in all walks of life. It meant people’s direct control over decision-making in the political sphere. It also meant people’s control over their lives and livelihoods, social life without oppression and injustice and self-rule in the domain of ideas and culture. Sixty seven years after attaining Independence, the ideal of swaraj remains just an ideal waiting to be realized. Political representatives rule in the name of the people, often without any accountability. A handful of rich control the economy with little regard to the fate of the aam aadami or that of future generations. Social oppression based on caste and gender is rampant. Of late, communal divisions have been accentuated. Political freedom has been followed by subservience in the field of culture and ideas. The rampant commercialization of education and the resultant lack of equal opportunities and creativity in this field reflect the mockery of swaraj in today’s India. This endangers the legacy of our freedom struggle and its martyrs. We, the students and youth of India, cannot let this happen. We must come forward to shape the future of our country. Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) is an attempt to bring together students who accept this historic challenge. The CYSS was born out of a historic movement against corruption. It draws upon the legacy of our freedom movement and other revolutionary struggles in India and the world. It exists to deepen this Second Freedom Struggle against all forms of corruption and to carry this struggle forward into the future. It is to serve as a vehicle for drawing idealist energy into nation building. We resolve to build an India without corruption, hunger, fear, injustice, violence and hatred. We dream of an India where the last person, the aam aadami, lives a life of dignity and peace. The CYSS aims to dispel the negativity associated with student politics. This negativity is due to the nature of student organisations and their leadership. Most of student organisations have been reduced to mere vote-catching machines of the party they are affiliated to.
