Nov 13, 2008 09:12 PM
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Most of us will agree that student days are the best in one's life. Even though education itself never ends, the medium changing from a school to a university can be a big transition. Jawaharlal Nehru Univerisity is a mini-world in itself with its unofficial dress code of kurta-jeans-jhola and regional subgroups that sit together in the cafeteria during meals. The students in JNU come from every nook and corner of India, or more appropriately from all parts of the world. As I walk to school every morning and see this diversity all around me, JNU reminds me of'Vasudev Kutumbakam'(the world is but one family), in this case, a young and academic JNU family.
My intention of being a student in JNU was to experience the student life in an Indian university. A few years of detachment from my motherland had left me with very little knowledge about the current socio-political situation which I felt I should know more about keeping in mind the growth phase and the related developments that India is going though at the moment. So I packed my bags and returned to Delhi as an exchange student and I couldn't have asked for a better place to be in. JNU buzzes with activities round the clock. I can’t help but be taken in by the sheer enthusiasm and life on campus. Elections or no elections, most of the students are so politically aware that even plays and other entertainment activities centre around the concerns of the day.
Even though international relations and political science steal away all the academic limelight, JNU offers a variety of other enriching disciplines. Personally, taking Spanish courses has exposed me to the classroom atmosphere and the method of teaching which I find very relevant. The student pupil ratio is small enough to account for effective teaching and things like talks, film festivals and field trips are always a welcome diversion from books.
There are certain characteritics peculiar to life in JNU. Ganga Dhaba(a tea shop), opposite the Ganga hostel, is the hub of student activity late into the night with small groups huddled over cups of ginger tea engrossed in intense debates or simply listening to someone idly strumming the guitar. JNU has one of the best birdwatching trails in Delhi. The trail goes through the isolated parts of the campus and climbs up to the Parthasarathy caves offering a panoramic view of the Aravali hills and the entire campus. For a second, one doubts if a place like this actually exists in Delhi. Hand made posters crying out every slogan ever created adorn the walls of all buildings and cafeterias. I remember it being the first thing that impressed me about JNU. Posters about feminism, socialism, the nuclear deal, naxalism, the labour movement; there wasn't an issue that did not receive its adequate share of coverage.
Off late, the students have been fighting for more hostel space, creating a placement cell and making JNU a no-smoking zone. With elections around the corner, I'm sure the party representatives are on their toes organizing as much as possible. I feel lucky to be able to take advantage of the situation and get myself involved in finding out more. It has been rewarding to discover that my generation is striving hard to rise above the superficialities of westernization and adopting a mature Indian outlook, probing the entire student community on all necessary issues. I look forward to finishing my semester not only in Spanish but also in'Indianness' so that I can represent my country better.
