From Bigg Boss to Jashn-e-Siyasat: My Journey at Ramjas College, DU

2022-23 boards are in full swing, and students are busy applying for CUET. I gave a few college suggestions and tips to my juniors aspiring for DU this year. Down memory lane, three years ago, I was in their place– except that CUET hadn't materialised by then. I am a product of the old cut-off regime and the second-last batch passing out with the vestiges of the ancien régime, the CBCS system.

I’m currently doing my BA (Hons) in Political Science, third year, at Ramjas College, University of Delhi. Back then, I had some aims– one, leave my home. Two, get into DU (North Campus). And three, get into any of the three– Stephen’s, Hindu, or Ramjas. 

I don’t know what they have in common except that these three colleges– the DU triumvirate– are the founding members of the University of Delhi– something more organic and natural, predating the university itself. And combined with the hustle-bustle and, of course, the magnificence of the venerated North Campus, the focal point– or the melting pot– of a plethora of student subcultures across India and abroad, these three campuses are the dream of any DU aspirant.

I cleared the cut-off of Ramjas in the third round. First, I had to take admission in KMC followed by Hindu for the second round. Finally, as a dream come true, BA (H) Political Science in Ramjas had few vacant seats when the third list was out! 

Bigg Boss and the Celebration of Politics

First, let me tell you something about my course. Let me spill some beans– I’m an ardent Bigg Boss fan. For me, the Bigg Boss house represents the ‘state of nature’. Politics is not all about constitutions and laws. ‘The political’ is something extensive, something dynamic– the very fundamental art and science of determining “who gets what, when, and how” (Lasswell).

Coming to Bigg Boss– though some might argue that it is scripted and all– nevertheless, it represents that unblemished nature of ‘the political’. Living in isolation for a hundred days with limited supplies, bound only by what Locke calls the ‘natural laws’ (of the Bigg Boss), Bigg Boss house is nothing but a mini state of nature! And all transactions happening in the house– all interactions among the competing individuals (as Hobbes might agree with me, for self-preservation, here, winning the title) – reminds me of the human interactions in the state of nature and their collective endeavour towards contracting out of the chaos. 

The individuals come together, agree upon a set of principles they make for themselves, and abide by it till they leave the house– what is more interesting for a student of Political Science? Bigg Boss, therefore, celebrates the political in its fundamental sense– as I mentioned before– “who gets what, when, and how”. And these complexities of human nature, the force that binds human organisations, and the common principles they make and abide by have always fascinated me. (Hu)man, by nature, is zoon politikon– or political animals– and I just wanted to develop further on this instinct I had long ago.

Ramjas, The Playground of Politics 

And here comes my college– Ramjas College, University of Delhi. Located at the heart of the much-admired North Campus, it is one of the founding colleges of the University of Delhi. Mr. Gandhi inaugurated the old campus of the college, and it is the only DU college having the distinction of having Dr. Ambedkar as the Chairman of the Governing Body. Its magnificent buildings, sprawling lawns, grand trees, red bricks, and proud students have a story of more than a hundred years to tell– from the active participation of the institution and its students in the Indian National Movement to the grandeur of fierce and unforgiving paths traversed by its alumni. 

As I mentioned before, I had three options– Hindu, Ramjas, or Stephen’s. I learnt that Stephen’s does not offer an Honours in Political Science, and I was left with the other two. It was a hard choice– with my father pressing for a course in Hindu, as Hindu College is considered the veritable prime of the University of Delhi– the magnificent canopy symbolising academic excellence. In the second round, I took admission there. Nevertheless, a series of talks with some studying and passed-out students, some professors my parents knew, and my internet research– yeah, Siksha.com in particular– revealed some priceless truths.

Going by the rankings, yes– Hindu is the best place where you can be in. But especially in Political Science, the bottomless pit of Ramjas is safer than the plain pasture of Hindu. How to celebrate politics when politics itself is restricted to the ‘wall of democracy’? Ramjas is, I’ll say, the only DU college having the culture of celebrating politics. Here, politics isn’t a slur. It is an art. It is not restricted to a wall, but it is there, embedded in the very ethos of the institution. As I’ve previously mentioned, it has a legacy of active involvement in the Indian Independence Movement, when the elites from Hindu and Stephen’s refused to chip in.

Now, let me narrate something I’ll cherish forever. As I said before, it is the celebration of the political– or what we call Jashn-e-Siyasat, the annual fest of our department. Despite the abysmal budget, it was a grand success. I got a golden opportunity to host and interact with Mr. Yashovardhan Azad IPS (rtd.), the former Special Director of the Intelligence Bureau and the former Central Information Commissioner for a session on the ‘Right to Information and Right to Privacy in a Democracy’.

The fest also had multiple sessions, lectures, and panel discussions with a constellation of dignitaries. Some of them are Ambassador TCA Raghavan, Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri, Mr. Sushant Singh, Mr. Saurabh Dwivedi, Mr. K Mahesh, I.A.S., etc. We also had separate sessions with Prof. Rajeev Bhargava and Prof. Ashwani Kumar. What can be more overwhelming for a student of Political Science than hearing such distinguished speakers and panellists under the roof of the Ramjas College auditorium?

Looking back, these three years were the most productive time in my life. I met some of the best brains hailing from different corners of the country. I made some sweet friends whom I can count on till eternity– Meenakshi and Sofiya, I’m talking about you, ladies! I sensed what freedom is and what politics is not– it’s not a slur. It’s something worth celebrating. And someone aspiring to be a student for life, someone interested in giving oneself to the majestic tradition of teaching-learning, Ramjas was a bag of opportunities. From the internships and research opportunities the college has provided me with to the exposure and connections it gave me, Ramjas was the best decision of my life! Unlike any other institution, Ramjas has a vibe– it has a soul– a living, breathing soul, which captivates its students and professors alike, in its enchanting aroma of academic and extra-academic ataraxia.

About the Author

Adwaith PB is a fantasist. Dwelling merrily in his world of Oriental myths, of giants, nymphs, and anthropomorphic dragons, his absent-mindedness always lands him in unforeseen hardships. As a deviation, he writes his heart out in the moonlight. And in the sun, he’s a student of the epics and perils of the political, contemplating its wayward laboratory– the society.