NSUI back on its feet, woos youth

Congress’ students wing is charged up and doing quiet spade work

As the Congress party gears up to face the toughest electoral battle ever in 2019, its students’ wing, National Students Union of India ( NSUI), is doing some quiet spade work to win over the country’s youth, who are said to have voted massively for the Modi- led BJP in 2014 general elections.

Among the many programmes being undertaken by the NSUI are fellowship for students from across the country to make them understand the Congress’ viewpoint on issues of national and international importance and street- corner meetings with youth in electionbound states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to rebuild the connect with the youth.

The NSUI, which seems to have got its feet back in the electoral arena too as evident by its decisive win over rivals ABVP in the Delhi University student polls last year after a gap of four years, is currently being monitored by a group of four senior leaders — Ashok Gehlot, Ajay Maken, Manicka Tagore and Meenakshi Natarajan. All four began their political innings from the student organisation.

Under their leadership, the student body has run separate campaigns in the

◗ Among the many programmes being undertaken by the student wing, NSUI, are fellowship for students from across the country and street- corner meetings with youth in election- bound states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan

Gujarat and Karnataka where Assembly polls were held, Ruchi Gupta, joint secretary of AllIndia Congress Committee and in- charge of NSUI told this newspaper.

“The strategy was to hold street corner meetings which focus introducing the young voters to Congress ideology and world view. Top leaders also addressed such Town Hall meetings in Karnataka where were ran the campaign # we are listening,” she added.

This strategy was first tried out in Gujarat and now we are gearing up for the same in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh as well. For each state we have a different strategy like for example in Rajasthan we would focus on job creation.

Another focus area was making students and youth aware of the Congress ideology.

The ongoing four- week fellowship programme in the national capital has attracted students from prestigious institution like Harvard and top Delhi colleges.

“We were overwhelmed by the response and to select only 35 students was very difficult. The fourweek programmes includes lectures from senior leaders like former Union Ministers P. Chidambaram, Salman Khurshid and Jairam Ramesh and many other like- minded scholars,” she said.

The NSUI plans to hold more such workshops and fellowship programmes for the youth in the future specially in the run- up t o the 2019 polls, she said.