AISA to organise ‘Young India Referendum’ campaign on February 7, 8, 9

NEW DELHI: The All India Students Association (AISA) will carry out a campaign ‘Young India Referendum’ on the issue of education and employment at various universities and colleges across the country on February 7, 8 and 9. The initiative is part of the ‘Young India Charter 2024’ campaign that started in December 2023.

In the first phase of campaign, a signature campaign was carried out to demand accountability for the decision of the BJP-led union government on education and employment. The second phase of the campaign will see voting on the issues of education and employment across more than 50 universities. The “referendum” is being carried out from Garhwal Central University, Uttarakhand; Delhi University; Calicut University, Kerala; Jadavpur University, West Bengal; Punjabi University; Tamil Nadu Central University; Azim Premji University, Bengaluru; Patna University, Bihar; Allahabad University, Bihar; Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi; Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi; HCU, SK University and others.

In Delhi University, voting booths will be set up over 30 colleges of Delhi University, all departments of Jamia Millia Islamia and the Kashmere Gate and Karampura campus of Ambedkar University, Delhi. The referendum will be carried out spread over 7th, 8th and 9th of February. A detailed schedule of the venue and date will be circulated before the referendum.

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The students’ body said, “BJP has failed the students and youth of this country and offered only empty rhetoric instead of concrete action to ensure greater access to education. All attempts to sell national assets like the Railways and PSUs, contractualisation of labour is contributing to youth unemployment. But this time, we are setting the agenda for the elections - It shall be fought on issues of education and dignified employment, not on religious issues or on promises of furthering the 'Hindu Rashtra'.”

The AISA appealed to the teaching fraternity, civil society organisations and opposition parties to join hands with students and youth in carrying out the “referendum”.