New Delhi: A Nigerian student at the Aligarh Muslim University is flooded with calls and messages from the media after he delivered a short speech in Hindi as part of the mock student election.
“Jaisa ki aap sabhi log jante hain… main jhoothe promise nahi karunga (As you all know, I won’t make false promises),” Ayyuba, 20, began his speech, sending the crowd and the social media into a tizzy.
A second-year chemical engineering student who came to India in 2024, Ayyuba is an introvert and barely understands Hindi and had never participated in such events before. But after a week of persuasion by his college friends, he agreed to present himself as a ‘candidate’ for the secretary post and deliver his ‘election speech’ on Saturday at Nadeem Tarin (NT) Hall.
“It was all for fun and to connect more with students. I never thought it would get this much attention,” Ayyuba told ThePrint. “I felt overwhelmed and even a little scared at first by the sudden spotlight and the flood of calls and messages from media and social platforms.”
As he launched into a series of exaggerated promises, the crowd responded enthusiastically, chanting “Ayyuba Zindabad!”
“I’ve always watched these elections and events—they’re fun. My friends kept convincing me to participate, and I finally agreed just two days before the event,” he said, recalling how his roommates encouraged him to take part.
The making of the manifesto
Many of Ayyuba’s promises humorously addressed everyday student concerns on campus.
With summer heat intensifying, he said, “Aajkal bohot garmi hai, toh mai sabko AC doonga. Annexe me paach (5) AC lagayega. NT me swimming pool mai banaunga. (It’s very hot these days, so I will provide ACs for everyone. I’ll install five ACs in the annexe and build a swimming pool in NT).”
His friend and roommate Hamza, 22, is an Indian and a third-year mechanical engineering student at the university. He explained that they intentionally focused on relatable student issues.
“Our hostel is a bit far from the main campus, so we included a metro in the speech to cover that distance,” he said.
Other promises included installing washing machines on every floor and catering to tea lovers: “Har floor pe washing machine hoga. Agar mai Secretary bana toh NT me sabko teen (3) time chai milega (There will be a washing machine on every floor. If I become secretary, everyone in NT will get tea three times a day).”
Explaining the tea reference, Hamza added, “It’s often said that tea flows in the veins of Aligarh students, so we included that in the speech.”
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The new neta on social media
While many praised Ayyuba’s effort and enjoyed his Hindi speech, the sudden attention has made him slightly uneasy.
“I am just overwhelmed with everything. I don’t know how to handle this much attention,” he said.
One of the most common reactions online compared him to the character Chatur from the Bollywood film 3 Idiots, known for delivering a memorably awkward Hindi speech.
“3 Idiots Chatur copy,” read one Instagram caption.
“This is what cultural exchange looks like—from 3 Idiots inspiration to highlighting student struggles at Aligarh Muslim University—entertainment with a message,” wrote another user on X.
In the viral video, Ayyuba is seen being escorted to the stage by a group of students, with confetti thrown in the air and loud cheers welcoming him like a political leader.
Many users also compared his style to that of a typical Indian politician. One comment read, “He has found the pulse of Indians—India has trained him to be a politician in his own country.”
(Edited by Saptak Datta)