Bengal: DYFI Prepares for 'India's Largest' Youth Rally at Kolkata's Brigade Ground on Sunday

Kolkata: The countdown to the 'largest youth rally in the country' at Brigade Parade ground has already begun in Kolkata. As a percusor, more than 2,000 rallies and street corners have been organised in every district. On January 7, seven huge rallies will start from seven ends of the city, proceeding towards Brigade Parade Ground at 10 a.m, with the rally officially commencing at 12 O'clock.

The Brigade Rally,  scheduled for January 7, promises to see massive participation from students, women, farmers, and the working class, said some organisers belonging to the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI).

Unlike past campaigns marked by wall writings and graffiti, the DYFI;s West Bengal unit is actively using its social media cell to engage supporters and generate excitement for the Brigade Rally. 

The Left-backed DYFI digital team, through its Facebook page and Twitter handle, has been encouraging supporters to contribute posters, graphics, poetry, and photographs showcasing volunteers painting Brigade graffiti across West Bengal. This participatory approach has garnered an enthusiastic response, said DYFI sources.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)'s social media team, supported by volunteers, is also campaigning relentlessly to mobilise support for the Insaaf Yatra, which witnessed the participation of more than 10 million activists statewide in November-December 2023, ccording to Left sources.

A CPI(M) state secretariat member said, "Our cadres, volunteers, and supporters are now at their innovative best, even taking great risks to collect news, anecdotes, and photographs from villages and districts, putting them online. We are confident that the combined campaign will result in a successful Brigade rally."

The West Bengal CPI(M), often criticised for its conventional approach, is embracing a new strategy. Its social media cell is producing memes, posts, graphics, and videos on topical issues disseminated through WhatsApp groups. Unlike the ruling Trinamool Congress, which uses government advertisements for self-promotion, the CPI(M) said it relies on the agility of its online volunteers.

The 'success' of tBrigade Rally may determine its impact on West Bengal's political narrative leading up to the Lok Sabha elections.

For 91-year-old Madhusudan Chakraborty, a pensioner and former leader of the Calcutta Telephones Employees Movement, and his scientist nephew, Tapas Chakraborty, the Research and Development (R&D) head of a prominent multinational IT conglomerate, age is not a factor as they prepare to attend the Brigade Rally. Senior Chakraborty, a veteran of the 1968 Central government workers movement, reminisced about Brigade Rallies from the past, recalling moments during the Left Front government  in 1974 and earlier in the '60s.

As part of the 1968 Central government workers' movement, he witnessed the ups and downs of various political scenarios. Echoing his uncle's sentiments, Tapas expressed concerns about the new regulations curbing indigenous research, emphasising that it would permanently hamper the communal fabric of the country. "Not Ram but Kaam (jobs)" is the rallying cry of the youth, he says.