Bhav Gunjan Youth Festival 2025
Assignment under the guidance of Dr. & Prof. Dilip Barad
33rd Inter-College Youth Festival, Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University (MKBU)
8th – 11th October, 2025
Introduction: When Youth Found Its Voice
The 33rd Inter-College Youth Festival — “Bhav Gunjan”, literally meaning The Resonance of Emotion, was not just a university event; it was a living, breathing manifestation of art, intellect, and the restless energy of youth.
Hosted by the Physical Education and Cultural Department of MKBU, from October 8th to 11th, 2025, the festival transformed the campus into a dynamic canvas of colours, performances, and conversations. For four unforgettable days, the university grounds echoed with drumbeats, laughter, debate, and poetry — a true “Yuvaani ka Mahotsav”, a celebration of youth itself.
What stood out most was how the festival revealed the evolving consciousness of the modern student. Art here was not ornamental — it was revolutionary. Every brushstroke, dialogue, and dance move became a means to question, critique, and reimagine the world around us.
The Grand Opening: The Kala-Yatra — A Procession with Purpose
The festival began with a bang — or more precisely, a march of ideas.
The Kala-Yatra (Art Procession), held on October 8th, journeyed from Shamaldas Arts College to J.K. Sarvaiya College. Each participating college presented thought-provoking tableaus on vital social and national themes. This was not merely a parade — it was a moving manifesto, an open-air classroom where art met activism.
Themes that Spoke Truth to Power
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The Ekaanki: Between Rasa and Aristotle
The One Act Plays were emotionally charged explorations of human conflict and heroism.
One standout performance drew from Indian aesthetic theory, portraying Raudra Bhava (righteous anger) to evoke Veer Rasa (heroic emotion). It beautifully aligned with Aristotle’s concept of tragedy, achieving catharsis — that shared emotional release which leads to insight and renewal.
Another play reimagined Shakespearean themes — love, betrayal, and power — through an Indian lens, using harmonium, tabla, and local dialects to breathe new life into timeless narratives.
Major Themes in Dramatic Events
Themes such as education, politics, social change, women’s safety, and human psychology dominated the performances.
- Comedy of Menace (Irving Wardle):Reflected vividly in plays about women’s safety, where beneath ordinary situations lurked a quiet fear and tension. The dark atmosphere conveyed the constant threat women face — the “silent menace” embedded in daily life.
- Ben Jonson’s Comedy of Humours:Characters driven by one dominating trait — ambition, vanity, greed, or ignorance — exposed social absurdities with satire and laughter.Through exaggerated behaviours, these performances aimed to correct moral imbalances and invite self-reflection.
Each dramatic performance thus became a fusion of aesthetics, activism, and awareness, turning the stage into a space of both introspection and social critique.
The Silent Voices: Fine Arts and Visual Expression
If theatre was loud and public, the Fine Arts exhibition was quietly revolutionary
Cartooning / Poster Making
Each piece demanded more than admiration — it asked for reflection.
My Festival Diary: A Participant’s Perspective
The 33rd Inter-College Youth Festival was an absolute whirlwind of culture, creativity, and competition — but for me, the highlight was stepping onto the stage for the literary debate on Artificial Intelligence.
The topic was one of the most pressing of our time: “AI – A Boon or a Bane?” I stood firmly in favour of AI’s immense potential.
As a participant, the experience was exhilarating yet challenging — the clock always seemed to move faster than my thoughts. I had to condense my ideas, but I hoped my arguments left an impression on the audience and judges alike.
1. Job Creation, Not Just Job Displacement
Many fear AI will eliminate jobs, but I argued that every technological revolution has created new opportunities:
“...there was industrial revolution in 17th century and 18th century as well and people were not able to get employment at that time also, but we cannot say that after that time period there was no jobs...”
The key, I emphasized, is adaptation:
“...people need to develop that talent, skill, and the new ability to think critically...”
AI won’t end work — it will redefine it.
2. The Human is Always the Controller
Concerns about deepfakes and biases often miss the point that AI is a tool, and its use depends on us. I compared it to driving:
“...we should know that car is not just about clutch and brake and lever; we have to control it through the handle. If that handle is in the hand of a human, how can we say that the car did the accident?...”
The responsibility always lies with the human controller, not the machine.
3. The Evolving Role of the Teacher
One key question was whether AI might replace teachers. My answer was clear: AI will enhance, not replace, education.
“Teachers have also many work to do... to guide students, to provide them value, to teach them how to prompt correctly so that they can get desirable result. That is what important from teacher’s side.”
AI, as I reminded the audience, “connects the dots — it does not create something new by itself.” The emotional intelligence, mentorship, and value-based guidance of teachers remain irreplaceable.
The debate was intense but deeply rewarding. I left the stage inspired and eager for the next challenge the Youth Festival would bring.
Conclusion: The Resonance Continues
When the final lights dimmed on October 11th, the echoes of “Bhav Gunjan” lingered — vibrant, thoughtful, and profoundly human.
The festival reminded us that youth festivals are not mere contests; they are celebrations of consciousness — where art becomes activism, theory becomes reality, and the voice of the young becomes the heartbeat of change.
Thank you for reading. 🌸
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