Congress Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor recently gave a candid and blunt assessment of Rahul Gandhi’s youth-oriented initiative ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ on the current campaign. Speaking directly to us during the 15th-anniversary celebrations of India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN) in Mumbai, Tharoor said that the initiative has not been able to generate the same level of public response, energy or momentum as other protests.
Tharoor went on to say established political parties are at risk of losing their relevance if they don’t listen to the new voices and perspectives that are not yet heard. While the main issues that protesters raised - leaky competitive examination papers, educational grievances - had been raised by the Congress party itself through the “Chhatron Ki Goonj” platform, it failed to make much headway with the public.
Tharoor asked critical questions of political leadership to critically examine the party’s communication strategies. He advised his peers to consider whether the organization had failed to listen properly; whether it had failed to keep a finger on the pulse of Gen Z from the start. This disconnect is a major issue, he said, and one that needs to be dissected critically and rectified within the organization immediately.
Even in the midst of these internal party discussions and criticisms, the youth wing of the Indian Youth Congress is spearheading national engagement for the campaign. It officially announced plans to set up dedicated 'Students Goonj Parks' at more than 250 locations across the country. These are venues to meet senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's interactive session with youth representatives in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, via live broadcast.
According to the organization, large LED screens will be installed in the most important student hubs and other high-footfall areas and will be used to cover the worldwide livestream. The aim of this widescale rollout is to broaden the conversation beyond Prayagraj and to allow students to talk and reflect freely on pressing issues affecting national education and exam management.
The Indian Youth Congress also added that the program is part of the larger 'Chhatron Ki Goonj' campaign. The initiative is open to all students and young people, irrespective of their political affiliations or backgrounds, they said. As the youth wing seeks to bring together students from different parts of the country in an open forum to promote a dialogue on structural reform of education and examination in India to achieve the desired outcome.
