A leader on campus, Rocky Tuseed, the newly-elected president of Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU), follows the ideology practiced by one of the most eminent leaders of India, Mahatma Gandhi. Tuseed talks about the Gandhian way of life, and how one man can be a force of change without following a violent approach.
“Gandhiji is an inspiration for us all. There are those who find it hard to follow his ideals, but as hard as it is, we try our best to abide by them,” he says. “When the Ramjas college incident happened (Members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and All India Students’ Association (AISA) clashed at Ramjas College earlier this year), there was no winner. The violence did not send out a good message to the students, and resulted in a heavily politicised situation. Be it the new union or our supporters, we want to create a better DU,” says Tuseed, who was recently photographed cleaning the campus.
“When those pictures surfaced, many would’ve thought it to be a photo op. But that’s not the way we do things. We had promised to clear the campus of the clutter spread during elections, whether or not we win. And I kept my promise,” he says, adding, “Change begins at home. If I don’t set an example, who will?” Tuseed tells us that various wings of the party have been deployed across the city to clean up election posters and any other mess that was caused.
An active campaigner for students rights, he wants DU students to feel welcome to approach him for issues bothering them. “What good is a president if he cannot help the students? People feel that I might not have time for certain things. But, I want that perception to change about the union. We were elected by the students, so we’ll be there for them,” he says. “I’ve asked for a list of contacts of all the college union members, class representatives and teachers. This is our first step in creating a more inclusive Delhi University where we together make it better. We’re also actively working on having better rights for students,” adds Tuseed.
{{/usCountry}}An active campaigner for students rights, he wants DU students to feel welcome to approach him for issues bothering them. “What good is a president if he cannot help the students? People feel that I might not have time for certain things. But, I want that perception to change about the union. We were elected by the students, so we’ll be there for them,” he says. “I’ve asked for a list of contacts of all the college union members, class representatives and teachers. This is our first step in creating a more inclusive Delhi University where we together make it better. We’re also actively working on having better rights for students,” adds Tuseed.
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