In the history of student movements in India, if there is any organisation that has stood the test of time for more than 77 years- without changing its ideology, culture, or working pattern- it is the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). The organisation, which started with just five members in 1948, has reached almost six million members by 2025. The central focus of ABVP’s organisational endeavours is to generate a powerful national movement from the wider perspective of national reconstruction.
ABVP believes in Rashtriyatha or Cultural Nation, which is an amalgamation of the modern and the ancient. In this vision of the nation, there is an adoption of the modern without disbanding the past, specifically those traditions and practices that serve as the moral foundations of human activities. We seek inspiration from the past- using the accumulated knowledge and experience of the past as a reference point for present and future activities. This is the reason why ABVP operates with Bharatiya values and ethos at the heart of both its spirit and action.
Since the time of its inception, this student movement has been vocal about issues in society as well as the educational landscape. From classroom issues to policy interventions, from societal concerns to national movements, ABVP has maintained a place of relevance in the post-independence history of student movements in India. The man-making philosophy rooted in the Ashtadwar of Seva, Sangharsh, Sports, Sanskriti, Srishti, Shiksha, Samarasta and Samvedna has acted as a unique working philosophy which moulded millions of youths into the path of the ‘Nation First’ philosophy.
If there is an organisation up-to-date in engaging students from diversity, and making individuals who are nationalistic in thoughts as well as actions, it is ABVP.
Cultivating Vibrant Campuses: Enriching the Student Experience
In the 21st century world of Artificial Intelligence, ABVP firmly believes that our intellectuals should not be artificial and the holistic development of an individual must happen in an academic space. Lack of students attending classes, a rise in suicide rates, increased stress among students, and screen addiction have deeply impacted the entire lifestyle of students as well as the educational system. Even the socializing skills among students in many educational institutions are deteriorating and this has become a concern, especially in the post-COVID world. Keeping these aspects in mind, ABVP has initiated a campaign-Happy and Meaningful Student Life- to make the academic spaces vibrant. Through the dimensional activities of Students for Seva, Students for Development, Rashtriya Kala Manch and Khelo Bharat, ABVP is working to create vibrant spaces making the campus life more meaningful, memorable and happy. Through this, ABVP is entering not only the college campuses, but also the hearts of the students.
The educational, philosophical doctrine of Maharshi Aurobindo, Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, etc. has guided us with the view of education for the overall development of a student. And this is what ABVP has been putting into practice for the last seven decades. We can see the alumni of ABVP in different sectors of social life- engaged in making change in society. It is remarkable how an organization with such reach and recognition has managed to operate beyond the confines of partisan politics.
Marching with History: The Spirit of National Movements
The year 2025 is very important for every student in this country. It marks 50 years since the Emergency of 1975, a dark chapter in Indian democracy. When the Indira Gandhi government forcefully imposed Emergency, silencing political opposition and media, when the patriots were arrested and jailed, it was ABVP Karyakarthas who were leading the movement on and off the streets. Left historians and media outlets can sideline our contribution, but the people who faced the cruelty of Indira Gandhi’s regime cannot forget the truth. Many karyakarthas were arrested under the Maintenance of the Internal Security Act (MISA), thousands were brutally tortured in the jails and this continued for almost 21 months.
Later, when the elections approached, political parties approached the ABVP to contest the elections, knowing victory was almost certain given the groundwork done during the Emergency. But with a smile on their faces, the leadership declined the offer, choosing instead to return to its regular activities and programs with core mission of national reconstruction, upholding its principle of rising above partisan politics. This is just one among the hundreds of significant movements established by ABVP across the country.
ABVP’s work for the nation has been deeply impactful, reaching grassroots-level students who are citizens of today and leaders of tomorrow. Beginning with the Bharatiyakaran campaign of 1949- which demanded that the country be officially named Bharat, to its call for Vande Mataram as the national song- the journey has continued unshaken. The story goes on, flows on steadily without any diversion. The only organization which openly demanded lowering the legal voting age from 21 to 18 and starting a national nuclear-arms programme is also ABVP. The so-called progressive organizations of this country cannot even imagine the scale and vision of the campaigns ABVP has taken up and will continue to undertake in the future.
Making Individuals: ABVP’s Mission of National Reconstruction
There exists a common notion in our society, especially when comes to students. In most circumstances students are termed and addressed as future leaders, tomorrow’s leaders, etc. But ABVP considers them as today’s citizen which brings in some responsibility for which we train and provides a platform. In the post-Independence days, there were many political organisations which used students as a paw for their political gains. Even the students power was considered as nuisance power. It was ABVP which channelized the student’s energy towards the idea of national reconstruction and raised the slogan ‘Students’ Power, Nation’s Power’. While expanding the activities across the country with the concept of ‘Sarva Vyapi, Sarva Sparshi’, this organization gives priority to the ‘Anthyodaya’. There are no academic spaces left unreached in Bharat. From schools to the premier institutes of the country, ABVP has sown the seeds of the Nation First philosophy.
As the nation celebrates National Students Day, my only appeal to the students and youth of Bharat is to live with the spirit of SWA- a vision for Bharat’s cultural and national resurgence, rooted in self-awareness, self-reliance, self-respect, and unity. Let us together reclaim Bharat’s true identity through our actions, our thoughts, and the knowledge we acquire.
