile safety app
Additionally, the ABVP in its manifesto announced several initiatives for female students.
“A new mobile application for women’s safety in emergency situations, called Mission Sahasi 2.0 impart self-defence training to women students, gender sensitisation seminars and police presence outside girls’ hostels are some of the initiatives that will be launched,” said Shivangi Kharwal, ABVP’s joint secretary candidate.
Proposing “alternative politics”, Ms. Kaur said, “The AISA will ensure that the next DUSU elections are held on ballot papers and ensure that the election system is reformed by creating effective forums of debate like General Body Meetings and presidential debates in clusters of colleges to ensure informed choice, to resist the dominance of the existence practice where all that matters is money and muscle power.”
