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                                                                                                                                                  PU shows frailty thy
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                                                                                                                                                  name is not woman!
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                                  YOUNG KASHMIR WEAVING                              MAN-MADE DISASTER                                            In a soliloquy in William Shakespeare’s masterpiece, protagonist Hamlet denounces
                                  DREAMS INTO SUCCESS                                SINKS KERALA                                                 all womankind as frail and weak, “Frailty, thy name is woman”. However, at Panjab
                                  Kashmir is not conducive                           Tasteless remarks by              HEART OF THE               University, a girl candidate, Kanupriya has proved the bard wrong.
                                  for its people going by                            few people try but fail to        MATTER
                                  the tense situation and                            vitiate atmosphere as
                                                                                                                                                                                        The change is an indicator of the emerg-
                                  development related                                all come forward with             CHARANJIT AHUJA                 t is a watershed moment because it   ing women power at the Panjab Univer-
                                                                                                                                                       is for the first time that a girl candi-
                                  issues. Nevertheless, the                          help and understanding                                            date has become President of Panjab   sity where girls despite their numerical
                                  youth are doing their                              to rebuild Kerala,                Recipient of prestigious        University Students Council. Being   majority and achieving excellence in
                                  best to fulfil their dreams                        writes KV Lakshmana               National Award in Devel-   I product of Panjab University myself,   academics and sports had to play second
                                  and carve a niche in                                                                 opmental Journalism.       I understand that her election win is very   fiddle.  Already, Kanupriya has proved it in
                                  different domains,                                                                   Author of Print Journal-   significant as it is symbolic of changing   her maiden act by forcing the authorities
                                  Safina Nabi reports                                                                  ism, among the hot         direction in gender equations. Surely, the   to take off the notice pasted in Girls’ Hostel
                                                                                                                       selling books on Amazon.   win would not be confined to PU campus   No. 1, which mandated girls to be “properly
                                                                                                                       Previously worked with     but would have reverberations across the   dressed”.
                                                                                                                       Indian Express Group.      nation. In the process she defeated the
      WITHOUT DE-RESERVATION,                             TRAGEDY AND THE                                              Current Status: Editor     candidates of the BJP, the Shiromani Akali   Women power
                                                                                                                                                  Dal, the Indian National Lok Dal and the
                                                                                                                                                                                      The controversial notice said, “This is to
      RESERVATION IS USELESS                              WHOLE TRUTH OF KERALA                                                                   Congress. Her victory is rebuff to the hith-  inform all residents of Girls’ Hostel No. 1
      Remedial judicial                                   DEVASTATION                                                                             erto male-dominated kakashahi brand of   that they should be properly dressed while
      interventions in                                    The Gadgil Committee                                                                    politics in PU. Kanupriya said, “I do not have  going to the common room, the dining
      accordance with                                     said in clear terms that                                                                a moustache to twirl, but by winning the   hall, hostel, or office, failing which it will
      constitutional propriety                            clearance should not be                                                                 top post, I have shattered few myths.” In her  be considered an offence and fine may be
                                                                                                                                                  first statement after victory, Kanupriya had
                                                                                                                                                                                      imposed.” Kanupriya, the newly elected
      are undone by overriding                            given to commissioning                                                                  asked the vice-chancellor to not interfere   president of the PU Students Council asked
      political interests                                 of the Athirappilly and                                                                 with the Student Council’s work.    the girls whether they should tear the no-
      by amending the                                     Gundia hydel projects,                                                                     Kanupriya’s father, Pawan Kumar is a   tice. She asked the Dean, Students Welfare
      Constitution, writes                                writes Charanjit Ahuja                                                                  businessman and mother Chandar Sudha   (Women), Prof Neena Caplash, that no
      Anil Singh                                                                                                                                  Rani is a nurse. Kanupriya has done her   such notice had been put up for teachers or
                                                                                                                                                  schooling from Sacred Heart Convent   hostel inmates anywhere else. She further
                                                                                                                                                  School, Tarn Taran. She joined the Zoology   questioned: “Why this is being imposed on
                                                                                                                                                  Department of Panjab University in 2014   girl inmates of PU hostels and not in boys’
                                                                                                                                                  and is currently pursuing her MSc. She won  hostels.”She argued that this only shows
                                                                                                                                                  convincingly by getting 2,802 votes against   the patriarchal mindset of authorities. The
                                   LIGHT OF LOVE STILL                                 BYPOLLS IN KASHMIR A                                       her opponent Rana from the University   Dean then agreed to take the notice off.

                                   ALIGHT AMID DARKNESS                                LITMUS TEST FOR ALL                                        Institute of Legal Studies getting 2,083 votes.  ‘Achhe Din’ at PU
                                                                                                                                                     A candidate of the Students For Soci-
                                   OF HATE                                             Through Panchayat                The victory of            ety (SFS), a new outfit, Kanupriya won the   The PU results are a pointer to better times
                                   The new book Zarina                                 elections, J&K mulls             left-leaning              hearts with her hostel-to-hostel and face to   not to be confused with the rhetoric of
                                   tells the fascinating                               a democratic gamble              student leader            face canvassing. She never misses a chance   “achhe din”. However, a large number of
                                   transformational                                    to restore normalcy,                                       to raise her voice for gender equality. Little   youngsters opting for NOTA in this poll is
                                   tale of a young girl                                writes Riyaz Wani                Kanupriya as PU           doubt, voters chose her and campaigned for  also an indicator of the mood. Since the
                                   groomed and educated                                                                 Students Council          her without falling in the trap of tempta-  Panjab University has been the alma mater
                                                                                                                                                                                      of several top political figures including
                                                                                                                                                  tions of booze parties, outings and gifts. The
                                   in a liberal atmosphere                                                              President adds            fact that she defeated five male candidates   former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan
                                   of a family, writes                                                                                            who contested with the support of ABVP,   Singh, the parties should take note of the
                                   Humra Quraishi                                                                       to the theory             Panjab University Students Union (PUSU),   undercurrent against their candidates in
                                                                                                                        that the youth is         Students Organisation of India (SOI), Punjab  this election to the student’s council.
                                                                                                                        seeking change            Students Union and National Students                    LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM
                                                                                                                                                  Union of India depicts the changing mood.



                                      TEHELKA / 30 SEPTEMBER 2018  8  WWW.TEHELKA.COM                                                                TEHELKA / 30 SEPTEMBER 2018  9  WWW.TEHELKA.COM


   8 Social Media1.indd   2                                                                        9/17/2018   7:11:34 PM  9 Column Charanjit Ahuja.indd   3                                                       9/17/2018   7:17:30 PM
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