In a sharp critique aimed at the Centre, Congress MP K.C. Venugopal Roy on Thursday condemned the government’s decision to rebrand the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) as ‘MY Bharat’, calling it a deliberate attempt to erase the legacy of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
“No matter how much the Sangh Parivar tries, removing Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru’s name from prominent institutions will not erase his towering legacy,” Venugopal posted on social media platform X.
He described the ‘MY Bharat’ initiative as “nothing but a rebranded version of the popular Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) set up across India’s villages since 1972,” and accused the current regime of being “hell-bent on destroying established institutions to fulfil its political agenda of erasing one of the nation’s founding fathers because inclusive, progressive icons like Gandhiji and Nehru ji deeply irk them.”
Venugopal further highlighted the contributions of NYKS over the decades, stating that it has been “recognised across the country for providing community service to lakhs of ordinary citizens and training thousands of youngsters through its program.”
He criticised the government’s move, saying that “the attempt at destroying it by creating new, directionless institutions shows their lack of regard for time-tested institutions that have contributed to nation-building for decades.”
He demanded that the Centre withdraw its decision to rebrand the NYKS immediately.
The remarks come against the backdrop of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, during which the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had issued a nationwide call to the youth to support the nation in times of emergency.
As part of the newly launched ‘MY Bharat’ initiative, individuals—primarily between the ages of 15 and 29—are being invited to enroll as civil defence volunteers.
While people of all age groups are welcome, the focus is on the youth, with those above 29 being inducted as members.
Volunteers will undergo basic training in areas such as rescue operations, evacuation, first aid, emergency care, vehicular traffic management, crowd control, public safety, and assisting local authorities during disasters and rehabilitation efforts.
Trained youth from earlier NYKS activities are expected to participate in the program alongside newcomers, bolstering district and state-level rescue and relief operations.
