A panel light on caste overtones is proving advantageous for AISA-CYSS. Abhigyan Devyani, Anshika Singh and Sunny Tanwar are fighting the battle as president, vice-president and joint secretary respectively.
One has the reputation of raising a stink over anything and everything, while the other has been looking for the opportunity for a comeback after two years. If one prides itself on its ideology, the other thinks the 'aam' student is its power.
Not so predictably, both of them joined hands to form the All India Students Association-Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti alliance (AISA-CYSS) – the third front in the closely contested Delhi University Students' Union elections this year. While wooing voters with their "end hooliganism on campus" agenda and other grass-roots issues, some students are happy, but skeptical about this newly formed friendship.
A panel light on caste overtones is proving advantageous for AISA-CYSS. Abhigyan Devyani, Anshika Singh and Sunny Tanwar are fighting the battle as president, vice-president and joint secretary respectively. While the coalition has roped in Purvanchali Chandramani Dev for secretary (to sway the votebank of outstation students) it has not dented their popularity.
"No one knows the caste of their candidates because they are not playing that card," says Ritvik, a student of Khalsa College, "They may have a Gujjar or a Purvanchali [candidate] but their merit lies in the issues they are taking up."
The joint manifesto is focused on women's safety, an on-campus chhatra clinic (students'clinic) for free medical facilities, students' pass in AC buses. Vice-presidential hopeful Singh has promised to pursue setting up of sanitary napkin vending machines across all colleges in the campus.
In an atmosphere of jingoism and brash hooliganism, the polite and respectful demeanour of AISA-CYSS candidates and supporters has won popularity. "They did not hound us or dictate their terms while seeking support. Other contestants do not have the basic courtesy of talking to a girl," says Annanya, a student of Ramjas college.
However, a section of the population finds the association dubious. "CYSS is no different from NSUI or ABVP. They just lack the money and muscle power these two parties enjoy. Once they become as capable, they will behave in similar fashion — go back on their word, get drunk on power and care two hoots about those who brought them into power," says Shreyans from Khalsa College.
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