Krantikari Yuva Sangathan
Youth organisation in India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) is a youth organisation based in India. The organisation’s primary focus is on representing the interests and aspirations of students and youth of the labouring poor, consisting of working-class, lower-middle class, poor farmers, and other socially marginalised and stigmatised sections of Indian society. The aim of the organisation is to fight for a society based on equality and social justice. The organisation has actively spearheaded the struggles of government school students and students enrolled in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) institutions. KYS has consistently and actively participated in campaigns and protests concerning education policy, workers’ rights, discrimination and crimes against women, caste discrimination, communalism, and war-mongering. It has also participated in various protests in solidarity with international struggles and movements. KYS is an All-India organisation that has been active in various states like Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
| |
| Abbreviation | KYS |
|---|---|
| Type | Youth organisation |
| Purpose | Equality and Social Justice |
| Headquarters | New Delhi, India |
| Website | www |
Organisational structure
KYS maintains a unique and very innovative non-hierarchical organisational structure. In various states where it works, a state committee oversees and runs the organisation. The state committee is constituted by all active members who participate in the organisation’s programmes and has no fixed and permanent tenure. Even new members of the organisation who are active are enthusiastically coopted into the state committees to promote them to take on newer responsibilities. Moreover, each state committee has a convener whose main task is to convene the meetings of the organisation. It is not a designated post, but a delegated responsibility, which means that the state committee members have a right to recall the person holding this responsibility. Convener’s responsibilities are rotational and shared by every active member. So unlike other student and youth organisations, which have designated posts such as Presidents, Vice-Presidents, General Secretary, etc., and hierarchy within organisations, this structure promotes participatory democracy among the members of the organisation. At the All-India level, different conveners constitute a coordination committee to oversee the functioning of the organisation and choose a convener amongst themselves whose tenure is not fixed and rotational among the members of the coordination committee.
Activities
Education-related protests
KYS has been involved in several protests related to higher education and student rights.
In 2019, students associated with the organisation protested after students of the Delhi University School of Open Learning were excluded from a logo-design competition organised by the Women's Studies and Development Centre. Following the protest, the university reportedly revised the notice and allowed students enrolled in distance and open-learning programmes to participate.[1]
In 2024, KYS staged a protest against the exclusion of School of Open Learning students from a job fair organised by the University of Delhi. The protest focused on access to placement opportunities for students enrolled through distance and open-learning programmes.[2]
Also in 2024, KYS activists participated in demonstrations following the cancellation of the UGC-NET examination. According to reports, several protesters were detained while demonstrating outside the residence of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.[3]
In 2025, KYS led a protest by students of the Delhi University School of Open Learning demanding the resumption of classes, postponement of examinations and distribution of complete printed study materials. The organisation alleged that classes had ended before the syllabus was completed and that study materials had not been supplied in accordance with University Grants Commission guidelines.[4]
Women's rights campaigns
KYS has participated in protests against sexual harassment and gender-based violence on university campuses.
In 2023, students organised a rally demanding accountability after allegations of harassment during a college festival at Indraprastha College for Women. The rally called for the resignation of the college principal and attracted participation from several student organisations, including activists of Krantikari Yuva Sangathan.[5][6]
The organisation was among the groups that participated in a protest in Delhi against police action against students of Banaras Hindu University following demonstrations concerning women's safety on the campus.[7]
Reports on campaigns related to women wrestlers seeking action over allegations of sexual harassment have mentioned the participation of KYS activists in solidarity protests. During the wrestlers' protest at Jantar Mantar, The Indian Express reported that organisations including Krantikari Yuva Sangathan joined demonstrations in support of the protesting wrestlers.[8]
In 2017, KYS supported objections to restrictions imposed at Miranda House, including a ban on selfies and combing hair in public areas. The controversy prompted the Delhi Commission for Women to issue a notice to the college principal.[9][10]
Caste issues
KYS has organised protests concerning caste discrimination and the legacy of caste-based social hierarchies. In 2021, activists associated with the organisation publicly burned copies of the Manusmriti during a demonstration at the University of Delhi as a symbolic protest against caste oppression.[11]
Manipur violence protests
Following the circulation of videos showing the assault of women during the 2023 Manipur violence, KYS participated in protests in Delhi demanding accountability, justice for survivors and stronger action by the authorities.[12]
Anti-corporate campaigns
KYS has also been involved in campaigns opposing certain corporate projects. Reports on protests against mining activities associated with Vedanta Resources identified KYS among organisations participating in demonstrations in Delhi.[13]