Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 8: Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday praised students for lighting a “beacon of light” amid what he described as systemic darkness, saying they were changing the nation with a courage their parents could not muster.
Addressing youth at the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event organised at KP Ground in Prayagraj (erstwhile Allahabad), Gandhi, who arrived at 7 pm, said the system had eliminated employment opportunities in the military, captured universities and attacked students.
Gandhi stressed India’s tradition of truth and non-violence while urging students to fight the existing system with love.
“There should be no hatred in any student’s heart—only love,” he said, urging them to continue their fight for their rights.
He described the students as India’s future and “the most beautiful young people in the world”, and called upon them to open a ‘Mohabbat Ki Dukan’ (shop of love) and fight the system only through love.
Addressing the youth as the future, strength and pride of India, Gandhi said, “You have to open Mohabbat Ki Dukan -- ‘shop of love’ (spread love); you have to fight against this system with love.”
He said that when he referred to India’s strength, he specifically meant the country’s 40 crore youth, and not merely a crowd.
Students highlight grievances
During the interaction, students raised several concerns, with Gandhi highlighting the employment crisis confronting young people who spend years studying and investing money only to find doors to employment closed, particularly in the manufacturing sector.
“Across the world, one sees ‘Made in China’ or ‘Made in Vietnam,’ but not ‘Made in India’,” he said, blaming GST and demonetisation for weakening the system.
Gandhi also alleged that while the BJP once had Rs 150 crore, a single political party now has a bank balance of more than Rs 10,000 crore and effectively controls the political system.
He further alleged that the party controls public thinking by appointing RSS-aligned vice-chancellors and placing RSS pracharaks in institutions, including the bureaucracy, paramilitary forces and universities.
“Yet, amidst this darkness, you lit a beacon of light… You raised your voices—not with hatred, but with love,” Gandhi said.
He invited several students to share the podium and narrate their experiences during protests as well as the challenges they face in educational institutions.
Kunal Pandey from Patna University and students from Allahabad University spoke about their experiences.
The first woman Vice-President of the Patna University Students’ Union recalled a peaceful ‘Students for Students’ protest following detentions in Bihar, saying the agitation eventually ended in victory.
Thousands of students from Allahabad University and the Purvanchal region have been protesting for the past 30 days. The students said they regard the university as their home and have remained firm in their demands.
A law student from Allahabad University highlighted the poor condition of the university library, saying it gets flooded during rains, making books inaccessible. Students are reportedly warned that entering the library could expose them to the risk of electric shocks.
The student alleged that protests over such issues are met with beatings by bouncers and that false FIRs are filed against protesters.
A UPPSC aspirant raised concerns over the ‘normalisation’ process followed in examinations.
Another student, Avinash, said he had applied for a teacher recruitment drive in 2018 and had continued preparing for it ever since. Despite vacancies being available, no official recruitment process has been completed, he claimed.
He said the recruitment could be completed if the government wished, but sit-ins and memoranda submitted by aspirants since 2018 had gone unheard.
According to him, nine to 10 recruitment drives under the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UPSSSC) are still pending.
Gandhi listened to the students’ grievances throughout the interaction and reiterated the need for employment opportunities and institutional integrity, while encouraging the youth to channel their energy through love and constructive struggle.