Book Review: Delhi is not far

Title: Delhi is not far

Author: Ruskin Bond

Publisher :Penguin 

Price : 150 INR

Points : 3 out of 5

"Delhi is not far" is  a story of a writer and his struggle to make a fortune, of a thousand rural voices wanting to reach out to cities and the unchanged rural setting that forms the background of most of bond stories.Although a lot of attention has been accorded to  detail , it is not a thick volume and has been written with sensitivity to the subject.

The story however is not that appealing and is full of discontinuities .Sometimes it moves very fast and on other occasions it creeps into existence from moments of boredom and lethargy.It fails to convey a clear message but the life at a village has been very well portrayed.

Altogether it makes for a good read given the size of the volume.A bigger canvas could have done more justice to the subject. 

          

DCE Then and Now

I still remember my first day at college.On 2nd August 2005 , after having missed the registration on 1st August and the welcome ceremony due to unavoidable circumstances, i entered the college campus with only one task on my head: To get myself registered for the course( without any further delay).On my way to college, i was wondering whether they will register me or not.Of course i had spoken to some D.C.E. officials on phone before coming and they had assured me that i will be allowed to register after giving a late fee but still i was not sure as it was an entirely new system for me and i had my natural fears.The RTV stopped in front of the gate of the New Campus of DCE and i got off.What was in front of me , was a place that i had only visualised through some of the images in the brochure and this was going to be my first 'real' experience.Yes, i was excited but somehow the registration was all that i could think of at that time.Went past the gate, the beautiful lanes, lush green gardens towards my department i.e Electronics and Communication Deptt and got myself registered for the course.One thing was sure that this is one the most beautiful places in Delhi and i am one of those who is going to live here for the next 4 years.

A lot has changed since then.Someone rightly said "Change is the only constant in this world" and my college is not an exception.Soon before we(2k5 batch) joined the college,Delhi Metro changed the way people used to travel to the college and made it more accessible.Being a hosteller from the very first year, i had my share of ragging and interaction with seniors.This also seems to have changed.The college got a new canteen,student participation in the administrative affairs of the college increased,new SIGs and societies were formed,a new auditorium was built,library was digitalised, many new annual fests came up,wi fi resurfaced and much more.The college became more lively,many new technical projects with new ideas came up and the college became a hub for experimentation & innovation even if on a implementation and design level.The student activities at the college expanded into new areas with new ventures be it the social service society NSS,dramatics society PRATIBIMB, dance society DHOOM,debating society SPEAK,quizzing society 42,photography group SHUTTERBUGS,Madhurima(Singing) or the online journal iDCE.All of them are great initiatives and have given DCEites a number of platforms to show and nurture their talent & skills which inturn would help shape their personality.The veterans like IEEE,SAE,CSI & IET also improved their standards and not to forget some of the most awaited events like inter-hostel Sports meet and Arena.

And there i was at the college gate at the start of this semester when a fresher walked up to me and asked about the registration process after confirming if i am a student of this college.I told him all i knew and he left after thanking me.I instantly began to wonder if he will also witness as much change as i did?

Is this place ever changing?