Is there still space for dissent and activism in Indian campuses? Debatable. But looks like the ABVP is doing its bit to create more space for debates and activism. The RSS affiliated student organisation is doing this using a medium that most students like — Selfies!
Through their campaign #SelfieWithCampus, ABVP leaders are visiting colleges across the country and clicking selfies with the students, in an attempt to promote the spirit of activism among them. The campaign kickstarted on August 1, with it's National General Secretary Ashish Chauhan posing for a selfie with the ABVP unit members of Fergusson College, Pune. For this 10-day-long initiative's pre launch, he had gone to Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University, Ranchi on July 31.
"I don't think any other student organisation in the country is taking part in an initiative like this. Here, we are personally meeting the students and telling them about the need for activism. We are connecting with them using technology," says Chauhan. "The campaign has mainly three parts — Students for development, where they work towards sustainable development, Students for Seva, where they develop a will to serve and Rashtriya Kala Manch, where students are connected using forms of creative arts," he adds.
"The world is talking about India's development. Our young people are motivated and they know that they can do a lot towards it. We need to take up the responsibility of providing them that opportunity," says Sunil Ambekar, National Organising Secretary, ABVP, through a video. "We (ABVP) believe that everyone deserves to be a leader. That way, we are taking away social disparity," he adds.
