DUSU panel members at Idea Exchange: ‘Gen Z does not have interest in national politics. We make them aware now. Then we can think of what lies ahead’ | Idea Exchange News

Aryan Mann (ABVP): I was a sports student and played football at the national level. There was a lack of equipment and facilities in the college for all the sports students. We all decided to go together to the principal’s office with an application detailing the issues we were facing. But ABVP was already protesting and their application already included the issue of sports equipment and facilities necessary for the college. I felt that there is at least one student organisation, which is on the ground, and they had already identified the problem that we, as first-year students, were facing and they were doing something about it. This is when I joined ABVP.

Deepika Jha (ABVP): My journey was slightly different because I come from Bihar. After coming to DU, establishing my presence here was a bit difficult. I looked to see who talked about hostel facilities. It was only ABVP who was fighting for students who came from distant states. I did not want the students, male or female, who were coming after me, to face the difficulties I faced. Which is why I wanted to become the voice of those who are coming from distant states, ones struggling to live here.

Rahul Jhansla (NSUI): I’m from Rajasthan and when I arrived, I saw very long queues and the biggest task was understanding the admission process. Back then, the transparency one sees today in the admission process was not there. I was not influenced by any party at that time. But my first and biggest concern was that hostel facilities should be available in the university and the basic problems students faced. They needed someone to guide them, whom they could trust and consider their own. This led me into student activism.

Vidheesha Kuntamalla: Rahul, you began with ABVP and then joined NSUI. What was that journey like?

Rahul Jhansla: I joined ABVP in 2019 and NSUI in 2024. I wanted representation so that I could get a chance, put things forward, and implement my ideas. That was aside from any party or any organisation.

Rahul Jhansla

Vidheesha Kuntamalla: What do you think are the biggest issues for students in DU? The infrastructure has been a persistent problem but what were the issues that were big while you were campaigning?

Aryan Mann: The biggest issue I saw was the issue of mental health. Due to increasing workload, academic pressure and future job tensions, students face many mental health issues such as depression, stress, and anxiety. We all raised our voices for this. It is also in the ABVP manifesto that a mental health counselling cell should be formed inside every college. I have spoken with the prominent counsellors about organising sessions, events, or music sessions as soon as possible. We aim to bring a counsellor in every college so that any student facing any problem can discuss it. The second problem was Wi-Fi. Our biggest issue is that every college should have wifi, so students can stay socially connected. Students are watching lectures on YouTube and using AI tools to a large extent. The third issue is safety of women inside the campus. Many spots inside the campus are called ‘dark spots’ because there are no lights. I have listed down all those campus roads and will give that list to the Vice-Chancellor soon.

On Aligning with govt policy | Regardless of the government, we are student activists. If the government’s decisions are not in the interest of the students, we will oppose the government and their policies. There is no dilemma in that

Vidheesha Kuntamalla: Historically, when there is representation from two different parties in the Union, is it difficult to work together? How do you resolve that divide?

Rahul Jhansla: Students and voters have elected all four of us with the hope that we will address their problems. My belief is that we should keep the problem of students as the utmost priority and keep all the other things aside. If we work together on common issues, it will be easy to pressurise the university. If we go separately, we cannot live up to the expectations that students have of us. They will also think that we are just interested in our own party-politics.

Vidheesha Kuntamalla: What is ABVP’s view?

Deepika Jha: I feel ‘Once an ABVPian, always an ABVPian’. Rahul bhai went from here, so he will give full support.

Aryan Mann: I feel that there is still ABVP in him, and it will remain so. He still feels for ABVP. The four of us will work well together, and if there is any student problem, the four of us will stand firmly and solve that problem as soon as possible.

Rahul Jhansla (NSUI): I clarified earlier that in student politics, I don’t think any organisation matters that much. I am currently an NSUI karyakarta. But our job is to work for the students.

Deepika Jha

Vidheesha Kuntamalla: The other big university where student elections happen is JNU and its nature is quite different. Recently the High Court has said that there is a lot of money and muscle power involved in DUSU elections. Can a student from an ordinary lower or lower middle class ever participate and win a DUSU election?

Deepika Jha: I come from a very ordinary family. I came to DU. I worked as a karyakarta in ABVP for four years before being declared a joint secretary candidate. Our money and muscle power is every single ABVP worker who is working as a unit minister/president in every college. ABVP sets a big example every year that money and muscle power do not matter.

On student elections in other states | Student union elections should happen in every state, based on a Court guideline and the Lyngdoh Committee guidelines, which will reduce the number of incidents (of violence)

Vidheesha Kuntamalla: What do you make of the allegations which say that contesting in DUSU has become a challenge because campaigning requires a lot of resources, especially since the Rs 5,000 limit set by the Lyngdoh Committee is not followed? Do you think students will come out and vote if the elections are low key?

Rahul Jhansla: This year’s DUSU election showed that student activists coming from humble grounds can win. The three of us are examples. The vote percentage saw an increment of almost 10 per cent. The students of DU have frankly thrown away money and muscle power. If you stay with students all year, they will connect with you and will definitely come to vote.

Deepika Jha (ABVP): When other organisations had announced their candidates they were people who had joined the organisations a month or two ago. ABVP’s every single karyakarta was a person who had been with the students for two-three years and had been trying to become their voice. Those are the candidates who won and are now sitting in front of you. That was the reason why muscle or money power did not matter.

Vikas Pathak: How many of you would like to stay in politics after college?

Rahul Jhansla: Obviously, all of us.

Aryan Mann

Vikas Pathak: ABVP is an affiliated organisation of the Sangh (RSS) but it is not necessary that its student council members will join BJP. Sometimes they join Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram or Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh. Most of the time the percentage of going from ABVP to BJP is not really high. Would you be ready to work for organisations like that?

Deepika Jha: We came to ABVP with an ideology and to accept the Parishad’s ideology. We came for the love of the nation. To work for its reconstruction, We will work as ordered by the sangathan.

On the idea of Hindu Rashtra | I want every student to think about nationalism and what they can do for their nation… You can see how Gen Zs are fully supporting ABVP and the ideology of nationalism

Vikas Pathak: Student politics has given big leaders. But in many universities across the country, elections have been stalled due to increase in the cases of violence. For example in Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), and Allahabad University. What do you think of violence in student politics in DU?

Aryan Maan: The Delhi High Court issued some guidelines in DU, which were followed by all the candidates from all the organisations.

Student union elections should happen in every state, based on a Court guideline and the Lyngdoh Committee guidelines, which will reduce the number of incidents. This time in DU, there was very minimal use of posters, hoardings and graffiti. It was a very clean, beautiful, and good election. If we ensure that guidelines are set up in other states, then the elections will go smoothly.

Rahul Jhansla (NSUI): Recently, elections happened in Uttarakhand, and that was also a very clean election. Student union elections should happen in every state in India.

Devansh Mittal: Aryan, you mentioned that defacement has decreased this year, which is noteworthy. But there were ABVP’s reels and those posted from your account showing luxury cars. And it is known that you come from a family that owns Royal Green liquor. One major criticism from your opponents is about the money that you come from.

Aryan Maan: I have been in the university for five years now. I have won the trust of the students. It is the habit of other organisations to point fingers at one’s personal life or family. But nothing came out of it. I travelled the entire election in one car. I was elected because I was fighting when I was among the students.

Devansh Mittal: Did celebrities like Sanjay Dutt and Sonu Sood voluntarily support you?

Aryan Maan: Yes, they did. My family knew them before they became famous. So when they saw someone they knew, they decided to support.

Mallica Joshi: For a long time now, the Left has been contesting as an alliance trying to build their own space but they have been failing to do so. But this time The Left Alliance received their highest ever vote share. Do you see their reach growing in the coming years?

Aryan Maan: No matter how much they contest together in the university, they are limited to this extent and will not progress beyond this.

Vandita Mishra: Student elections have always been considered a space where bigger ideas aligning with national politics can be discussed. Students could talk about issues that people from outside the campus were not able to. But this situation has changed in the past few years, when a professor of Ashoka University is held for a tweet or students from JNU are held for anti-CAA protests. Do you think freedom of expression is an issue today?

Rahul Jhansla (NSUI): If a student is not mentally prepared at this level, thinking about the national level will be tough. If we can help them, giving them good counselling, then they can see and discuss things with broader minds. We need to work at the grassroot level. If we focus on national politics instead of students, then it is against our values. The Gen Z crowd does not have much interest in national politics. The demand of the time is that we pique their interest, make them aware now. Then we can think of what lies ahead.

Rahul Sabharwal: This is the age of social media. What you see, sells. Even you have your own videographers for the campaign. Is activism becoming more about show than actual work?

Aryan Maan: Through social media, we show the work we have done in the university, including the ‘before’ and ‘after’ results. We use social media because students are more active on it today.

Rahul Jhansla: We use social media as a means to solve smaller issues and make the students aware. It helps students learn how to address their grievances.

Muzamil Jaleel: Aryan, you come from an ideological party. RSS is your mothership. ABVP has gifted ministers to the nation. The main idea of RSS is to have a Hindu Rashtra and you are the youngest soldiers of that struggle. What is your idea of a Hindu Rashtra? And who inspires you?

Aryan Maan: I want every student to think about nationalism and what they can do for their nation.

Deepika Jha: We must respect all religions…My inspirations are Arun Jaitleyji and Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji.

Rahul Jhasla: I take inspiration from Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh, who always talked about social justice and spoke against discrimination. I believe that this country belongs to everyone. We should fight caste, religion, discrimination and privatisation together.

Liz Mathew: Aryan, among the senior leaders there is a growing concern that they are failing to capture the imagination of the youngsters.

Aryan Maan: I don’t feel that such a thing exists. You can see how Gen Zs are fully supporting ABVP and the ideology of nationalism.

Liz Mathew: How much does the parent party’s stance and policies influence you?

Rahul Jhansla: Regardless of the government, we are student activists. If the government’s decisions are not in the interest of the students, we will oppose the government and their policies. There is no dilemma in that.

Deepika Jha (ABVP): Since the Delhi CM is a former DUSU President from Vidyarthi Parishad, we will try to work through coordination. For issues like the Metro Concession Pass, the CM has assured us that work will begin soon. There are many things that I believe people with like-minded thoughts can sit and sort together.

Dheeraj Mishra: Do you feel that the scope for resistance/protest has shrunk over the years? Even when you want to protest at Jantar Mantar you have to get approvals?

Rahul Jhansla: The DU administration tries very hard to suppress protests. Like us, they also experience this. But where there is unity among the students, their suppression and the things they use to pressurise, fail.