Bonding through Ballot: A Democratic Revival of the Alumni Association

https://odishapostepaper.com/edition/5691/orissapost/page/7

I recently witnessed an inspiring democratic exercise in the election of office bearers of the alumni association of BJB College, one of the well-known colleges in Odisha. The participation, fairness, and collective spirit underscored that the true strength of democracy often lies in the committed actions of a group of people coming together with purpose and trust.

A new beginning
For a long time, the alumni association of the college had remained informally managed. Elections and other democratic practices were conspicuous by their absence. The formal electoral process revived engagement, accountability, and collective ownership among the alumni.

Inclusiveness of the process was palpable right from the commencement of initial conversations. The candidates used banners, posters, emails, and phone messages to remain in touch with the voters.  Interestingly none of the candidates used political slogans.  Invariably, they stressed the importance of strengthening alumni networks, helping current students, and improving the brand equity of the college.  Close interaction between the candidates and alumni from diverse professions demonstrated that the alumni associations are a tapestry of college-day memories and mutual respect.

The Voting Day
The election day was a scene of camaraderie and commitment. The college management did its best to conduct the event orderly and peacefully. It was a celebration of democracy. The voters were the who’s who  of the city: serving ministers, opposition leaders, senior government officers, academicians, entrepreneurs, artists, sportspersons, and social workers.  Independent of their positions and professions they all strictly followed the guidelines provided by the college management.  It was not any material incentives nor any political ambitions that attracted them back to college campus.  The hope to strengthen their alma mater was visible and audible in the lively conversations in the makeshift waiting areas under the open sky. 

The Power of Alumni
Post election, the association and the college-management both need to acknowledge that every member is an asset for the college and the present students. Some of the top universities and colleges have extensively benefited from alumni contributions, financially and otherwise.

Alumni can play very important role in various types of career advisory services. They can offer summer internships, mentor both students and teachers, provide opportunities to do research, and provide placement support.

Another tangible contribution of the alumni can be in the form of  establishing a  corpus fund.  Harvard University has the largest corpus, built through contributions from its alumni. In India too, IITs, IIMs, and Xaviers have successfully tapped funds from their alumni. The management school of IIT-Kharagpur, student hostels of Saint Xavier, Kolkata,  and several angel funds  at IIT-Delhi and Mumbai are some of the examples of alumni contribution. 

Close association with the alumni also helps in creating and strengthening the brand equity of the college. Their achievements directly enhance the public perception of the college, which may help in attracting talented faculty members and good students, resulting in a better NIRF ranking.

The Road Ahead
Well begun is half done. It is now time for the new office bearers of the association to take steps to meet the expectations of the voters. To start with, they need to create a comprehensive database and make extensive use of digital technology to work toward the promised vision.

Any association is as good as its governance. The new team should create transparent  and inclusive processes that will build trust and legitimacy. It is hoped that the team will adhere to the words of Mahatma Gandhi, who said, “Democracy is the art and science of mobilizing the entire physical, economic, and spiritual resources of all sections of the people in the service of the common good.”

I would like to conclude with a well-known quote by Khalil Gibran, the poet and philosopher: “Yesterday is but today’s memory, and tomorrow is today’s dream.” Let the alumni dream big and boldly, working to make their college one of the top institutions in the country.