Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Bharat’s largest student organisation, has entered the 77th year of its foundation, commemorating ABVP’s Foundation Day on July 9. ABVP, formally registered on July 9, 1949, in its journey of 76 years, has contributed to directing the youth of the country with a clear objective of national reconstruction, engaging them with meaningful goals, and preparing them to be a responsible citizen of Bharat and is constantly pushing its efforts in this direction.
ABVP has made its presence felt in ebery nook and corner of the country including the northeast. While hundreds of student organisations exist in Bharat, there is none like ABVP which has national outreach, student -youth centric clear vision, and organisational strength. The distinct geographical features, rich natural biodiversity and diverse linguistic and cultural landscape of the Northeast makes it a strategically significant part of Bharat. In the Northeast region, 5 states of Bharat share International boundary with Bangladesh, China, Mayanmar and Bhutan posing continuous geopolitical challenges in these states. There have been major challenges in the Northeast region including ethnic and communal conflicts, limited connectivity infrastructure to link it with the rest of the country, which demand stronger ties between Northeastern states and the rest of Bharat, and promotion of fraternity among the youth of northeast region.
ABVP acknowledged this challenge after independence and took bold initiatives in this regard. As a consequence, not only in the capital cities of Northeastern states like Guwahati, Shillong, Agartala, Itanagar, Imphal but also in smaller towns and districts of the region a significant number of students now have a stronger understanding of the national vision. Deeper understanding of national vision is discussed here because it is crucial to have a national outlook in a region often plagued by communal riots and a weaker sense of brotherhood among various tribal communities and ethnicities.
ABVP launched an initiative in this regard – Students’ Experience in Inter-State Living (SEIL) in 1966. Through its continuous efforts, SEIL has played a significant role in strengthening National Integrity and invoking a feeling of Nationalism among thousands of youth in the Northeast. Every year, SEIL organises a journey from Northeast to the rest of Bharat for students from diverse tribal communities in northeastern states like Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram. During this journey, these students stay with local families, immerse themselves with local culture and customs, and share their own unique culture with these families. An interaction session with prominent and renowned personalities is also organised for these students. Simultaneously, another journey is organised by SEIL for students from the rest of the country who travel to the Northeast annually to foster deeper understanding of the cultural identity of these states. Therefore, in this way, this initiative fosters National Integration across Bharat.
Guwahati
The recent victories of ABVP candidates in the Students’ Union Elections across various Northeastern colleges and universities including in Gauhati University, Assam underscores the growing celebration of nationalistic ideology among the youth, effectively countering narrow regional mindsets.
ABVP, through its diverse innovative programs and initiatives, actively promotes the sentiment of ‘Nation First’ among students and youth of the Northeast. ABVP is guiding the youth of the Northeast towards a new direction which includes efforts like volunteering in relief work during the Manipur floods, providing free education to school children and implementing various programs of skill development. These efforts are strengthening national integrity in Northeastern states and contributing significantly towards resolving regional challenges.
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