Ahmedabad: To mark the 50th anniversary of the student movement that gave the country a new direction, the “Navnirman Andolan,” the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) will organize the “Chhatra Shakti Yatra” across three routes in Gujarat. The purpose of this yatra is to ensure that the glorious history of Gujarat’s heroic past reaches every campus and that the significance and power of this movement are conveyed to today’s youth. The yatra will begin on December 20, the 50th anniversary of the Navnirman Andolan, from three locations: Morbi, Karnavati, and Surat. The yatra will be welcomed at various college campuses and districts with public meetings, celebrating the memory of the Navnirman Andolan.

Furthermore, the ABVP Gujarat region is set to hold its regional convention in Karnavati Mahanagar on January 6, 7, and 8, 2025. Student leaders and students from various districts across Gujarat will participate in large numbers.

Along with addressing societal issues, the convention will also deliberate on various educational matters, through which the direction for the next student council’s work will be decided. District-level and state-level issues will be seriously discussed. A total of approximately 1,200 student representatives from across Gujarat will be present at the convention.

The Chhatra Shakti Yatra, which will begin from Morbi, Karnavati, and Surat, will travel through various districts and campuses before arriving at the convention venue on January 6, 2025, where it will be welcomed grandly. This convention will also work to infuse new energy among the students, the ABVP said.

The student organization also announced that the 70th National Convention of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) was held in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, from November 22 to 24. Around 1,200 student representatives from across India attended the conference, where proposals were passed on national social and educational issues. Some of the key proposals included: 1) Promotion of organic farming, 2) Concern over the declining quality of educational institutions, 3) Controlling the increasing fees in educational institutions, and 4) India’s steadfast diplomacy on the international stage.

A resolution was also passed during the national executive meeting held a day before the convention, demanding immediate action against the violent activities ongoing in Manipur for the last one and a half years, as well as against elements attempting to divide the country.

In every national convention of the ABVP, the Yashwantrao Kelkar Youth Award is presented to honor and recognize youth who work with the values of service and social upliftment. This year, at the Yashwantrao Kelkar Youth Award ceremony, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, was the chief guest. He presented the award to Dipesh Nair, who has served Mook Badhir students, in a special ceremony.

During this convention, the national executive of the ABVP was also announced, with a total of 18 workers from Gujarat included under different responsibilities. Among them, Surbhiben Dave, a teacher from Jamnagar, Gujarat, has been elected as the National Vice-President for the year 2024-25. Additionally, Prof. Rajsharan Shahi (Uttar Pradesh) was re-elected as the National President, and Dr. Virendra Singh Solanki (Madhya Pradesh) was newly elected as the National General Secretary. DeshGujarat