The Oasis English Press sat down with Talath Moin, the Coordinator of the Department of Audiforce, to understand the inner workings of the department and its preparation for the fest.

Talath explained that the main duties of the department included setting up the deal with the barricading vendor for South Park, managing security at the entry and exit points, scanning tickets to check the inflow of freeloaders, and ensuring the safety of the invited guests.

When asked about the challenges faced by the department, he explained that a lot of issues arose at the VIP gates when proper allocation of passes and bands was not done. This resulted in about 100–150 people each year entering the VIP section through ‘connections’, making their work significantly harder. Furthermore, he mentioned that clearing up the past dues with the barricading vendor had been difficult and required a lot of time and convincing, especially when the fest was just a few days away.

When asked whether Oasis, being a fest that required extensive planning and management, allowed him or his team to enjoy the event, he explained that they did not get to enjoy it during their first or second year. He referred to certain commitments that could not be excused during the fest. He said that they tried to divide their duties, but that was not too effective because of the huge workload and crowd. He revealed that this year the fest was expecting a participation of 3500–4000 people.

When asked whether he likes working more with the junior batches or his seniors, he mentioned that the senior batches were more understanding of situations. However, he assured that they were trying to train the juniors well for a ‘smooth workflow’ during the fest.

He moved on to point out that one major difference from last year’s Oasis was that along with normal entry and the VIP sections, there was another section in South Park, particularly for the professors. The entrance to this section would be just beside the green room, so there would have to be additional barricading too, he said.

Reflecting on his time in the Department, Talath shared that he had been a member since his first year. What he enjoyed most was working at the entry booth during events, where everyone, regardless of their ‘influence’, adhered to the same rules established for all. Concluding the interview, Talath requested the GBM to follow the rules and regulations and to enjoy the fest to the fullest.