With the onset of the month of September and the much-hyped DUSU elections around the corner, the nation-wide reputed Delhi University campuses are bustling with politics and all sorts of activities essential in this 21st century’s ultra-modern process of electioneering. Already infamous for all the pomp and extravagant display of money and muscle power, the deliberate littering of posters and pamphlets seems to be the newest trend on the block. As the university will try its fate with EVM for yet another time on 12th September, the campuses have already turned into the battlegrounds for this ultimate showdown of Democracy.
With about 17,000 voters around the campus, the student leaders and their political guru leave no stone unturned that could hamper with their candidate’s election campaigning. And when it comes to election campaigning, there lies no scope for romantic words like morality, ethics, order and tranquillity. In order to establish their candidat’s dominance in this holy War of Democracy, these leaders and activists resolve to all sorts of tricks and tactics, most of which are illegal in their very nature.
With an Intent to create the ever-lasting impression of their candidate in the minds of not only the students but the whole of this National Capital Territory of Delhi, these political parties aren’t even afraid of violating the very law and values which they promise to preserve and propagate.
In order to curb the influence of muscle and money power in the student union elections across the country, the Apex Court of India directed the Ministry of Human Resources and Development (MHRD) to set up a committee which is what commonly known as Lyngdoh Committee. On conclusion of the extensive research on various factors affecting the standard of student elections, the committee submitted its report which was very smoothly implemented by the order of the Supreme Court of India through its order followed by the tragic killing of Ujjain based professor H.S. Sabharwal. The report of the committee precisely explains the code of conduct of a candidate and his associated political wing where it mentions that `No printed posters, pamphlets will be allowed and only hand-made material will be permitted at places notified by the authorities. No defacement or destruction of property of the college/university will be permitted.‘
Despite the Apex Court’s order prohibiting the use of posters on the Public Property, thousands of posters and pamphlets have surfaced on almost every nook and corner of the campus. Right from the entrance of Vishvidyalya metro station to the corridors of Law Faculty, they are everywhere, On the walls, alongside the dividers, the streetlights and even on the trees. The streets are filled with the posters and pamphlets littered by these Glorious Warriors serving selflessly in this greatest war of the year.
And the irony lies in the fact that the quote ‘Clean Campus and Green Campus’ is written on almost every pamphlet, which these leaders and representatives of student rights take pride in littering.
