What are your priorities as new national general secretary of ABVP?
Our top priority is to take the ABVP to the campuses where it has no presence so far. Apart from it, the campaigns that the organisation has decided for coming days have to be carried out effectively. This year we have decided to concentrate on improving the condition of State Universities. We will do it on a mission mode, because we feel that the state universities cater to the needs of the maximum number of students. Also our focus will be on improvement of teaching standards. Once, we achieve these objectives, we will see a significant change in the society and the nation. While doing so, we are also in the process of enhancing the role of youth in social and national life.
Is your elevation as national general secretary in the organisation a generational change or a new perspective?
The work of ABVP has been going on like the flow of a river. Anyone who has the quality of a karyakarta is given the responsibility in the organisation. The organisation has work for everyone whether a man or a woman. I have been given a responsibility in the organisation and it is now my duty to rise to the expectations of the organisation.
Will your elevation as national general secretary motivate other girls to join the organisational work more effectively?
Motivation is definitely there among girl students. They expressed it when my name was announced as national general secretary during the convention in Agra. I hope more girls come forward and contribute actively in the organisational development and help in resolving the issues of girl students at various levels.
Any specific plan in your mind to promote girls in the organisation?
At present many of the girls are leading the organisation at Prant level. At national level also girls are and have been active. We have tried to make the girls fearless by imparting them self-defence training under ‘Mission Sahasi’ campaign. Now we have to bring them closer to the organisation and then gradually train them to be in the lead role. We will surely wish that more girls take up more responsibilities in the organisation.
There are many changes in the organisation this year—new organising secretary, new general secretary, etc. Is it part of any big change in the organisation?
Change is the rule of the nature. The Sangh, our parent organisation, has its own working method. The ABVP also has gradually developed its own method of organisation building. Many youth come forward to dedicate their full time to the organisation for a specific period. It is a constant process. Some Pracharaks also join the organisation through the Sangh. Shri Sunil Ambekar led ABVP as org. secretary. Shri Raghunandanji also held various responsibilities in the organisation. They are Sangh Pracharaks. They have made many sacrifices for the organisation. It is like a river flow without break. It is service of the motherland. More people will come to serve the matribhoomi in different capacities.
ABVP has taken up some out of the box campaigns like Mission Sahasi, Selfie with Campus during the last two years. Is there any plan to take more such campaigns in the coming days?
Surely, there are many plans. Last year we took up the campaign “Selfie with Campus Unit”. Prior to that we had taken up “Selfie with Campus”. Now we wish that our every unit in the campus is meaningful. This year the nation is celebrating the centenary of Jallianwala Bagh massacre. We brought soil from Jallianwala Bagh at Agra Convention and that soil was given to all the state units in different ‘kalash’. Now they will hold programmes in their states. Similarly, we have planned activities to celebrate the birth centenary of Shri Dattopant Thengadi, the founder of the country’s largest labour organisation, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh. We wish to discuss his development model for the country during his birth centenary year. The ABVP has also received his guidance during the initial days.
Since you are associated with the JNU, how do you look at the entire current episode in the country’s premier institution?
It is students’ movement. As a student orgnisation, the ABVP believes that the student movement should be constructive. Instead of nonsense power, it should be nation’s power. ABVP has also taken up the fee hike issue in JNU but with a constructive approach. We want the students movement should not be defamed. We demonstrated on the UGC and persuaded the UGC to give Rs 6 crore. It is because of the constructive approach that the ABVP has been following since beginning. But some students who are parts of the destructive gangs are indulging in destructive activities and they are defaming the JNU. They are basically harming the students’ interests. Insulting the statue of Swami Vivekananda and writing slogans like ‘Lal Kile Par Lal Nishan Mang Raha Hai Hindustan’ on the administrative building basically display their ill wills. They want to destablise the students’ movement. The ABVP condemns all such attempts. We are of the opinion that the students’ power is nation’s power and it should be used in constructive activities. We are moving ahead with this spirit.
Like other Sangh associated organisations, the ABVP has also launched its own Vistarak Yojana. What is the status of that scheme in ABVP?
Students are working in different roles in the organisation. Some are full timers, while some are Vidyarthi Vistaraks. Their number is different in all the Prants. The organisation has benefitted a lot through all such schemes as we get dedicated team of workers to push forward the organisationl work all over the country. We had brought out 100 girls as Vistaraks to celebrate the birth centenary of Bhagini Nivedita. Some of them
gave two to four years and more for the organisation. We wish more girls come forward to give some time to
the organisation.
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