Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) President Manoj Choudhary is an IT graduate, management degree holder and currently a student of MA (Buddhist Studies). His election as a DUSU President was a surprising event for even university administration. But he got the support of students. In a detailed and exclusive interview with fachcha.com he revealed many things about the students’ politics and university-student relationship. Excerpts:

fachcha.com: Why DUSU is working through a makeshift office? The DUSU President as well as its office-bearers are sitting in Delhi University Karmchari Union’s (DUKU) office. Whether DUSU office bearers have been displaced?

MC: The DUSU office had been locked on July 31st. When I got elected I asked the university administration to handover DUSU office. But both the university administration and Vice-Chancellor Deepak Pental have been making excuses. DU Proctor Gurmeet Singh told earlier that it will be handed over by 15th October. But it did not happen. When I raised the issue with Vice-Chancellor he told me that by 30th October it will be handed over to us. But it again proved a farce. Now as we insist upon the demand VC says that his term is going to complete. He does not bother about all these things. So, these things do not matter for him.

fachcha.com: What exactly the university administration says about DUSU building?
MC: They sometimes say that it will be a part of Mathematics department, sometimes they say that it will be used for infrastructure of extended seats of OBCs…

fachcha.com: But a good number of students have elected you to fight for their welfare? You even could not fight for your designated premise? Where is students’ power?
MC: We can show students’ power. But we want to resolve the issue amicably.

fachcha.com: What is DUSU’s stand on semester system for undergraduate courses?
MC: I myself have studied in semester system as an engineering student. But fact is that, for general courses in Delhi University it will prove a big flop. Vice Chancellor says that it will help students to migrate internationally after completion of first semester. But, even inter-college migration has become almost impossible in the university. Interested candidates had to go to court to migrate from one college to another college. In such a situation we do not believe that it will help students anyway. Of course, it will help the Vice-Chancellor to prove him as a successful administrator.

fachcha.com:What is the status of student’s welfare in DUSU?
MC: Administration is just apathetic. They increased the examination fee many times. Despite clear guideline university administration is not ready to give representation to students (DUSU) in the university’s highest decision making body Executive Council of the university. Former DUSU President Amrita Bahri was the first and last representative in Executive Council in the recent past. Apart from these the university administration is not ready to increase fund for Student’s union. For such a huge university fund of only rupees 3.6 lakh has been provided for the DUSU. On the other hand several colleges have increased student union fee by five to ten times but our fund is same.

fachcha.com: What DUSU is doing for these?
MC: We are doing a lot of things. You will see the changes in a month.

fachcha.com: It is said that you have been elected DUSU president by chance or due to the action taken by VC during the election on the name of implementation of Lyngdoh Committee report?

MC: I am not here due the VC’s ‘kripa’ (blessings) or by chance. Students of the University have elected me to work for them. I have full support of them. But as far as whatever has happened on the name of Lyngdoh committee report I would strongly say that this VC actually want to scrap DUSU and nothing else.

fachcha.com: There is problem in the co-ordination of the Office-bearers of the DUSU? It is appeared that you are not leading them as a leader like DUSU President?

MC: There is problem of political affiliation. Everybody want to work here as a team but than political organization or identity stop them doing so. I believe in team work only.