Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, selfies, parties, hanging out,
treks, discos, photography…. The list of interests goes on. If time permits
there are studies, except for the older youth, who manage to save time for all
these things with the 21st century job scene. The life of today’s
young people is all about these things. So when I ask someone what they think
about today’s Politics in the country, I get three kinds of reactions. First
are the kinds that do not answer. They said nothing about it and changed the
subject. Second are the kinds that stop for a moment and then tell me it is a
subject of debate. And third are the kinds that answer immediately, in well-chosen
words and sometimes even in elaborate ways. And interestingly, all the answers
I receive from the third kind can be summed up in one single word: Cynicism.
We are a generation of enlightened people. We have studied
the worst wars fought all over the world, we have read about the over stretched
Congress Raj; we have seen how India has crawled, staggered and slowly reached
the position it has today, as a sovereign entity on the globe. We have seen a
few governments rise and fall. A lot of us even vote. We are not ignorant. For
that matter, we are completely globalized and actually citizens of the world.
And that is how we know what is going wrong in our nation. That is how we can
figure something’s terribly wrong when direction in which the leadership of the
representatives of the people of this very complicated democracy is going
nowhere close to the desired one. This cynicism therefore, is understood and
even justified. It may be close to pessimism but I believe it is a step closer
to the solution too.
We, the technology savvy generation are dependent on the
media to keep us updated about the political on goings, the developments, and
going a step further, even in creating our opinion about various aspects of
politics, national and international. Some of us just sigh at the news on T.V.
or in the paper or on the phone and go on and about our lives. Some of us even
discuss issues among our friends and families. And some of us also decide to
get down in the dirt and clean the mess. The youngsters in rural areas are in
fact more informed about how politics works today, they being practically
closer to its failures. All of us can perfectly judge everything that goes on,
which means all of us have an independent opinion. This is in fact a very
important and promising situation.
From the Israel-Palestine issue, India-China relations, ISIS,
to even the political motives of the ruling and opposing parties at the local
level, we are aware. And we do have a voice. The only issue is making it be
heard.
Today’s youth, as much as it is aware of today’s politics,
it is not an active participant in the same. We have opinions, but we lack
action. We know how this democracy works (or does not work) and we know its
loopholes. But our reactions to it are popularly situation-based. We are generally
passive and even discouraged to do anything about the way things are. Most
times, we wake up from our stupors only when something extreme happens,
something that shakes us to the core and leaves us restless and sleepless
because somewhere the conscience still lives. We simply need a Nirbhaya
Incident or a fasting Anna Hazare to finally get out of our daily lives and on
the streets. We need something bad to always happen before we have the courage
to stand up and point out to our very own representatives that they need to
buck up.
And then about the representatives: the ultimate outcome of
our opinions. These people, who win elections, are the face of our own interest
(or lack of interest, seeing the general voter turn outs). The well-known
statement “The people get the government they deserve” stands more true here
than ever.
On the other hand, we now have a better
face, as we have learnt to condemn those failures of democracy with their multi-crore scams and zipped mouths. We now have more people talking than ever before
about what is good for us as a society and a nation. We now express our anger
when we see those few at the top make false distinctions visible, who attempt
to strangle the roots of our unity with the old, rusted chains of communal
reservations; who would go to any extent to grab votes, stay at the cursed top
and continue to exploit us all. Yes, we are now learning, we now know better
and we surely are not about to repeat our mistakes. This is that step towards
the solution.
The great leaders of yesterday have expectations from us.
They see in us what a lot of us still do not. We are tomorrow’s promise. We are
an emerging challenge to the present systems. We are an educated and energetic
lot, but we often need a push. We know what is right or wrong, but we still
have to be shown the way.
Nevertheless, in all optimism, the youth does have a very
large part to play in the politics of today and tomorrow. No matter what career
we choose, no matter what ideologies we have, we do have a voice today, and it
is getting stronger by the day. As many evils our country might face, we shall
overcome!
Written: Oct'2014.
