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

Sindoor Misitonsa Pride:

A powerful tableau that highlighted the essence of womanhood and cultural dignity, celebrating the strength, sacrifice, and pride of Indian women. Through symbolic representation, it honoured traditional values while asserting modern identity.

Women Empowerment:

Students showcased the journey of women breaking barriers and claiming equal space in society. The performances emphasized education, self-reliance, and gender equality
.

Use of Swadeshi Items / Make in India:

A creative call to embrace Swadeshi ideals, the performance encouraged local production and self-dependence under the “Make in India” movement. It reminded spectators of Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of self-reliance and how it continues to define national pride.

“Mahatma ni Mashal – Modi no Hath, Deshne Joieye Tamaro Sath”:

A passionate performance connecting the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi’s torch of truth and selflessness with the modern call for unity and progress under contemporary leadership. It urged every citizen to take personal responsibility for nation-building — “the nation needs your hand, your support.”

Dangers of Mobiles Uses :

This impactful tableau addressed one of the most urgent modern-day issues — digital dependency and the moral decay caused by mobile addiction. Through a visually arresting effigy of a smartphone surrounded by symbolic vices, students portrayed the dark side of our digital lives.

Each element represented a different vice:

Rumor / Gossip (Afvah): The phone becomes a tool to spread misinformation and idle talk, damaging truth and social harmony.

Perversion / Distortion (Vikruti): It warps moral values and alters natural human behaviour, changing our perspective on reality. Slavery / Bondage (Gulaami): It enslaves users, making them constantly dependent on notifications and digital validation. Addiction (Vyasan): It fosters an unhealthy, compulsive habit that distracts from real life and responsibilities. Trap / Net (Jaal): It ensnares individuals in an endless digital loop, difficult to escape or control. Hatred (Nafrat): It becomes a breeding ground for negativity, online toxicity, and resentment. Illness / Sickness (Bimaari): It leads to physical issues like eye strain and insomnia, and mental health concerns such as anxiety or depression. Death / End (Kaal): Symbolically, it represents the slow demise of real relationships, productivity, and authentic living — and, in extreme cases, even literal tragedy through accidents or suicides.

By featuring the logos of popular social media apps on the screen, the effigy pointed directly to the platforms that fuel these vices. The entire presentation served as a modern reinterpretation of the Dussehra festival, where instead of burning Ravan’s effigy, students called to symbolically destroy digital addiction — the new-age demon of our times.

Be Indian, Buy Indian:

This vibrant tableau echoed the timeless call of Swadeshi—a reminder that patriotism is not only sung in slogans but also lived through everyday choices. Students portrayed the journey of India’s self-reliance from Gandhi’s charkha to Modi’s Make in India lion, showing how national pride and economic progress go hand in hand. The performance opened with scenes from India’s freedom movement, where the charkha symbolized resistance and dignity. Slowly, the narrative transitioned to the modern age, where youth entrepreneurs and local artisans carry forward the same spirit through innovation, sustainability, and indigenous production. Hand-woven fabrics, clay lamps, and locally crafted goods were proudly displayed as symbols of cultural continuity. The message was clear: when we choose Indian products, we empower our farmers, weavers, and workers; we sustain traditions while strengthening the national economy. The tableau concluded with the rousing chant: “Apna Desh, Apna Vyavahar — Be Indian, Buy Indian!” It was not just a slogan but a call for conscious citizenship—urging everyone to value Indian craftsmanship, to honour local talent, and to make every purchase an act of nation-building. Through this performance, the students reminded the audience that being truly Indian means believing in India’s potential, supporting its people, and proudly carrying forward the legacy of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

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.

As Dryden once described, a good play must be “a just and lively image of human nature” — and these performances were exactly that: rooted in the universal, yet alive in the contemporary.

Major Themes in Dramatic Events

Themes such as education, politics, social change, women’s safety, and human psychology dominated the performances.

Each act became a mirror to society, inspiring awareness, empathy, and transformation.

Through emotion, creativity, and dialogue, the young performers aimed not merely to entertain but to educate and awaken their audience.

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

The artworks served as biting visual satire on modern life — exploring themes like technological dependency, academic pressure, and the erosion of creativity.

Robotic imagery, anxious students, and screen-dominated scenes reflected how progress often imprisons rather than liberates the human spirit. Each illustration urged the viewer to question conformity and rediscover individuality.

Painting

The paintings celebrated Indian rural life and cultural beauty through vibrant colours and serene compositions.

They combined aestheticism with didacticism, gently questioning gender roles and reminding viewers to value simplicity and tradition.

Collage

These collages blended torn paper, colour, and form to create portraits and landscapes rich with symbolism.

They embodied aesthetic beauty, humanism, and a quiet moral message: that creativity can redeem what society discards — a transformation of the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Clay Modelling

The clay artworks depicted nature, village life, and dancing figures — celebrating cultural roots and joy in simplicity.

They carried a didactic tone, reminding audiences to stay connected to nature and tradition while subtly critiquing the detachment of modern urban life.

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. 🌸

Bhargav Makwana