Rahul Gandhi makes history at student event

A student's firsthand account from Rahul Gandhi's 'Voice of Students' event.

For the first time in my life, I attended a leader's programme, and that too because the issue was related to us students and the improvement of the education system.

I am originally from the state of Bihar and a student at Allahabad University in Prayagraj. I am also preparing for competitive exams. In June this year, when the NEET paper leak caused a massive student movement, the Congress party announced that Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi would engage in direct dialogue with students in various cities across the country through the "Students' Echo" programme. This series began in Kota and the next event was held in Dehradun. Then it was announced that the third programme would be in Prayagraj.

Believe me, since this announcement, there has been a great deal of enthusiasm among the students here regarding this dialogue programme. Everyone started discussing that for the first time such a programme was going to take place with the sole purpose of addressing students' issues and improving the education system, and because of this, a large number of students were becoming increasingly interested in this programme. Whether they were students studying in universities and colleges or coaching students preparing for various entrance and competitive exams, everyone was curious about this programme.

The date for the programme was set for 8th August 2026, and the venue was KP Maidan located in George Town, Prayagraj. A large-scale publicity campaign for the programme had already begun throughout the city. Members of the Congress student organization NSUI were busy connecting with students in every part of the city, and discussions about this programme had started all over the city.

Two or three days before the programme, news came that the booking of KP Ground had been cancelled, casting a shadow over the event's organization. However, Congress members associated with the event firmly stated that the programme would take place at the scheduled time and venue, and later, approval for the ground was obtained again. This doubled the students' energy because the organizers' determination that the programme would indeed happen boosted the students' hopes, and when the leadership is strong, a wave of support naturally follows.

Now the day of 8th August had arrived, and it had been raining heavily in the city for the past 2-3 days, which had affected the condition of the ground. However, the organizers prepared at a war footing and made the ground suitable for the programme.

It was afternoon, Rahul had arrived in the city and was at Anand Bhavan, the heritage of his ancestors, while a large number of youths from different parts of the city were heading towards the programme venue. The official start of the programme was announced for 5 PM, but by 3:30 PM, more than half of the ground was filled, and people kept coming. Since this programme was especially for the youth and students, its format was designed accordingly, and a short music concert by two popular artists of their generation created a pleasant atmosphere for all the students present. For some time, all the students enjoyed the music, and then

gradually, the entire ground was filled, even the rooftops of nearby buildings were crowded, and despite some muddy areas at the venue, people were walking through the mud to enter the ground. Some enthusiastic students even climbed onto the roofs of trucks set up for the programme to watch the event.

And then came the moment everyone had been eagerly waiting for. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi had arrived on stage, and as soon as he did, the crowd gave him a rousing welcome. The entire ground echoed with noise. Rahul began his address by saying,

This city used to be my family's home, and he also referred to Prayagraj as a center of knowledge. He mentioned that Allahabad University was once one of the best universities in the country.

Continuing his speech, he talked about data and wealth and explained to the students through a presentation how the system's labyrinth has entangled the youth. He described reels as the addiction of today's era and discussed the irregularities in paper leaks and recruitments.

He invited students from various places onto the stage and gave them the opportunity to speak,

A heartwarming moment in the programme came when a student hesitated while speaking, and Rahul encouraged him like an elder brother.

The students who interacted with him came from various fields; some were college and university students, some were related to teacher recruitment, and some were preparing for government jobs. The most notable aspect was that Rahul gave everyone ample time to express their views without any pressure or time limit, and the students openly raised their issues on stage, which Rahul listened to seriously. Finally, Rahul told the youth that we should not hate anyone; we should raise our voices with love.

Rahul's speech was quite impressive. He talked about AI, education, unemployment, Gen Z, the data economy, accountability, transparency, industries, and all the major issues directly related to students. Emphasizing the power of youth, he said that even America and China are nothing in front of India's youth power; it's just a matter of providing the right opportunities and chances to the youth.

The students listened to his words very seriously. After the programme, when the crowd was leaving, everyone was discussing his impressive speech. The students who attended the programme came voluntarily, and many people were saying that they didn't like Congress before, but this time, the way Rahul Gandhi is raising his voice on this issue, they were influenced to attend the gathering.

As I was leaving the venue, the atmosphere of the crowd I felt was on a different level. Everyone was discussing among themselves that Rahul Gandhi has become the most prominent voice of the youth in recent times, and people were also saying that Rahul should be given a chance.

Overall, my experience was fantastic. It was the first time I attended such a large programme, and the event in Prayagraj seemed to have created history. What an incredible crowd and what a wonderful scene it was.