I came to Delhi as a callow 18-year-old, unaccustomed to the ways of a metropolis. After having spent a decade in a boarding school in Darjeeling, the heat of the national capital made me simmer like Darjeeling tea, ready to brew. That was the summer of 2017. I believed that Delhi wasn’t a place for me.
But Delhi is a strange place–it grows onto you and before you know it, the sights and sounds (not so much the smell) make you fall in love with it. Three years passed by and in the meantime, being a history buff myself, I saw much of the old city, went on food-walks and soaked myself in the rich diversity there was on offer and just about stayed awake through my college lectures.
I was asked to write a short piece for the Sikkim Students’ Union Journal and while my experience in Delhi might fill a book; I want to share with you my journey as President of St Stephen’s College and the valuable lessons I learned.
My Presidency was a historic one and an unlikely one. Historic and unlikely, both because a northeasterner had been elected President, that too - unopposed. (I shall delve into this later.) The excitement and hullabaloo that usually accompanies election season were missing as I was elected unopposed. It was a sober start. However, as the year progressed, there were signs that it would not be an ordinary year.
I had stood for Diversity and for a need to engage diverse groups to have a meaningful understanding of each other. I chose members of my cabinet to reflect the diversity that the college offered. The sheer diversity that our college provided made my cabinet into a veritable Indian parliament of sorts. We had to engage in group activity and take collective decisions in the interests of the entire student community. Throughout the year, we organized innumerable activities ranging from cleanliness drives to college fests, sports competitions to cultural activities. However, two activities that stand out for me were the free winter merchandise distribution to all the Karamcharis on campus and conducting the annual college fest ‘Harmony 2020.’
The Union also passed the historic amendment to our college Constitution. This amendment removed the previously used male pronoun for all provisions relating to the President, to make it more inclusive and accessible for people of other genders. (Since ours was an all-male College at the time of the framing of the College Constitution, provisions relating to the President only used the male pronoun ‘He’). This was small yet very significant in making our college space more inclusive.
The pandemic brought a sudden halt to all activity within the college. Delhi University did not convene classes after the mid-semester break. The national lockdown was declared soon after.
However, the Union’s duties were not just over yet as 80 students stayed back in college for over three months, in what we will remember as the ‘Corona Days.’ A committee by the name of CoCo (an acronym for Corona Committee) was formed with the Students’ Union and the college administration to coordinate activities for the students to keep their minds and bodies engaged. The CoCo scheduled several sports events, a wall painting session and a farewell programme for all.
In the end, as I stepped out of college, complete with a face shield, mask and gloves, I couldn’t help but think of how much the world had changed. As I drove homeward along the Teesta, I also thought of how much I had changed as a person.
I had written earlier that my Presidency was a historic one and an unlikely one. It was historical because we had a Cabinet which reflected gender parity; we brought about a constitutional amendment and also because of the pandemic. My election was unlikely because it would not have been possible in any other Delhi University college. The brand of politics in our college enabled a student from the Northeast to become a President.
My time in college taught me many lessons, among which the most important was the need for ‘Unity without Uniformity’ and ‘Diversity without Division.’ The post-Covid world, and specifically our nation, is reeling in the throes of economic and social hardship. This year saw protests, riots, a pandemic and a lot of distress. It also showed us to what extent we all are interlinked to each other. This means that our action or inaction has important implications- positive or negative. We all matter. We may look different, we may speak different tongues, dress differently, but we are all connected to each other.
In college, women and men who lent a helping hand to those in need, also inspired me. They taught me the value of selfless service.
I have been a benefactor of much love and support from my peers and teachers in college. I am grateful to my Cabinet members for being a part of my journey.
My life in Delhi has been a life of trying—never being, always becoming. It was a significant learning experience for me, filled with challenges, constructive criticism and growth. I am deeply indebted to the city and all the people I have met and known.
To sum up my experience, I would quote Charles Dickens –
“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.”
*POTSUS is an acronym for President of the Students’ Union Society.
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