On February 12, the results of the nation-wide ‘Young India Referendum 2024’ were released at the Press Club of India, Raisina Road. The 'Young India Referendum,' conducted by AISA was aimed to capture the opinions of students and youth to highlight their concerns on education and employment, was conducted in over 60 universities across the country, between February 7th and 9th, 2024. The students and youth have given their mandate! They have given a fitting rebuff to the Union Government, which in the last 10 years of being in power has utterly failed to ensure access to quality education and dignified employment. A 10 Point Chargesheet was released charging the government with causing massive fee hikes and unemployment, imposing anti-student CUET, FYUP, carrying out an assault on minorities and scientific temperament while compromising of social justice and social justice. An accompanying Student Youth Charter was also issued by various progressive students’ organisations.
With the slogans of '10 years of Modi Govt, 10 questions of Young India' and 'Jhumla Nahi Jawaab Do, Das Saal ka Hisaab Do' the 'Young India Referendum' was conducted in Delhi University, University of Allahabad, Veer Kunwar Singh University (Ara), Patna University, BN Mandal University (Bihar), Lalit Narayan Mithila University (Bihar), Jamia Milia Islamia, Ambedkar University Delhi, SK University (Andhra Pradesh), Dr. Abdul Haq Urdu University (Andhra Pradesh), University of Hyderabad, Bengaluru University, Sri Krishnadevaraya University (Karnataka), Periyar University, Jadavpur University (Kolkata), Calcutta University, ICFAI University (Tripura), Hemchand Yadav University (Chhattisgarh), Azim Premji University, Manipal University, among many other affiliated colleges, hostels and student areas across the nation.
The referendum aimed to capture the opinions of students and youth in light of the 2024 general elections. The referendum follows an all-India signature campaign where students and job-seekers posed ten questions to the Modi-led Central Government regarding its ten years in power.
Students responded enthusiastically to the Young India referendum and voted in favour of affordable education and dignified employment, where they voted on questions relating to yearly fee hike, provision of hostels and scholarships for students in need, and on the promise of the Central Government to generate 2 crore jobs every year. Nationally, about 1 lakh votes were polled in the referendum, where 88.33% students declared that they are not in favour of the yearly fee hike. About 86% students denied that the Central Government has been able to provide adequate hostels and scholarships for students in need, and that the Central Government has completely failed to deliver on its promise of generating 2 crore jobs every year, with 91% polling ‘no’. In central universities like Delhi University, which garnered 13,048 votes, students polled 92%, 88% and 91% ‘no’ on the three questions, respectively. With 23,450 votes in Andhra Pradesh, students and youth have polled ‘no’ with 84%, 79% and 93% votes, respectively. In Uttar Pradesh’s Benaras Hindu University, where students are facing the biggest onslaught on universities, the BJP-led Yogi Government and the Modi-led Central Government, 1711 number of students turned up at polling booths during the referendum and have spoken out against the Hindu majoritarian party. 91% students polled against fee hike, 79% said they haven’t benefitted from the Central Government scholarships or hostels, and 87% said that the governments have failed to generate employment for youth.
The rejection of students and youth is resounding! The divisive policies of hate and communalism, coupled with corporate attack on education and employment, is being rejected in its entirety! The demand for education and dignified employment has not been heard louder!
At the Press Conference, Dr. Laxman Yadav, teacher and astivists addressed the gathering, saying, "our campuses are being turned into prisons. I am a former professor because the University didn't want democratic minded people inside the campus and this peoject is being made universal." Natasha Narwal, women and citizenship rights activist said, "education has an emancipatory purpose. Students must learn critical thinking and start to question social injustice. However, the cirrent regime has actively sought to destroy this aspect of a public education." Apoorva, student activist of the movement in SAU also addeessed the press, saying, "Young India's call for a democratic India begins with holding the government accountable. We need jobs and quality education, not communal polarisation."
The Press Conference was also addressed by leaders of various student-youth organisations and movements including Prashant Kamal, General Secretary of Yuva Halla Bol, Dinesh, General Secretary of AISF, Amit Singh from AISB, Niraj, General Secretary of RYA, Adarsh, Joint Secretary of SFI, Nilasis, President of AISA, Vijay, Chhatra Sabha Vice President, Ahmed, President of MSF, Anurag from CYSS and Saunkha from PSU. All resolved to include more and more organisations and movements to the cause of Young India!
The message is clear – the erosion of public-funded higher education institutes, attack on democratic spaces, assault on dissenting voices, inaccessibility of education, and lack of dignified employment – shall no longer be tolerated.
A ‘Chalo Delhi - Young India Rally’ with the slogan of ' 2024 Ka Agenda, Tay Karega Young India' has been called on February 28th, 2024 by Young India, a forum of progressive student organisations and people's movements. This is a clarion call to the students and youth of the country to congregate at Delhi to fight the BJP-RSS in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Young India will set the agenda of 2024 elections! Onwards to Young India Rally on 28th February!
