Democratisation of IYC/NSUI
The Congress party has a legacy of legends, great leaders & great minds that worked tirelessly & passionately towards the freedom & development of India. It is this legacy that invigorates thousands of young people to join politics, even today. It is with this in mind that the idea of democratising the Indian Youth Congress & National Students Union of India first came to be.
Driven by the belief and notion that politics in India should be an open platform, for people from all walks of life, the move to democratise IYC & NSUI began. The notion was that these are the future leaders of India and therefore the system must promote their talents & help them evolve into better leaders. It further evolved into an innovative model of taking democracy to the grass roots, especially in student and youth politics. The first NSUI election took place in Uttarakhand in 2011 and closely followed the US primary election style. Nominations were filed, elections were conducted and a president was chosen and thus began the future of student politics in India.
Today NSUI is the only student body in the country that facilitates open & fair elections for the highly sought after position of President & Vice President. The entire system has changed and it was all born out of a need to make politics fairer for the average Indian. Prior to this change, NSUI & IYC officials were appointed, which inevitably resulted in excessive nepotism & the persistence of dynastic politics. Democratising the system allows for the common man to participate in the political world. It puts everyone on a level playing field thus ensuring that the most deserving candidate gets the position as opposed to the most connected.
In the country & within the party there was a need for fresh though and perspective. there was a vacuum that needed to be filled. Our country is home to such incredible talent, from all corners of its great lands, this talent needs to be tapped into and used for the benefit of all Indians. Thousands of young people who have a passion for political participation are often left on the outside - this is what made democratising the NSUI & IYC such a monumentally important task. It was imperative to open the doors to everyone.
Interestingly, what has come out of this practice over the last few years is leaders with a unique affinity & respect for the democratic process - both at a smaller scale, like student elections & panchayati raj & a larger scale, like national elections. These leaders are trained to think & act in a democratic manner. They are inculcated with a desire to work tirelessly for the people that got them elected, because ultimately it is the people that hold the most power.