Summary of this article
- The ABVP, affiliated with the RSS, has gained significant influence in universities across India, while dissenting voices face suppression.
- While student elections still occur, true democratic engagement is diminishing.
- Campuses that once encouraged political debate and activism are increasingly promoting obedience and ideological conformity.
Hues of saffron flooded the nooks of Delhi University last month, as three out of four central panel posts in the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) were won by members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). A scion of a noted business family—that owns a leading brand of alcohol—led the student affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to its massive victory. |