Countertalk

June 2020
Annual Publication
Department of Journalism
Lady Shri Ram College for Women
 Editor’s Note
“Communication is lost.”

What makes the 21st century the world that it is? One would argue
for data, internet and communication. To then say communication
is lost, is a controversial statement. Isn’t it?

As bold as the statement looks, the meanings it has acquired in this

post truth, data driven, digital complex world are endless. From
stringent communication blockade impossed in democratic na-
tions to the invisible barriers social media and new technologies
have created, we have lost communication with the establishment,
within ourselves, with our peer group and within our academic
spaces.

The purpose of this theme is not to limit ourselves to the paradox

of language and literal meaning itself, but to the entire pandora of
thought that can go beyond our scope. How revolution has evolved
in times of social media and what exaclty is the fallacy of North
Korea? The legal dysphoria of media and law, and the contestations
of mainlanders with north east, are some of the themes that have
been explored.

We hope that your travels through the pages of this journal are
as enjoyable and insightful as our experience while creating and
compiling them.

Ramsha Rizwan Kritika Tiwari

Editor-in-Chief Editor-in-Chief
(Content) (Design)

Content Editor Subhadra Varshney

Design Editor Akanksha Bagai

ILLUSTRATION: MUSKAN SINGH

 1 5 9 10 11 15 19
Legal
Dysphoria 3 At Stake:
Communication
In Democratic
7 Ample of
Lips
Biu Kos
Chcas? 13
Revolution
Are We
Really
Heard?
17
Conversation
Sensationalism

The India Life In Times On Its Last

Are We Actually of Social Legs
Fallacy of
Communicating Media
Communication: An Ode To
With The
North Korea Generations
Northeast? Life

Gallery
22 Ample of
Lips 20
23 21

Contents
Legal
Dysphoria
Bridging the Gap
between Law, Media,
and the Public
Samridhi Chugh, 1st Year
Roman poet, Juvenal, asked
in his Satires, “Quis custo-
diet, ipsos custodes?”- Who
will guard the guards? In
response, our imperative
democratic ideals erected
the fourth pillar. But have
the ideals succeeded in tan-
gible manifestations? While
it is for the first three pil-
lars to respond, it is for the
spectating public to bow in
acceptance of a fate that was
never destined to be theirs,
yet tied along their throats.
In a complex chassis that
comes to define the Indian
mass society, actively reliant
on fundamental forms of
media to not just acquire in-
formation, but also to evolve
in a very robust dynamicity,
various legislative censor-
ships on press have only
come to become a barrier in
a holistic growth of our de-
mocracy. With the blockage
of media communication,
masses are bound to face
the most gruesome levels of
cultural, political, and ideo-
logical deprivations.
When Indira Gandhi‘s re-
gime in 1975 invoked Article
352 of the Constitution to
impose a state of National
Emergency, the most tor-
rential brunt of the act was
faced, indeed, by the Fourth
Estate as it whimpered in
utter desperation and was
pulled by the cumulative
forces of the first two pil-
lars. Veteran leader, LK
1 2
Advani, famously
exclaimed while
further expose the macabre
scene, India dropped by two
uphold the auton-
omy of our fourth
addressing media ranks in the World Press democratic pillar,
houses, “when you Freedom Index, from 138th as one constant
were asked only to in 2018, to 140th in 2019, between the legisla-
bend, you decided only two places ahead of ture and the judi-
to crawl”, referring Pakistan. ciary, as the latter
to the inherent ten- frequently, and
dency of the press The misuse of legislative
powers to create arbitrary
quite essentially
to have acquiesced toils to remain the
to the arbitrary laws and curb free press has last resort preserv-
infliction of several been orchestrated in a vari- ing journalistic lib-
despotic censorship ety of ways. Romesh Thapar erty in today’s age
laws by the locus of vs State of Madras, 1950, is thickly underlined
power. widely cited as one of the with legal dyspho-
first precedents set by the ria. To its duality,
Grimly enough, Supreme Court of India in its legislative practic-
the Indian media tryst with the constitutional es, themselves, have
scenario continues ideal of freedom of speech been accounted to
to forebode in the and expression. When the be endorsing press
shadows of its dark Government of Madras cen- freedom as well.
past. Self-censor- sored “Cross Roads”, a leftist Subsequently, it is
ship, aggravated journal critical of Nehruvian the general coterie
by the norms of a Socialism, Romesh Thapar, of Indian citizens
neoliberal market its printer, publisher, and that falls prey to
scenario with the editor, moved the apex court such a whimsical
corporatisation of reaffirming that the ban exercise.
the institution, ar- was, in fact, in violation of
chaic sedition laws, Article 19(1)(a) of the Consti- The severing in-
libel threats, intimi- tution of India, that grants formational ties
dation as an instru- every citizen the right, the between the public
ment, existence of entitlement, to unbridled and a failing media
civil and criminal speech and expression. It industry creates
defamation laws was subsequently recognised an unanticipated
in a parallel, and that this right encompassed lacunae shackling
consequently, the a broad range of ideas, in- people on an open
increasingly vol- cluding that of a free press. stage, one that
atile ground real- The Government of India, assures to defend
ities that become thereafter, enacted the First them, to empower
any journalist’s Amendment Act to the Con- them, not just by
bane of existence, stitution in 1951. A series of lifting their voices
does the job on its amendments were made to heard, but also by
own accord. The several articles, most no- brewing them in
post 1990s era has tably, under Part III of the the first place.
recorded the mur- Constitution that safeguards
der of at least 48 Fundamental Rights, two
journalists, with additional “reasonable re-
only one case in the strictions” added to the free
purview of prose- speech clause, and another
cution. The Com- in 1963, under Article 19(2) in
mittee to Protect response to the supposedly
Journalists ranks confounding Supreme Court
India 14th on the judgements, including the
Global Impunity aforementioned.
Index, 2018, with
India being men- Reading between the lines,
tioned on the list, a it wouldn’t be an oversimpli-
record 11 times. To fication to call the tussle to PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: KRITIKA TIWARI
 as they began to see cell then transferred to their to tourists while their own
phones as a symbol of cell phones. citizens are kept in a cloud
wealth. Many foreign of mysterious censorship.

The Fallacy of
visitors have reported Cell phone users were Data transfer also is tight-
seeing ordinary people, acutely aware of the ly controlled. A former
including teenagers and pervasive government agent of the Ministry of

Communication: construction workers,

using cell phones on
the streets, not only in
censorship which made
them hesitant and resil-
ient toward use of cell
People’s Security had said
that the State Security
Department was capable of

North Korea Pyongyang, but also in

other major cities. Soon
cell phones transformed
phones. They actively
practiced self-censorship,
even when calls, texts
screening photos and audio
files transferred through
the mobile network. Fur-
Anushree Mukherjee , 1st Year into their means of sur- and data usage of over 2 thermore, the police can
vival. million subscribers does question cell phone users
not seem feasible to be anywhere and everywhere
Koryolink has tried monitored technological- to ensure no “politically
The Logistics and Telecommunications Revo- to make a plethora of ly. It would be naive of us inappropriate” content,
lution in North Korea has been an interesting services available for its to even consider that the especially linked to South
spectacle in the present decade. users including – SMS, North Korean regimen Korea, is available on their
MMS, Video Calling, would not have invested phones.
The revolution began with North Korea’s ban Wireless Application
on Thai firm, Loxley Pacific’s 2G GSM mobile
service as well as the confiscation of the cell
Protocol (WAP), and
High Speed Packet Ac-
north korea has made hefty
phones without any trace of compensation in
April 2004 leading to a four-year ban on cell
phones in North Korea. In 2008, the country
cess (HSPA). However,
the government does investments for surveillance
not let these provisions
saw the rise of their domestic telecommunica- be used as a medium of in necessary apparatus
tion network provider – Koryolink. ‘The Great expression and unin- for surveillance before In conclusion, cell phones
Leap Forward’ and ‘Strong and Prosperous hibited communication. opening it’s telecommu- have become two sides of
Nation’ were ideals that the North Korean lead- Video calling is extreme- nication services to the a coin, where the polished,
ership was economically and politically desper- ly expensive and exclu- citizens. shiny side brings econom-
ate to achieve in order to ensure development. sively targeted at the ic development, enables
The willingness of the extremely authoritarian high-end clientele. MMS North Koreans are denied productivity and efficien-
regimen to make space for mobile telecommu- is available, but not Internet access, and inter- cy of trade and gives the
nication services, was both to attract extensive beyond local data trans- national calls are blocked. fallacy of free expression
foreign investment and to compete with its fer within same cities. Phone calls are prohibited to the citizens. Yet, the
southern rival in terms of information technol- Rodong Shinmun, North with foreigners in the rusted, corroded side of the
ogy and trade prosperity. However, the question Korea’s biggest state-run country, and foreign- coin is suffocating beneath
arises – Was Koryolink really the technological newspaper, is available ers must use a separate the weight of a borrowed
messiah of those trapped in the communication on this network but network that does not life; it is powerless before
blockade in North Korea? the kind of news that is allow them to connect to this blockade of surveil-
broadcasted is highly local North Koreans but lance and dysfunctional
As Koryolink was settling down in its early bias in every sense. SMS only their own countries. standards of livelihood. If
years, a number of reasons such as the limited is also used for sending From January 2013, North the coin is flipped, it will
cell phone supply and eligibility for subscription propagandist material Korea allowed foreign- either lead to the ‘Strong
forced its monopoly to lie in the hands of the directly onto the private ers to bring their phones and Prosperous Nation’
high-ranking officials representing the Party, space of an individual. into the country and buy already in the hands of the
government, military, and merchants who were There is no limit on a local SIM card at the authoritarian master, or
able to bribe them. The government’s subtle incoming text messag- airport in order to make strengthen people’s belief
permissiveness and emerging wealth in particu- es as they are free of and receive internation- in the country they strive
lar classes of North Korea expanded ownership charge. Apps still cannot al calls and to call other to live in, one that is built
of cell phones to a multitude of people. Soon be directly downloaded foreigners in Pyongyang, in the context of uprooting
enough one’s financial prowess became the only to cell phones, they are get access to uncensored existing political ideals
criteria for being eligible to own a handset, ex- usually downloaded 3G data, internet access and replacing them with
cept for applicants with high security clearance. onto one’s computer and more. It shows how individuality, freedom and
The new-rich or the proto middle class owed through the internet and much ‘liberty’ is available autonomy.
their wealth accumulation to informal markets PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: CRISTIANA COUCEIRO:

3 4

At Stake:
Communication
In Democratic India
Shivangi Chopra, 1st Year
Have you ever wondered not
getting answers to the questions
put forward to the government?
Have you wondered at the pitiful
state of affairs with no balancing
agent keeping a check on the gov-
ernment in power? What will the
implications be when the govern-
ment bodies operate on their free
will without fearing acts of trans-
parency or accountability?
5 6
ILLUSTRATION: KELSEY BORCH
More than 95 countries in the
world have laws that grant cit-
izens the right to have access
to information, held by public
bodies, which is important
to them personally or to the
public at large. These laws are
commonly referred to as the
Right to information (RTI) or
the Freedom of Information
(FOI) in different parts of the
world. These laws have been
the most revolutionary acts in
many liberal democratic states
and has often revealed infor-
mation about the wrongdo-
ings of the public authorities.
It was under the Freedom of
Information law that Mexican
journalist, Fatima Monterrosa some changes in the RTI
uncovered a series of fraudu-
lent orders from the Mexican
President’s Office. RTI laws
have been used to seek infor-
mation and highlight discrim- made to the law challenged
ination faced by students in
the schools of Thailand. Public nature of the Information
interest banks in South Africa council and the Commission-
were also brought under the
radar and compelled to give
access to information to the
public.
In India the state was ques-
tioned and asked to prove the
appropriate utilisation of the
taxes paid by the people.The
RTI act empowered the citi-
zens of India to seek informa- the CIC and the ICs, which was
tion from various authorities
of the state. It also safeguards Election Commissioner and
the key principles of a democ- Election Commissioner, will
racy by making the citizens
lawfully and legally equipped
in keeping checks on the pub-
lic bodies by balancing their
powers and not making them
excessively powerful or auton-
omous.The Right to Informa-
tion Act popularly known as
the RTI Act was passed by the
Parliament of India in June
2005.It fully came into force
in India on 12th October, 2005.
The Act aims to promote trans-
parency and accountability in
the administration processes
of all the Public Authorities of
the state.
Over the years, the RTI has
been accepted as one of the
most successful laws of in-
dependent India which has
brought confidence among
the citizens to question the
government authorities and
machinery. It also acts as a
deterrent factor for the gov-
ernment servants and bureau-
crats and ensures they donot
act or work arbitrarily.
On July 19,2019, the Minister
of State for Personnel Pub-
lic Grievances and Pensions
introduced a bill proposing
laws in the constitution. The
amendment bill was passed in
both the Houses of Parliament
in July 2019. The amendments
the freedom and independent
ers who handle and head the
RTI cases filed by the public.
Firstly, the bill amended Sec-
tions 13 and 16 of the RTI Act,
2005. Now, the amendment
specifies that the tenure of
Information Commissioners
will be such- as may be pre-
scribed by the Central govern-
ment. Moreover, the salary of
earlier at par with the Chief
now be fixed and decided com-
pletely by the Government.
The government argued that
the sole reason for such an
imperative change is because
the Election Commission is a
constitutional body whereas
the Information Commission
is just a statutory body.
By giving power to the central
government to decide on key
matters like the tenure, salary,
pension and other benefits of
Information Commissioners
the fundamental and most es-
sential feature of a truly dem-
ocratic state, which is decen-
tralisation of powers, has been
severely compromised. The
neutral and impartial nature
of information commission-
ers is now at stake because
they can be pressurised by the
Central government to hide
complete or parts of some
information demanded by the
public through an RTI.
This amendment has empow-
ered the central government
to unilaterally decide on
important matters which will
fundamentally weaken the
whole basic independent and
transparent idea and structure
of the RTI.
Excessive secrecy can under-
mine the quality of public
decision-making and prevent
citizens from questioning the
abuses of public power. This
can have a corrosive effect on
virtually all aspects of society
and governance.
The machinery of communi-
cating effectively and freely
with the public is a funda-
mental function of a modern
democracy. The public bodies
need to be responsible, ac-
countable and responsive to
the people; losing or diluting
this form of communication
can trample democracies and
nations. A communication
gap has been created between
government bodies and the
public, the provision of the
RTI has been nullified and pre-
cariously reduced to a mere
formality.

Are We Actually
Communicating with
the Northeast?
Sonal Agarwal, 1st Year
7 8
PICTURE: AKANKSHA BAGAI
The power of communication is
infinite. It is the key to the world
of peace and stability. Northeast
India, comprising of eight states,
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mani-
pur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Naga-
land, Sikkim and Tripura seems to
have a ‘culture of conflicts’, with
wide ranging problems having
economical, cultural and political
aspects. The region poorly con-
nected to the Indian mainland
through a small corridor and sur-
rounded by many countries - Bhu-
tan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and
stereotyping migrant
north easterns and hu-
miliating them for their
appearance has been a
common practice in our
country.
development and growth.
China have 99% of the interna-
tional boundary and just 1% of
the domestic boundary. Retro-
specting, the problem started
at the time of delineation of
state boundaries in 1950s.
Northeast is very distinct from
the rest of the country in terms
of ethnicity, language etc. and
its territorial organization was
done in a way that was least
concerned about its ethnic and
cultural composition, which in
turn lead to discontent among
the masses and unfortunate
enough, the people surren-
dered to such an existence.
The government and the pol-
icies have not been region
specific, but have been imple-
mented under the broad tag of
‘Northeast’, despite the region
being so varied in terms of
people with a different culture,
language, caste, regional her-
itages etc. The Armed Force
Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was
passed on 18 August 1958, has
become a symbol of oppression
and an object of hate and dis-
crimination. The AFSPA shows
the reluctance and inability of
the government to solve con-
flicts with adequate political
measures. The government has
also faced criticism for look-
ing at northeast as an issue of
territorial security, rather than
Looking from the economical
perspective, poor infrastruc-
ture and limited connectivity
have acted as roadblocks,
hindering the socio-economic
development of these states.
The region has a lot of poten-
tial in terms of natural resourc-
es, biodiversity and generation
of hydro-electricity. India’s
Look East Policy, formulated in
1991, was supposed to impact
the northeast hugely, by way of
developmental benefits for the
region as it is geographically
between mainland India and
Southeast Asia. Despite these
initiatives, the problem persists
in the region, largely due to the
communication gap between
the center and the states, con-
tributing to further misinfor-
mation, mismanagement and
alienation.
Another most important and
debatable issue is the discrim-
ination and stereotyping,
often faced by people from
this region, by the rest of the
country. In a democratic coun-
try like India which has the
largest written constitution,
giving its people, the freedom
to live and express themselves
fully, no one can be guided on
how they should look, behave,
act or eat. A huge number of
people from the northeast mi-
grate to different cities etc., in
search of better jobs, lifestyle,
education, etc. and since years,
they have been stereotyped
and humiliated due to their
appearances. The 2012 exodus
from Bangalore of individuals
from the northeast, fearful of
numerous impending attacks,
around 30,000 individuals
were believed to have left the
city. Another incident of attack
was when a girl in Manipur
was allegedly thrashed and
kicked on her abdomen in
broad daylight in Mumbai, on
February 27 2016, when she
confronted a man who spat on
her. Not a single person from
the crowd came to her rescue
and even the police treated her
complaints as a non-cognizable
offence. Why are those who
appear different or whose eyes
appear slanted called “Chinese”
or “momo streamers” with sar-
casm? Have we forgotten the
lesson of “Unity in Diversity”,
taught so piously in the Gand-
hian nation?
“Humiliation could last forever
while bruises last only days.”
The lack of brotherhood and
feeling of oneness among the
people of the country is one for
the major reasons of conflict
in India. Why are these people
treated so disrespectfully when
they too are law-abiding citi-
zens of our country? Why are
they made to realize that they
are not a part of India when
they too live inside the territo-
rial boundaries of the Indian
subcontinent? Why are they
not provided electricity and
basic infrastructure and face
negligence of the government
in almost every sphere?
We need to have a more inclu-
sive and comprehensive society
to put an end to all roots of
discrimination to uphold the
spirit of bringing heaven to
India’s soil.
she speaks until we meet
Surbhi Gupta, 1st Year Nandini Sethi, 1st Year

She is seven and she speaks,

Questions flood her mind and heart,
Answers she crave to form her life’s art.
Little did her innocent heart knows,
The strength of fear that a bullet grows,
How her brother’s birthday eve turned into nightmare,
Her superhero begging for life was unfair.
The fear made silence and darkness prevail,
I was there but I no longer want to be here,
In a single moment I felt the same one thousand emotions
that you felt,
Betrayal, horror and shock all tied together to grip me
with fear,
Every single second I loathe and bathe in this survivor’s
guilt that you spelt

Neither one dared to help nor to burn a candle for light, I still remember you as the smell of chocolate and home,
Hiding behind the doors of shop, How we played every evening under the trees, our eyes
She weeps like a dumb, crinkling from the laughter and light,
Such was the “BLACK MEN” corral. Your every action I knew, I could read your expressions
With gun pointed at her daddy’s chest, like a poem,
I’m sorry we drifted apart, I’m sorry our friendship didn’t
She heard a shot as if nearer was the end of their beautiful nest, sparkle like those stars in the night.
She dared to open her eyes,
To find that the bullet missed its aim, Communication was lost, we once spoke every single day,
And despite all of those connections, I couldn’t stop you
And the “BLACK GUEST” disappeared as ‘Invisible Men’, from pointing that gun,
She felt unsafe in her own nest, I blame myself each minute, because despite your loneli-
The longest night gifted by ‘BLACK GUEST’, ness and unhappiness, I didn’t stay
With her husband’s head on her lap, I can’t escape these thoughts now, no matter how much I
She saw her mother crying for help, try and run
Fear made even the doctor’s duty unsafe.
Disconnection can make a man crazy,
Strength of fear made my hero escape by morning jest, But I love every inch and touch of your madness, and will
Little did she knew even if he was dead. never stop,
Six months, she cries for, The bloody mess you had made has remained etched in
Pampering she misses for, my mind, but then again everything still seems hazy,
Attention, care she craves for, I think of you everyday, and I will meet you again soon, at
Love she needs for, the top.
Hearts didn’t talk for,
Eyes didn’t see for,
As the communication was lost for,
She roams blank,
With hope in her heart,
She stares at the door,
Imagining her superhero come back.
Yeah! He returns but after six months,
With all those scars on his face,
With more scars in his heart,

He returns back to her.

PICTURE: SOMYA JAIN

9 10
 have often asked what it was
like being raised in a house-
hold from a displaced com-
munity. To be honest, I have
never really felt connected to
my community and there has
always been a feeling of de-
tachment within me, especial-
ly so when I was younger and
unaware. My parents always
talk about how beautiful and
picturesque their childhoods
used to be. Memories of tulip
gardens, apple and walnut
orchards, lakes and fountains
paint their memories. How-
ever, all of this has always
been lost on me. I could never
relate or feel to them but there
was always a sense of longing
within me, a sense of desire,
that maybe one day, I could get
to feel the same way.
I belong to community to com-
munity that had to migrate
Biu Kos
and that had rendered us inse-
cure. To embolden ourselves,
our main focus was education
Chcas?
and nothing else mattered
more.
In my entire family, I reck-
on I am the first person to
Who Am I?
Vasudha Raina, 1st Year
As a child, I always used to wonder
what ‘hometown’ it is that my friends
used to talk about whenever they went
home for the vacations. They used to
talk about climbing trees in their vil-
lages and tripping on the steps of their
bungalows. I could never understand
them.
When I think about the meaning of
things being lost in communication,
my mind wonders about the things
that I have never been told. It thinks
about the things and places that I
could feel or experience.
If I had to say, I would say that grow-
ing up as a Kashmiri Pandit hasn’t
been the same for me as it was for my
parents or my grandparents. People
11
who didn’t choose to be
a doctor or an engineer,
and that too by choice.
Education was the only
tool that was available to
us as a means to fight our
circumstances. However,
because of our focus on
education, a lot of things
weren’t exposed to us, es-
pecially the preservation
of our language. Grow-
ing up in Chennai, I had
compromised Kashmiri to
learn English, and later,
to learn Hindi. There was
never a focus laid upon
the question that how
could we preserve our cul-
ture. In lieu of education
and growth, we gave up
our identity.
Back when I lived in
Kolkata, I always used
to notice my Bengali
friends speak in Bengali
and some even knew how
to read and write it. In
those moments, I used to
be extremely ashamed
of myself. Kashmiri as a
language had a script that
was mainly in Persian
(Kashmiri can be written
in Roman, Devanagari
and Persian scripts) which
we didn’t speak and thus,
its survival is dependent
on the capability of the
transmission of the lan-
guage. There was hope
of preservation back in
Kashmir, but in present
day nuclear families in
cosmopolitan cities, the
focus on it has dissipated.
In the last few years, var-
ious political parties have
suddenly gained interest
in Kashmiri Pandits and
our situation. But how
helpful is that, if we speak
realistically? The current
generation of my commu-
nity has lost all contact
with its own culture. We
12
don’t speak Kashmiri
anymore. We don’t
know why we celebrate
half of the festivals that
we do. We have lost all
our reference points to
our language, traditions
and culture. We have
lost all our roots. All
places of reconnection
are in a land where we
are no longer welcome.
We have become an
opaque and a hollow
community. With our
exodus, we have lost
our roots and become a
people who imbibe the
culture of everybody
else, just not our own.
It isn’t all as bleak as I
have made it sound. I
try to live by the philos-
ophy ‘whatever hap-
pens, happens for the
right reasons.’ Maybe
if our families hadn’t
migrated, they wouldn’t
have been able to give
us the privileges that
we have today and
maybe we wouldn’t
have had the exposure
that we have today.
This is especially true
for the women of my
community. Today, I
enjoy the independence
that my mother never
knew at my age. But
what brings sorrow and
pain to my heart, and a
sense of displacement
to my mind is that, that
which we once held so
dear, is lost. I have lost
my origins. I can never
experience the days of
‘herath’, or Shivratri in
Kashmir, like my par-
ents did. I will never
have the same bond
or memories with my
cousins like my parents
did. I will never have a
home to return to.
 Number of internet shutdowns by country (Jan 2016 - May 2018)

Revolution In Times India 154

of Social Media
Pakistan 19

Iraq 8

Syria 8
Ramsha Rizwan, 2nd year
Turkey 7

D. R. Congo 5

Ethiopia 5

Iran 4

Chad 3
Social media has changed from
merely a place to post selfies but a Egypt 3
book that is witnessing what is be-
ing written down in history. Source: Access Now via Vice News
There are decades when noth-
ing happens but there are
weeks were history of decade
is written. that didn’t exist prior 2010 has have tried to undermine the
made it possible. Knowledge concept of truth and change
One prerequisite to rebel- is thus now more than ever a narrative to confuse people.
lion, protest and agitation is power for the people to shape Protests and activism on part

while media is
communication. As much as the society we live in. of people or revolutions are
the regimes want to control now being seen by the world
the flow of infor- This takes us back to the pow- and not as isolate entities.
mation, it is now
impossible to shut
busy playing er of Internet and why the gov- Poetry, music, songs, videos of
ernments are obsessed with protests are viral on Internet.
it down complete-
ly. While Media is propaganda Internet Shutdowns. India is We have artworks and posters
the only country to have done of protests. This emergence
busy playing pro-
paganda and fake and fake the highest number of Inter- of public sphere that reaches
net shutdowns in history ever. to those in need in times of

news,
news, it is social According to India today Data #SOS, that pass on informa-
media and the global Intelligence Unit, there have tion to everyone in times of

it is social
community that has made it been more than 350 Internet emergency and we witness
possible. While it is not fair to shutdowns in India since 2014. thousand standing in solidar-
say that only youth leads these What is it the state wants to
media that
ity, that keeps an eye on their
movements but it hide or control or curb the in- mobile phones for every bit
is fair to say that formation? When the press is of information, that uploads
youth has a major
role in connecting has made it not able to expose the brutali- and viral protests videos and
ties of the establishment, it is images, this is the watershed

possible to
and communicating grassroots protest recorded by moment for today. World
with a ‘glocal’ com- the public that brings truth to witnessed Arab Spring in 2011
munity from every the global community watch-
bring about
and is witnessing New Arab
corner of the coun- ing on the Internet. Spring even today in Tunisia,
try. What happens anywhere Jordan, Sudan, Algeria, Egypt,
change
all over the world is present on The role of truth and journal- Iraq, Lebanon and in Gaza
social media. And how the oth- ism is to shape reality and put Strip.
er side is available is because of things in perspective for the
the videos, voice notes that went world and society. If you put The impact of globalization,
viral on the Internet. More so, the truth on the table eventu- digital media and Internet can
it is now present as evidence of ally people are going to take it. be seen now more clearly than
what happened. The younger gener- To concentrate on important ever today. The globalisation
ations’ access to the world in a way and painful facts, the regimes of every struggle or movement
ILLUSTRATION: KRITIKA TIWARI
13 14
gaining attention and hor-
rors of Internet shutdown to Are We
Really
stop the information to reach
outside are the two realities of
today. The ability of internet

to provide communication to
countries like Palestine and
document Israeli occupation
or Syrian Civil War are the
most important truths of this
century. Even when Sudan had
almost 20 days internet block-
ade, Sudanese from all over
the world came to throw light
and mobilise people in sup-
port of the movement. Their
geographical location, social,
political, national environ-
ment seemed insignificant be-
cause of the loyalty and belief
on the certain cause.
The Supreme Court has stat-
ed Internet freedom to be a
fundamental right, rightly so
the Internet blockades. are
example of failure of admin-
istration and taking away
the rights of citizens. We do
not have information of what
happens on ground because
there is no one to send, no
one to make it viral and that
is the scariest part of it. The
paralysation of public life and
thousands of lives that depend
on Internet are a reality of the
world.
Heard?
Arunima Sharma, 1st Year
In a representative democracy, people
make their voices heard, they elect their
representatives to speak for them, about
our nation India which accommodates
people belonging to one of the most
diverse population and commemorates
‘Secularism’ as one of its core values.
Thus, it becomes very crucial for us
that voices from all backgrounds are
heard. Modern communication tech-
nologies have made it easier than ever
for citizens to speak directly with our PICTURE: AKANKSHA BAGAI
government: we can call or email, tweet
at them, leave comments on their Face- we might be able to justify the unhappy state of In- my has largely subdued in the last few quarters
book pages and gather signatures for dia. Policies such as demonetisation and a rushed giving rise to a whole set of new challenges.
online petitions. However communica-
tion is not complete if it’s one sided, just we cannot taxation reform have taken India by surprise.
Agrarian distress juxtaposed with job losses has
as government needs to hear from citi-
zens, citizens need to hear from govern-
deny that led to complete erosion of public trust in the state.
Apart from all these challenges, various ini-
tiatives in the recent past do convey a pos-
freedom
The question of NRC and citizenship status of 4 itive picture. Digital advancement in India
ment. The question which needs to be million residents of Assam also infused a sense
attended is whether the citizens of India including the increased use of e-wallets and
is often a
of insecurity among the people; especially India’s in the form of schemes like direct benefit
feel heard and happy with the prevailing ethnic minorities. The people of Kashmir are in
governance system or not? transfer is helping making transactions more
According to the recent Happiness index
privilege of great distress. In addition to all, India is also suf-
fering from a non-egalitarian social system where
transparent. The government has been able
to hand over payments directly to the bene-
report India’s rank has plunged from
133rd position in 2018 to 140th position in
the upper the richest 1% has cornered 51% of the country’s
wealth as revealed by the Oxfam survey, what is
ficiaries, eliminating the middleman and the
pilferage. The ‘Ayushman bharat’ scheme has
2019. This year, the report has focused
on “happiness and community,” explor-
classes and worsening the situation is the inequality which
is increasing with the rich getting richer and the
been able to show some hope towards a better
health-care system.
ing impact of “good governance, devel- caste, the poor getting poorer.

minorities
opment in technology and social order”
on the quality of life. India’s poor rank-
are not
ing is an indicator for the standing inju-
ries and lack of communication within
geting the
and with the system which is undoubt-
edly a matter of great concern. The
freedom
country needs to introspect that why it
has fared so low and why the citizens
they
have failed so miserably in being happy.
The steps taken by the government has a
deserved
direct effect on lives of the citizens and
demonstrates whether the voices of the
citizens are being heard or not?
Looking at some of the recent actions
15
Gender disparity in India can be known with the
fact that women constitute just 11.6% of the law
making institutions. In the workplace, they still
earn 34% less than their male counterparts for the
same work. Women are also lagging in the urban
workforce, which is nearly 79% male and 27% of
female. Do women not work? More than 70% of
rural workforce comes from women. The question
which lingers in the minds of many is why are they
not getting what was promised?
The youth unemployment rate has increased to
23.70 %, the educated youth looking for jobs prom-
ised to them is still sitting in despair in a sea of
unemployment and shunned economy. The econo-
16
Even still we cannot deny that freedom is often
a privilege of the upper classes and caste, the
minorities are not getting the freedom they
deserved and the question of secularism be-
comes more and more complicated. There is
little space for the voices of marginalised in the
vast diaspora. If people don’t earn enough, the
youth doesn’t get the job they want, are con-
stantly anxious about their health, cannot trust
others or the State, are not free to make their
choices and cannot rest on either the govern-
ment or fellow countrymen at times of need.
In such a situation the question to ponder is,
are we really heard?
 Conversation
On Its Last Legs
Prakriti Bhanot, 1st Year
WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook, Instagram, Net-
flix, Prime video, Gmail, Facetime and Snap-
chat. Isn’t it absolutely unimaginable that
someone in today’s time hasn’t heard about or
used these what all tend to believe life chang-
ing forums? Not so long ago, these were just
like other trends in the technological markets,
with people being as clueless about its usage as
a dim bulb in its existence. However, today one
cannot even imagine a day without using even
one of the many apps mentioned above. These
technological developments have had a drastic
impact on the ways individuals started commu-
nicating. LOL, TTYL, BRB and many more such
slangs became household words. Emoticons
started replacing gestures or sometimes even
words. Somewhere between all this, the art of
conversation lost its essence and meaning.
Between agonizing small talks and pain of awk-
wardness of initiating conversations, people
have started to avoid interpersonal communi-
cation activities. They like to give preference to
interactions over text where they could simply
leave one on seen without encountering the
awkward eye contacts. Over text, emoticons
and slangs act as shields against the dead col-
loquy. With the emergence of online marketing
and shopping, human interaction is further
taking a major setback. With clothes to grocer-
ies to jewellery to almost everything online the
middle-man or vendors have escaped our radar
for conversations too. It seems like now human
interaction would be only required in case the
technology fails to help. For example when our
shipments can’t be tracked or an item is miss-
ing, is when we feel the need to call and talk
to the customer service and end up making
conversation. Long ago, parties were all about
17
being a perfect place to unwind and ease into a
comfortable chatter, but now we live in a world
where people would prefer capturing memories
than creating new ones. Creating new memories
seems like a huge task, especially because it re-
quires initiation of a conversation, which seems
to burden us. Alexa and Siri have erupted like
new excuses to stop face-to-face conversations.
One can simply talk to these intelligent interface
when they feel bored rather than calling up a
friend to meet up in the café over a cup of con-
versation. All these new inventions are leading
to the extinction of traditional ways of commu-
nication i.e. speech, face-to-face interaction and
even letters.
But why is it important to save the art of conver-
sation from dying? When you give it a deeper
thought you realize that over text, one can never
judge the tone of a person leading to misinter-
pretations or loss of information. While we end
up being so caught up in our plugged-in lives that
we have gathered the courage to now even walk
up to classes and meetings wearing headphones
or even declining a meeting invite and sending
your contributions via email to avoid dealing
with people in the same room. Living in the mo-
ment teaches us basic skills that are immensely
important in interviews, presentations and oth-
er influencing situations, the art of conversation
is what essentially helps in developing them.
They build eloquence and help us navigate our
way through life.
We should save this chief art from suffering a
slow death. The growing age of being ‘smart’ via
technology requires a little rewiring to ensure
human interaction is not replaced with a predi-
lection for automation.
PICTURE: AKANKSHA BAGAI
18

Sensationalism
Shehjar Bhat, 2nd Year
Dave Brat once said, “The media does play a vital
role in our democracy and if we cannot depend
on journalistic ethics, the nation is in trouble.”
The media, considered as the “Fourth Pillar” in
a secular and democratic framework, has been
instrumental in reaching and equipping masses
with the needed knowledge ever since its advent.
It plays an important role in shaping not just
perceptions, but also the national agenda.
Besides several ethics and principles, a Journalist
must refrain from getting their prejudices and
biases into forefront or in their coverage while
reporting. The Indian Media has been a con-
stant source of information for citizens’ since
the colonial period and still is one of the most
dependable sources. From the old age days of
Newspaper, Television and Radio-to- the present
era age of Mobile phones, IPads and SNS— it has
undergone a lot of changes.
The Indian media industry has grown tremen-
dously in the past few years, but the corporate
and political influence on journalists has also in-
creased manifolds. Journalism in India is facing a
serious crisis and the industry is in an upheaval.
Indian Media has been in everyone’s eyes and
diaries for all the wrong reasons and is often
accused of being involved in corrupt practices
and favor of certain publishers, political parties,
business houses and religious institutions. The
media is believed to be engaged in yellow journal-
ism or dramatization of events and news rather
than reflecting the informative part. Numerous
instances are symbolic of its bend towards sen-
sational, political, catchy and made up content
that does nothing, but just shoots up the TRP and
profits for that organization or media house. Not
19
only distorted or falsified con-
tent, media has often used and
targeted religious groups to
make appeals, arouse emotions
and spread hatred amongst the
society.
From Rohit Vemula’s over-sen-
sationalized and poorly cov-
ered suicide case-to-the 2016 vi-
ral videos of JNU wherein news
anchors engaged in character
assassination of three students;
media’s coverage and reporting
style has ended up creating a
rift across nation and groups.
The Indian media mostly lives
under the influence of those
in power and who have the
ability of controlling all the
processes—from what gets
reported, who gets presented
positively to who gets flaked.
The overpowering sway of the
moneyed on editorial policies;
media house’s commercial
orientation; and Government’s
control over resources such as
newsprint, communications
and advertisements are some
of the few examples of how me-
dia’s true power and strength
are often hampered and this
results in the production of
skewed reporting.
So how can media live upto
its functions of maintaining
checks and balances and acting
as a watchdog of the democ-
racy when it is producing
favored, buyable and sellable
content?
India is the world’s largest
democracy and is languish-
ing towards the bottom of the
Press Freedom Index. These
decreasing ranks and positions
are already a matter of con-
cern, let alone a shame for the
entire nation and industry.
If there’s any time to conduct a
reality check and ask whether
all is well with the profession
of journalism and media is not
tomorrow or later, but Now.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PARTH GARG
An Ode To
Generations
Utkarsha Ahirwar, 1st Year
Wait. Stop. When was the
last time when you fell asleep
while listening to your moth-
er’s story? Or when was the
last time when you plucked
fruits from a tree? Or the last
time when you celebrated the
festival instead of spending
time on your mobile phone
and clicking pictures? Can you
recall?
As you go down to the memory
lane, you are going to realise
that there are many more
things which you used to do
and now they are merely a part
of your hippocampus. We may
feel that there is no everyday
routine of ours, but there is a
broad pattern which we are re-
peating everyday from the last
few years. Like staying up late,
avoiding healthy lifestyle, re-
luctant to change, or forgetting
about what makes us who we
are ! No seriously, what makes
us who we are? Our language?
Our culture? Our food? Or our
traditions? In my opinion, ev-
erything which is dying in the
name of cultural homogenisa-
tion or hybridisation, makes
us who we are! Yes, eating
readymade stuff is good but
have you ever experienced the
20
smell of freshly made ghee ?
What about the joy of wearing
clothes stitched by your moth-
er? Or the taste of homemade “
achaar”which took months to
get just perfect?
In a world where everything is
fast, easy and convenient, we
are missing on these little joys,
we are missing on our cul-
ture, our roots. Hands down
English is very important
today, but why talking in our
mother tongues make us feel
insecure about our identities?
Why touching our elders’ feet
is considered old fashioned or
sitting on the ground and eat-
ing is a middle class concept?
Why do we have to throw
lavish wedding ceremonies? Is
wedding a union of two souls,
two families or a just a vanity
and show of our bank bal-
ance? We are just setting hol-
low modern societal norms.
Today we picture our grand-
mothers as telling stories,
weaving sweaters, drying spic-
es, but tell me how your grand-
children will picture you? Will
you be able to give the same
love and care, the same stories
and traditions to your grand-
kids? Think. In our pursuit of
becoming modern and updat-
ed, we are losing something
that needs to be preserved and
nurtured.
PICTURE: PRATEEK KATYAL
 ample of lips
Soumya Rawat, 1st Year

Ample of lips to talk rubbish...

Ample of minds to create mayhem,
The world is full of wandering souls,
and our bodies, near to death tolls!
The flame in our thoughts ready to burst apart,
a rat race among us to thwart
the dearest ones of our lives, 
And to kill those who thrive hard to survive.
Amidst our epoch of materialism and greed....
We have lost the basis of communication and morals of our creed.
The days and nights are mere on and offs of a machine, 
since the humanity is cornered and the world has become mean.
The lost words sit steady on our tongues,
to twist and turn and to be set free from our lungs.
Yet the communication seems to be broken down.
All we have left to do is to pass a frown,
on the beautiful sights that our life offers,
but our eyesight, our bodies’ least gifted crown!
The world is a place of young and silent skeletons, talented yet unable to
solve ordeals of their loved ones!
Our lives are merely a stage for all to earn and learn,
The communication in our hearts has perhaps become stubborn.

freedom
Samridhi Chugh, 1st Year

This face is a leaking explosion.

It has broken the walls of containment.
It has opened its vestibules to the monotonous world,
Its doors opportune for a pursuit of amusement.
“Hide it! Learn to keep your tongue behind your teeth,
Words to the cognitive thesaurus,
Brackish waters within
That clichéd heart that overflows with foolish sentiment”,
I reprimand my face for being what it is-
An open book in a world
That spares not an inch of space
For sheer freedom of expression.
PICTURE: SUKRITI TANEJA
21 22
 AGRIMA GULATI

SUKRITI TANEJA

SHREYA GHOSH

PARVATHY RAMESH

SHREYA GHOSH

ROHLUI CHHAKCHHUAK

23 AMRITANSHI RATHORE
24 HIYA ANUPAM
LAKSHITA MAVI

LAKSHITA MAVI

25 26 ILLUSTRATION: TUSHAR RANA

 FRONT COVER: LAKSHITA MAVI
BACK COVER: SHALEEN KHATRI
ILLUSTRATIONS: KRITIKA TIWARI