ABVP to mark 50 years in style

PUNE, June 24: Planting one lakh trees, holding seminars, lecture series, organising a Vidyarthi Sahitya Sammelan and taking out a “sandesh yatra” from various parts of the country are among the several programmes that will be undertaken by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) during its golden jubilee year 1998-99.

The golden jubilee year celebrations will be presided over by Defence Minister George Fernandes at a function in Mumbai on July 9, Rajesh Pande, secretary of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations committee told mediapersons today. D M Mirasdar, noted litterateur and president of the State-level golden jubilee celebrations committee was also present on the occasion.

The ABVP has 3,000 branches around the country with over nine lakh members. The All India committee which is headed by L M Singhvi, MP, also has noted theatre actress Bhakti Bharve Inamdar and Vice-Chancellor of SNDT University Dr Mariam Varghese as the State-level vice-presidents.

During the course of the year several seminars on the shortcomings of the Maharashtra Universities Act ’94. A convention of 17,000 ABVP representatives will meet from December 25-27. Chief Minister Manohar Joshi, Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde and scientist Dr Vijay Bhatkar will be among those present at the inaugural function.