Shri Ram College of Commerce’s (SRCC) fest Crossroads is usually a spectacle beyond compare. And to some extent, it was this year, too. However, it was the fashion competition that played spoilsport, as it reportedly saw ugly spats and drama, prompting the winning teams to return their awards and boycott the fest.
What’s the matter?
The fashion societies of Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce (I Vogue), Kamala Nehru College (Glitz) and Lady Irwin College (Prophecy) put up posts and stories on Instagram using the hashtag #UnitedWeStand, alleging that they were met with rude behaviour and shoddy management at Crossroads. They declared that they’ll be giving up the titles they won at the show, with some deciding to boycott the fest altogether.
Chayan Jain, a participant and president of IVogue, has shared with HT that after the competition ended, the participating teams waited for the results to be announced. However, the host college, SRCC, told them that the results will be uploaded on Crossroads’ Facebook page.
“To not announce the results after the show is not a usual practice. So, everyone pleaded the hosts to declare the results. After much cajoling, they told us that our college had won the first spot. But everyone wanted to see the mark sheet, which is a usual practice. But SRCC refused. That’s when we all raised our voices. Strangely, later they announced another result, according to which, KNC’s Glitz was the winner and we were on the second spot. The drama didn’t end there. They put up yet another result on FB where KNC was first and Lady Irwin was on the second spot,” says Jain.
Upasna Dogra, a member of the fashion team of Lady Irwin College, adds that SRCC’s organising team misbehaved with other teams. “When we asked for the mark sheets of the judges, they rudely said that it won’t be shown, and literally ran away. What was more annoying was that they kept uploading different results each time. They pointed out that the change in results was due to a technical glitch. So, they basically announced three different results. Their treatment of teams was unfair and how they handled the results was shady, something the fashion teams decided to stand up against. That is why we (Lady Irwin College) decided to boycott the fest and give up our positions.”
{{/usCountry}}Upasna Dogra, a member of the fashion team of Lady Irwin College, adds that SRCC’s organising team misbehaved with other teams. “When we asked for the mark sheets of the judges, they rudely said that it won’t be shown, and literally ran away. What was more annoying was that they kept uploading different results each time. They pointed out that the change in results was due to a technical glitch. So, they basically announced three different results. Their treatment of teams was unfair and how they handled the results was shady, something the fashion teams decided to stand up against. That is why we (Lady Irwin College) decided to boycott the fest and give up our positions.”
{{/usCountry}}See the posts here
SRCC’s side
HT reached out to Demeanor, the fashion society of SRCC, for their side of the story. Shreeya Bharghava from the team said, “We do acknowledge that there were a few issues on our part, but as a team we were answerable to the student union as well, which had put some rules in place. We tried our best to calm the participating teams, but I was scratched, my clothes were pulled and we were helpless.”
Shreeya added that they took the matter in their hands because involving bouncers would’ve only escalated the situation further. “We got the participants to sign a statement stating that they wouldn’t take the matter further if we return their money (participation fee), yet this is what they ended up doing... I understand that these teams boycotting our fest might make a difference, but Crossroads has a legacy of its own, and the show will go on. Acting this way, despite our apologies and clarification, is something we didn’t expect.”