Last week was World Youth Day. Maybe there’ll be some substantial announcements about some terrific employment schemes, education budget grants, or acts calling for more transparency and accountability of the functioning of the government; or, maybe today is the day which gives me freedom to dissent on social media. Last I heard, there were no arrests being made for wishful thinking, eh?
Avijit Pathak had once said that “it is not easy to grow up as the young in such times characterised by hyper competitiveness, acute career anxiety, parental expectations, peer pressure, ‘nationalist’ hysteria, ‘religious’ passion and above all, the seductive charm of consumerism.” And the four pillars that could etch a stable and secure tomorrow, and aid in fighting these inert evils, are the government’s responsibility – the pillars that are supposed to be endorsed by the government just like the Constitution protects its basic structure.
What are these pillars?
Education
Budget cuts are being compromised and withdrawn. Dissent in academic spaces, which are supposed to guarantee utmost freedom of thought and expression, is being met with students being jailed and earning the tags of ‘anti national’ and ‘urban naxals’. History is being compromised with by altering syllabus; education is being saffronized, steadily but out in the open.
The failure in execution of reservation policies is turning and triggering the privileged and general category students against the idea of reservation altogether; marginalized communities are being looked down upon – the gap is widening. If literal hubs of education, our universities, do not pave way and educate students about gender sensitivity and caste inclusivity, how will the conditioning of the rest of the population be shed?
Unemployment
6% of the country is unemployed; the data says that unemployment is at a 45 year high. What’s also pertinent to note is that more people are unemployed in urban areas than rural areas. Furthermore, the highest unemployment rate was noted in urban females. We know that personal is political, but now the broadening horizons are being noticed with social turning more personal.
One of the reasons for the rise of unemployment rise in women is that these women came out with their stories of sexual harassment when India’s #MeToo movement started. Women who shared their stories are facing consequences – in the form of lawsuits, isolation, losing jobs, employers fearing employing women to avoid any or all controversies – not just in India, but in the world throughout. The government’s inability to deal with the political and social is trickling down into our personal lives.
We are a lower middle income country, agriculture constituting the most part of the economic workforce and we are still battling seasonal unemployment – we need jobs, we need to come up with more efficient schemes.
Good Governance
What is good governance? Governance that is efficient, in the best interests of the citizens of the country, is honest, transparent and doesn’t fear accountability to its own citizens. All of these boxes are not ticked when we talk about India. The RTI Bill of 2019 undermines autonomy and transparency; the Triple Talaq Bill wasn’t passed with honest intention and protection either; the Transgender (Protection of Rights) Bill does exactly the opposite by rendering the transgender community more vulnerable and violated than before; the recent scrapping of Article 370 and other amendments was full of issues and posed massive legal questions on its constitutionality; the list goes on.
Governance is supposed to be the means to an end of a secure and stable society which guarantees full benefit and protection to its citizens. I’m sure you’re wise enough to derive a conclusion to this on your own.
Freedom Of Choice
Choice is the most basic civil liberty guaranteed to us by the Constitution, the most sacred document of this country. To speak or remain silent, practice and preach a particular faith or the other, abide or dissent, or to merely have a say in who rules and governs you in a democracy. The fate of Jammu and Kashmir being decided with its own citizens having no say, and being in a state of total internet shutdown is a recent example of curbing the voice of the people, defeating democracy.
These are only pillars that ensure the health of a democracy. I know it’s tough to stand in the face of power, and, even more, power emanating fear. But, now is the time we put the ideals of fraternity, solidarity and class consciousness to use. We, the youth, will not subdue into inaction. The youth is gathering momentum; we are becoming politically conscious, cultivating sensitivity towards the caste and class divide, understanding the nuanced toxic patriarchal power play, and becoming aware of the shaking societal consciousness. We need all of us to break this culture of silence and fight to hold on to our civil liberties.
Let’s resolve to think, understand, question, and fight the deterrents of ‘misplaced priorities’ and ‘dishonest intention’ that are pausing our growth and negativing our development.