Leher, as a university-wide newspaper, is a brainchild of two Politics majors (with very contrasting minors - Computer Science and Social Studies), Uditi Lunawat and Manavi Sharma. The lack of a properly functioning student-run newspaper was evident, prompting Manavi and Uditi to brainstorm the idea in their freshman year. Leher began in Uditi’s dorm room discussing the ever-present and ever-growing polarised political atmosphere. Manavi had written a piece for one of Krea’s many writing-based forums, and that sparked the idea of having one proper, coherent platform for various ideas to congregate, and that’s what gave birth to Leher - Krea’s first independent and student-run newspaper.
We sat down to interview the Editors-In-Chief about all things Leher, and here’s what they had to say:
What made you start Leher?
Leher has been a brainchild of ours for quite some time. Since Krea is away from the city, there tends to be a disconnect between what is happening in the world. Only student affairs were being publicised and not discussions on the political climate of the world over, and this lack of public discourse was affecting the quality of discussions around the campus. We wished for Leher to inculcate a culture wherein people could voice their concerns and opinions on world affairs and be socially aware of the news. There is a pool of talent at Krea that is largely untapped, and seeing as there wasn’t a forum for people from different backgrounds to come together to discuss issues of worldly importance, Leher was born.
What made you both come up with the name ‘Leher’?
Leher essentially symbolises a wave of political consciousness. It is to remind one of fluidity and understanding, that change is the only constant. There is this huge realisation that needs to dawn on our generation- that change lies in our hands. ‘Leher’ has Urdu origins as well as Sanskrit etymology. Being in the South, we wished to strike a balance, we have Tamil in the logo because Krea is closest to Chennai, and Telugu because Krea is located in SriCity. It is also a play on words, since Krea is close to the sea, Leher just reminds us that even though we’re in the middle of nowhere, we do have the waves keeping us company. In upcoming editions, we hope to incorporate more regional languages on the cover, thus symbolising diversity and inclusivity.
What makes this student-run university newspaper different from other student-run university newspapers?
Her Campus, Humans of Krea, Tapestry, Weave and Krea Journal all largely focus on Krea-related activities and events, but Leher wants to spread the word on not just covering university news but also news from the nation and world to ensure there is not a disconnect between the world and our little bubble. Leher will release editions on a fortnightly basis, and soon enough, on a weekly basis. We are looking to cover everything from op-eds to abstract creative pieces. This newspaper is not afraid to voice out topics that make people uncomfortable and will spread word on topics that really should be spoken about on our campus.
Why now?
If not now, then when? As second-year students in a liberal arts university, we feel that now more than ever, there needs to be a platform for students to be able to and have the freedom to learn and unlearn their political leanings and knowledge, and it being student-run, having these conversations with faculty and staff provides us with various insights into different never-ending issues of political and personal importance.
Q. Would you call yourself a ‘neutral paper’?
The paper stands firmly against the task of polarisation. Writing comes with its biases, but we do not intend to keep readers in the blind and sensationalise the news for more engagement and readership. The word ‘neutral’ or ‘apolitical’ is no longer an option and we strongly feel that opinions should be expressed and backed with valid arguments in a cohesive manner. That’s what this platform is all about. If something is hurtful or hateful towards a community or violates someone else’s personal liberty, we wouldn’t put it out. Our paper is inclusive, but not inclusive of propaganda and hate.
What are you hoping to achieve with this paper?
With this paper, we are hoping to achieve an increased sensitivity and consciousness within the Krea community. The way we consume media today is either with unawareness or apathy and tends to do away with news that we may feel does not concern or impact us. Identity has been used to marginalise people, and a certain amount of awareness should be created because we live in an interconnected world, and what happens at one end of the world will have reverberations; sooner or later, it will reach our doors, and by then it would be too late. Self-introspection takes a lot of courage as well as to question what one stands for and believes in, so even if one person has a moment of self-realisation to introspect, that would be the greatest achievement of the paper and exactly what Leher hopes to have an impact on.
What are your future goals?
We are starting as a fortnightly newspaper, we want to become consistent enough so that it moves to a weekly pattern, and then hopefully, a daily paper. We are also working on a zero budget, and we hope to bring in a Chief Of Finance to help us prepare effective budgets as our paper improves once we gain credibility and establish ourselves.
Picture Credits: Uditi Lunawat
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