‘Interactions between Indian, Chinese journalists should continue’
Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, one of the oldest and most prestigious colleges of Delhi University, has completed 50 years of its existence and has embarked on a year-long golden jubilee celebrations.
Najeeb Jung, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, inaugurated the celebrations earlier this month at the India Habitat Centre. It was followed by honouring teachers and faculty members who joined the college in 1967 (year of establishment), and a cultural programme by the students.
The college authorities have plans to organise several functions throughout the year. “Ek Sham Bhagat Singh Ke Naam”, a prominent programme, has been planned for December this year, where teachers and students of the college would recall the history of Bhagat Singh with music, dance, drama and lectures, while the Golden Jubilee Mela would be held in February next year.
“The golden jubilee of the college is a defining moment in its long journey on the path of growth and service to society. It is a moment of happiness for all of us at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh College to be a part of the celebrations and we look forward to developing our college as a premier educational institution with a strong brand image, offering world-class facilities for the development of excellence in academics, sports, cultural activities and other student empowering activities.” Prof P.K. Khurana, principal of the college, said.
The college, established on 16 July 1967, will inaugurate the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Research and Study Centre for the promotion of research and study among students, along with another Centre for Entrepreneurial Development in the college premises. The college has also built a new herbal garden
Dr Anil Sardana, who has been associated with the college for the past 43 years, has also been an alumnus. Dr Sardana, who is also the organising secretary of the golden jubilee programme, said, “This is a moment to celebrate, to look back and also plan for the future. It is also a platform for the alumni to connect and contribute in ways to develop the college. Our alumni have reached great heights in their professions.”
The college, which started with just 134 students in a small government school building in Govindpuri, currently has around 3,000 students from across the country and is one of the most sought after colleges for commerce studies. As the number of students grew, the college was moved to its present building at Sheikh Sarai in 1990. The college had started its evening section in 1973 and today it has become a full-fledged evening college, even offering various honours courses.
Professor Sydney Rebeiro, one of the first teachers of the college and the present Dean of Alumni Affairs, DU, said: “The college has a long history and we started from a small building with a handful of students, but today we have become one of the best colleges in Delhi University. We had faced several problems, but had always stood up strong.”
The Delhi University ( DU) has received students’ applications from 106 countries this year, the highest so far. With the admission process still underway, more foreign students are still enrolling, with the total number of foreign nationals who applied to DU this year reaching over 3,368, which is 1,200 more than last year’s figures. So far, the university has finished the admission process for 410 foreign students and is still counting.
Over 20 African students have got enrolled in DU so far. Most of them belong to After India’s expulsion of three Chinese journalists following adverse intelligence reports about them, opinion is divided over whether the incident would affect the existing mechanism of bilateral interactions between journalists of the two countries. But there is agreement that such interactions should not be discontinued.
At present, the “IndiaChina Media Forum” is the only existing platform jointly established by China’s State Council Information Office and India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to “enhance bilateral media exchanges”. The first edition of the Forum was held in New Delhi in 2013, while the second was held in Beijing in 2015. At the second India-China Media Forum held in Beijing on 1 February 2015, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had said, among other things: “The Media Forum was envisaged as a platform to encourage appreciation and build understanding of each other’s societies in our respective media.”
On whether India should discontinue the Forum initiative and any other such venture, Rajeev Sharma, a Delhi-based strategic affairs expert who has attended both the editions of the Forum, told The Sunday Guardian, “Not at all. By doing so, India would appear to be the aggressor, whereas in this case, it’s the Chinese who have been the aggressors. What the Chinese journalists have done is espionage by other means. It’s common knowledge that China uses all its expatriates in foreign countries as an extension of their intelligence apparatus. Why should India look like someone who is throttling a healthy engagement between the two countries’ media outfits, though Bei- jing may be attempting to do as much covertly? India’s motto should be: trust, but verify. India should continue to have an open-door policy for Chinese journalists, while being doubly cautious of them.”
About state-run Chinese daily Global Times’ warning of “serious consequences”, Sharma said, “It implies that Indian journalists based in China—and there are at least eight of them— would face the heat. Expect greater surveillance on them and deliberate provocations from the Chinese side with respect to them, even if they are doing nothing illegal.”
Manish Chand, editor-inchief of India Writes, who also participated in both the editions of the Forum, told The Sunday Guardian, “The Indian government’s decision not to extend visas for three Chinese journalists of Xinhua (which has been portrayed as their expulsion from India) is contextspecific.
There is no official statement on why these Chinese journalists have been asked to leave, but reports suggest that it was due to their alleged un-journalistic activities (a euphemism for spying). We don’t know what the facts in this case are. However, the Indian government has also made it clear that Xinhua is welcome to send other journalists. So, it would appear this does not amount to unfriendly/hostile attitude towards Chinese journalists being posted in India.”
Sharma said, “It (the Forum) is a unique initiative at the level of media between India and China, and India does not have this kind of engagement with very many countries.
It will have an impact on the third edition of IndiaChina Media Forum as and when it is held. No dates have been finalised yet. I will attend the third edition, if invited.”