To infuse ‘nation first’ attitude, ABVP ‘forum’ targets IIM, IITs

The Think India was formed in 2007 with students and alumni of IITs, IIMs, Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore) and several other national universities. Some of the founders of Think India were from ABVP.

ABVP’s UP-Uttarakhand regional organisation secretary Dharampal Singh said that first programme will be held at IIM-Lucknow in November. Personalities from the field of social work and intellectuals will interact with the students on national issues. Singh admitted that students would be told about the nationalist ideology of ABVP through these events.

ABVP has also formed a separate body —- Tantra Sikshad Vidyarthi Parishad (TSVP) —- to hold similar interactions with the same agenda with the students of other engineering colleges. TSVP will also start its work in UP very soon.

Its website claims that Think India is an initiative of ABVP to bring together the best talent of the country and to infuse “nation first’ attitude”. It elaborates that Think India is an active forum of researchers, professionals and students where they debate on national issues, raise their concern and offer innovative solutions to problems and that is a platform for the leaders of tomorrow.

However, national convener of Think India, Ashish Chauhan, who is also an ABVP member, told The Indian Express that Think India is separate forum that holds such events for students of premier institutes in tandem with ABVP. “We have also started a social internship programme – Anubhuti— under which we send the students to remote and rural areas in association with leading social organisations to let them understand about the ground level situation,” Chauhan said.

Chauhan said that Think India held its maiden convention in 2007 in Bangalore. It also held workshops and conferences in different premier institutes like NITTTR- Bhopal and IIM-Ahmedabad.