Congress Seva Dal Plans Major Organisational Revamp
"We will now reach out to the people across sections of society and explain its history, objectives and contribution to the country": chief organiser Srinivas B.V.
NEW DELHI: The Congress Seva Dal is preparing for a major organisational revamp with plans to expand its grassroots presence, increase membership among the youth and step up social service, disaster relief and legal assistance, its newly appointed chief organiser Srinivas B.V. said.
Srinivas said the organisation would seek to raise its public profile and introduce its century-old legacy to a younger generation.
"We will now reach out to the people across sections of society and explain its history, objectives and contribution to the country," Srinivas told this newspaper.
“Like our leader Rahul Gandhi, who goes to every section of society, be it coolies or carpenters, we will also reach out to everybody,” he said.
A native of Karnataka, Srinivas previously served as national president of the Indian Youth Congress.
He said a membership drive would soon be launched at the block, district and state levels, with a particular focus on young people who may not be familiar with the history of the Congress and the Seva Dal or their role during the freedom struggle and subsequent nation-building.
“I am planning a nationwide tour to engage with people across the country and highlight the role and contribution of the Congress party in India’s freedom struggle and its journey of nation-building,” he said. The objective, he added, would be to take the party’s historical legacy directly to people while connecting the younger generation with its history and values.
Srinivas said disaster relief would be another area of focus. Seva Dal teams led by him were recently deployed in Assam to assist people affected by floods. The organisation’s #SOSSevaDal teams conducted rescue operations and distributed food and survival kits among people in need.
“Such rescue and rehabilitation work will be done in case of calamities and emergencies across the country,” Srinivas said.
The Seva Dal is also stepping up its social media presence, with videos and photographs of its relief and rescue activities being posted on YouTube and other platforms, he said.
“We want people to understand that we stand with everyone in times of crisis,” Srinivas said, adding plans are underway to establish a legal cell to assist people requiring support.
The planned revamp is intended to combine organisational expansion with community service and create a sustained grassroots presence for the Seva Dal, he said.
The Seva Dal, founded in December 1923 in Nagpur, Maharashtra, is among the oldest organisational units of the Congress.