Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah backs campus Shudra Seva Sanghas to nurture new OBC leadership

Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurating Shudra Seva Sangha in Bengaluru. | Photo Credit: special arrangement With nearly 65% of the population below the age of 35 and the demographic dividend increasingly figuring in political discourse, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is backing the formation of Shudra Seva Sanghas in universities and colleges across Karnataka to draw young people from Other Backward Classes (OBCs) into public life and help develop a new generation of political leaders.The initiative assumes significance against the backdrop of the growing visibility of Gen Z-led protests in Delhi and other parts of the country and concerns within political parties over the declining participation of young people, especially rural students, in conventional politics.Mr. Siddaramaiah recently inaugurated a Shudra Seva Sangha in Bengaluru, and attended the sangha meetings with the objective of involving students belonging to OBCs of higher educational institutions in social and political activities and nurturing leadership qualities among them.District and taluk levelsAccording to the organisers, young graduates have been appointed as office-bearers at district and taluk levels to facilitate the formation of sanghas in colleges and universities across the State. B.R. Rame Gowda, chairman of Shudra Shakti, a newspaper, and Congress leader Muralidhar Halappa have been appointed president and convener, respectively, of the State-level Shudra Seva Sangha.Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Halappa said Mr. Siddaramaiah had promised the organisation of his support for setting up sanghas and conducting activities across the State with the aim of creating leadership opportunities for youth from backward classes.The organisation also seeks to challenge the dominance of established political families and money power in politics by creating an alternative leadership pool among young people from backward communities, he said.Initially, the sanghas plan to take up issues directly affecting students, including hygiene and basic facilities in hostels, toilets, transport, sports infrastructure, issuance of caste and income certificates, admissions, and access to coaching for the IAS and KAS examinations.The organisers also plan to hold awareness programmes, camps and discussions to encourage greater political and civic participation among students. They believe young people are often discouraged from entering politics by parents and teachers, who tend to view political involvement as a distraction from education and a less stable career option.Not just electorsAt meetings with the organisers, Mr. Siddaramaiah is learnt to have emphasised that the youth should be treated as a demographic asset and not merely as an electoral constituency. The initiative could potentially help the Congress build a new generation of leaders while strengthening its social base ahead of the 2028 Assembly election.Earlier, he has actively consolidated the AHINDA (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits) constituency, which played a significant role in his political rise. Published - September 02, 2026 10:03 pm IST