Bhubaneswar, Oct 18 (IANS) Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday called upon student leaders who emerged victorious in the recent campus polls held across colleges and universities in Odisha to play a key role in building a prosperous and developed state by countering negative propaganda by disruptive forces with positive messages.
The Chief Minister made the call while attending a grand ceremony, ‘Young Leaders Conclave’, organised at the Kataka Indoor Stadium on Sunday. Majhi met the student leaders and congratulated the representatives who secured landslide victories in the students’ union elections held on October 15.
Targeting the previous Biju Janata Dal-led state government, the CM wrote in a post on X following the event, “The previous government had kept the elections suspended for nearly a decade since 2017, completely putting the democratic process on campuses on hold.”
Majhi also pointed out that the top leaders of the then ruling party, who had begun their political careers through student movements, as well as the then Higher Education Minister, remained silent and did not raise their voices against their own leader’s decision, despite their background in student politics.
“When we resolved to hold the elections, pressure was exerted on us to postpone the polls by citing misleading information such as ‘the atmosphere in the country is not favourable’ or ‘Gen Z is unhappy’. However, we fulfilled our promise and successfully conducted the elections across the state in an extremely peaceful and orderly manner,” said CM Majhi.
He said the student community delivered a fitting reply to the previous regime by conducting peaceful polls, proving that campus violence was merely a dark chapter of the past.
“Above all, the historic victory of the ABVP in Odisha, just as in Delhi University, has proved that the youth stand with Modi ji’s development policies,” the CM added.
While advising the student leaders, he said that this victory is not a matter of arrogance, but the beginning of an important duty.
“Being a leader does not mean limiting oneself to politics; it also means working to resolve the problems faced by ordinary students in areas such as education, hostels and sports, while acting as a bridge to ensure that the benefits of government welfare schemes reach every student,” the Chief Minister noted.
He also advised the student leaders to coordinate with college authorities to keep campuses free from violence and substance abuse.
“I call upon all young representatives to play a leading role in building a prosperous and developed Odisha by countering, through positive messages, the baseless propaganda of disruptive forces attempting to weaken the country’s constitutional system, and by upholding the ideals of ‘Knowledge, Character and Unity’,” the Chief Minister stated.
–IANS
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