tapori day, back-to-scool day and others

Gujarat University students want to celebrate Rose Day, Tapori Day, Chocolate Day, Mix & Match Day, Tie and Saree Day, Traditional Day, Balloon Day and what not.

Mr. VC dreams of replacing these events with National Leader Character Day, Anti Terrorist Day, Blood Donation Day, Thalassaemia Day, World Peace Day, World Environment Day and Nirmal Gujarat Day. He says, “The aim of this circular is to ensure students engage themselves in activities which will inculcate the spirit of patriotism and unity in them.”

Nice thoughts indeed Mr. VC.

But, tere is a big uproar amongst the students. They term the order passed by VC as dictatorial and have come forward under the banner of NSUI. NSUI - the students group supported by youth congress. See something fishy?
Ok, not so apparent. Still I am a little apprehensive about NSUI angle.

Leaving NSUI crap aside, I feel this issue makes me think and write about certain experiences from my college life. After 4 years in an engineering college and now almost 6 months in IIMA, I feel students in any college need opportunities for extracuricular events specially echnical and cultural fests. They serve in many ways:
1. Showcase their talent,
2. Learn organzing and team skills,
3. Interaction with outside world specially corporates
4. Networking.
It's one nice way to channelize raw talent and energies. The flip side is that, a limit has to be defined. I come from a college, where we had 11 technical fests a year (one for each department). You can imagine the quality and impact of such events in such a case. Here in IIMA, we receive atleast 3-4 mails daily about events happening in management colleges around the country. This basically speaks about the craze for such events. Somewhere, I feel, they become a me-too phenomena. If we can control the temptation of copying others and feeling of a false competition, we can do good justice for the very purpose of existence of such events.

Coming back to case of various 'days' that are celebrated in colleges. Even though these events are widespread, I find them funny. Too immaturish for a college level junta. May be Mr. VC's suggestion is too idealistic, still we can do much better than a 'tappori day'.

I remember working for Rotaract Club of RVCE while I was in college. Some of the most satisfying moments of my life - organizing blood donation camp, eye checkup camps and interacting with clubs from other institutions. These we did, while we were in college. Prayas in IIMA is another such effort.

Leaving social service work aside, we can always count on literary and arts activities. In Bangalore, I was amazed to see the interest of college going crowd in Theatre and Arts. There are theatre clubs, music bands and other such groups and activities that keep students together. They are a way to break-away from the monotony of studies. They are a way to live.

Why can this not be replicated in Gujarat University? I am sure we have enough enthu junta here, and if we don't, its the right time to invest in such activities.

Mr. VC, you have done the right thing. Just that apply some more sense and you can be the leader that colleges here need. Please don't budge to the pressure from NSUI or any such gang.

ps: My personal views.