00:00But while I speak with the students, I just want to give all you viewers a quick glimpse of what
00:04colleges are really looking like right now.
00:07Like I said, these are supposed to be classrooms which currently have been turned into makeshift dormitories where students are
00:13sitting.
00:14They've gotten their little backpacks, some bananas in, water bottle here, and this is what is going to be home
00:19for them for the next couple of days, if not weeks at the moment.
00:24I'm also joined by, just tell me your name, sir.
00:27I'm Dr. Asis Thakur. I'm faculty in Department of Political Science and also the Public Relations Officer of Sri Venkateshra
00:35College.
00:35Sir, give us a glimpse of an understanding of who all are here and what time did you decide that
00:41classrooms had to be converted into makeshift dormitories and that students need to come here and feel safe.
00:46Yeah, so Sri Venkateshra College is just in front of the, maybe two meters in front of where this crisis
00:56has taken place.
00:57And we received this information around 1.40 p.m. yesterday.
01:03So Principal Vajalaravi, under his evil guidance, the college has immediately taken this step to ensure the safety of the
01:14students and whatever fear they had out of this incident that this be addressed.
01:19So, college came up with the notification under the principal guidance that it will provide all the possible help, accommodation,
01:30food, and on the...
01:31I'm seeing little packets over here.
01:33I see packets of sanitary napkins.
01:36I see deliveries that have been made of food over here and clothes, some sheets to be put on, water,
01:43and the rest of it being provided as well.
01:46This is basically the help desk which has been set up for students who want to come in, right?
01:50Yes, the college, NSS has taken off Sri Venkateshra College this step.
01:56And we have also students from the other colleges donating all the necessary help that can possibly be in this
02:05situation.
02:06And all kinds of help for not only just today, as you have seen that the classroom, it has been
02:14turned on the immediate basis into dormitory, for the accommodation.
02:21But then for the other possible days, till wherever students, they require the help, college has opened its door to
02:29provide all kinds of help.
02:30There is all these dormitories, they are just adjacent to medical...
02:34You've divided all the classrooms, one floor for girls, one floor for boys, that's how it's going to be.
02:39...immediate major, but then college will be not taking the majors to save the girls' student, either in the hostel
02:47PG, which the college has a separate PG for the...
02:51Sorry, hostel for the girls and also hostel for the boys.
02:56Let me come back to the help desk over here, and you have the NSS volunteers here as well, and
03:00the help desk, like I said, with all the details over here.
03:04There is a collection drive, which seems to be on right now, in very DU style, asking people to come
03:09in.
03:10Like I said, there are sanitary napkins, there are clothes, there are sheets, there's some food, all of that, towels,
03:15etc., which has been brought in here to ensure that whoever comes in need can be helped.
03:20I have a couple of students here with me as well. Give me your name, and where do you live?
03:26My name is Garvish Kiran, and I live near Lajpat only.
03:30So we've just come to help as much as we can from our part, and we are really trying, and
03:36I'm an NSS volunteer as well.
03:38But these are our core members, they are sitting here, and they are really trying their best to give as
03:47much help as possible.
03:49We are conducting a donation drive, like you can donate any necessity items, like, as you can see, fruit juice,
03:58sanitary.
03:59Because I believe the worry is not just of that one PG building collapsing.
04:03A lot of surrounding areas, they were telling me that it's become, Satya Niketa now is a ghost town.
04:08Nobody wants to live there anymore, and all the students have moved out.
04:11They've either gone to their PG's, as in their local guardians, or any relative they know.
04:17And those who don't have anyone are coming to colleges, which have now, sort of, are trying to provide for
04:23them.
04:23Is that correct?
04:23Yeah.
04:25Okay, I reside in Great Noida.
04:27So before, like in my second year, my parents were trying to shift me from here.
04:30But given the conditions, it is so horrible, so, so horrible, that they were like, it's far better that I
04:36commute every day from Great Noida, which is like two hours for one side.
04:41So that was a far better chance than to stay here, because the hygiene, the water, the food, the conditions,
04:48everything is literally horrible.
04:50This was a long time coming, you're saying?
04:51No, this is like, this is like four or five months back, well, I think.
04:55And the thing is, apart from the hygiene and everything, the PG owners, they are also horrible.
04:59They are, they only see this as a money laundering thing, and all they see it is as a business.
05:04They do not care anything about what the people are, or about the students.
05:08So that's a sentiment you hear a lot when you come here in, in the campus.
05:12Because outside also, I can tell you that right outside the Sri Venkateshwara College, in fact, let me, you know,
05:19make you have a glimpse of what it's looking like.
05:22Right outside as well, I don't know if you can hear it from my mic, but there are protests going
05:27on all across.
05:28So let me give you an understanding of where this is.
05:30I am at the main entry of the Sri Venkateshwara College.
05:34Inside, there are classrooms.
05:36Inside, there are classrooms which have been converted into dormitories, and outside, that's the main gate.
05:40This entire road, by the way, that you see is choco-block, because of all the JCBs, of all the
05:47cars that are going in.
05:48That entire road is blocked, and there are protests being carried out right outside.
05:52So this entire campus area, there's this eerie sense of unease that has really taken over, which is what really
05:59captures you the minute you come here first.
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