“To make democracy work we must be a nation of participants, not simply observers. One who does not vote has no right to complain”. – Louis L. Amour
The lines of this American author still make a lot of sense. Indians take pride when represented as the world’s largest democracy. Yet a large percentage of the Indian population does not vote.
Should It Really Bother Us?
India is a democracy where a majority of the population below 40 years of age elects candidates above 60 to power. We should ask the question “Are we really satisfied with the way our country is being governed?” Should it not bother us that usually the 60 above population takes retirement, whether they are in a government office or working in the corporate sector? In politics, it is exactly the opposite. Why is it that people below 50 years of age are treated as political kids?
Need Of The Hour
The country desperately needs some young leaders who personify energy, enthusiasm, morality and diligence in Indian politics. No doubt, the country has progressed a lot after independence, but I think it is possible that the pace of development would have been completely different if some young torchbearers had led this development.
At the time of independence, Gandhiji called upon the youth to participate actively in the freedom movement. Young leaders like Nehru answered to his call, and led the movement with full force. But the scenario is completely different now. Nowadays, we only have a handful of young leaders, but in my humble opinion, they are in politics because they belong to the influential political families. I believe that the majority of the youngsters only view politics as a dirty game, and they can be transformed only if they are able to make inroads in it.
The youth often creates ideas with guidance from experienced people. I feel that given the chance, the youth can do so much more if they join politics on a larger scale with elders supporting them.
Why Should The Youth Join Politics?
Politics should not be seen as the participation of experienced and old people. When young people join politics there might be more innovation ushered into digital India. Equal participation of youth in politics could lead to:
- Improvising more fresh and innovative ideas.
- Young people have more enthusiasm towards the betterment of society.
- Policies which involve the youth could be framed by young people rather than older politicians, who are probably less likely to understand the contemporary problems faced by the young people.
- By making politics accessible to the youth, the negative perceptions of politics can slowly be erased.
- Elder politicians have to prove their loyalty to their political parties by supporting their authoritarian practices because of the long term commitment to their parties. Young people are at an advantage because ideas dominate their commitment.
- The involvement of youth in politics leads to civic engagement which is broader than political engagement, as it includes services to the community through involvement in various sectors of development.
- Young people who participate actively in their community from early on are more likely to become engaged citizens and voters.
So in order to have a better “young” citizenship and participation, politics is the best tool to lead the country to a better future.
Why Should Every Citizen’s Mentality Change?
Initially the youth’s vote was not taken into consideration, and gradually they stopped bothering about it. Earlier, getting into the armed forces was a proud moment for the society but as time passed, the youth started to be drawn towards the glamour world. It is now time for India’s youth to stop giving excuses and utilise their talent to address their own problems.
Conclusion
Political determination and concrete action can accomplish much. The right balance of young India and experienced politics could lead to the cleansing of politics and restore the public’s faith in the political system.
“No one is born a good citizen, No nation is born a democracy. Rather both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime. Young people must be included from birth” — Kofi Annan.
Are you ready to join politics? Whether your answer is yes or no, share your views so that more people could be made aware of their importance for the development of the nation.