General Secretary's Letter No.164

Summary

General Secretary’s Letter No. 164, dated November 14, 1967, asks Swatantra Party state committees to review proposals for establishing a youth wing. The letter recalls that an earlier proposal had been circulated in May and explains that the National Executive, while agreeing with it in principle, wanted comments before the scheme was finalised. It sets a December 20 deadline and states that failure to respond will be treated as having no comments.

Key points

• The document concerns the formation of a Swatantra Youth Wing.
• State committees are asked to place the proposal on their agendas and submit comments.
• The enclosed report presents youth participation as important to the party’s electoral and organisational work.
• The proposed youth organisation would admit young men and women aged 18 to 30 who had left school or college after a first degree.
• The scheme envisages constituency, district, state, and national organisers, with elected youth leaders and liaison officers.
• Youth members would assist with meetings, enrolment, voter registration, election canvassing, and party propaganda.
• The report describes the youth wing as an auxiliary force intended to work with, rather than replace, the main party organisation.
• The appeal to youth presents Swatantra as defending individual initiative, private enterprise, limited government, and anti-socialist economic policies.