Some things never change. The festive mood of the campus, back in the 70s, when Antaragni was called CulFest, was no different from the modern day! To cherish those moments, Vox Populi brings to you a piece from the Cheshire Cat. We wish all the best for the much awaited annual cultural extravaganza.
Once upon a time there was a place called IIT-K. It was infested by a unique species. Each man was part IBM 1744 and part village simpleton. This place was isolated from the rest of civilization.
On the whole IIT-K was not a bad place at all.
Come to think of it, it was a rather nice place. But like every nice place, IIT-K had its shortcomings. The terrible spectre of quizzes, assignments and exams used to haunt its industrious inhabitants. In this environment many of its people used to split, crack and collapse. But nevertheless, most of the denizens survived in this sordid atmosphere. Of course, degenerating semester after semester for ten long semesters. There were however vents for their emotions and frustrations.
Once every year, when Virgo ruled in the firmament, a clique called the Cultural Council staged an exhibition of inhabitants from outer space. They called it the ‘Cultural Festival’. It was the largest annual gathering of aliens in IIT-K. The two sexes in IIT-K weren’t very fond of each other. They preferred the outer space people. Months before the festival began, both these sexes were extremely busy, for they had to prune themselves for the grand spectacle. The male tried to pack his mind with niceties, while his female counterpart packed her face with make-up. He plucked his courage, she her eyebrows. He cut out ‘yaar’ from his vocabulary; while she cut out calories from her not so rigid diet. He polished his accent and she her nails. He dropped his maths books and she a host of hopeful hints. So when it all began, the inhabitants of IIT-K were seemingly well-prepared to tackle all eventualities.
However, when the festival begins the IITian finds himself completely at bay. All his pep and confidence vanish like the morning mist. He is dazzled and awed by the evident superiority of the other participating creatures. Nevertheless, the show goes on. The aliens parade, speak in a strange tongue (incomprehensible to most of the natives) and perform all kinds of witchcraft on a specially erected platform. The IITians emulate the goldfish and the dog in heat by turns. They occasionally produce blood-curdling yells or start shooting poisoned arrows at the participants. Finally as the visitors depart for their own worlds, the natives make a beeline for the library (to resume their disrupted schedule), unsatiated, grumbling and with a ‘never another festival’ air. But by the time the next festival came around, everyone again looked forward to it. Then one year along came the ‘Tenth Cultural Festival’. The Cultural Council and others left no stone unturned, so as to ensure its success. After all, the main aim was to bring about the renaissance of the nearly extinct cultural spirit. More than a score of worlds, from far away galaxies were summoned. Everything went on as usual, but in the end the poor IITian was left with the same dejection as before. So life dragged on at IIT-K. Finally what can be said of those who escaped from this charmed land after five years? – well, they lived on happily ever; after!
