A Drowsy Numbness perhaps rooted in Oriental Fatalism seems to have afflicted youth of the nation. According to news reports based on census data and the electoral rolls of Delhi state (national capital region) which will have elected a new government by the time this issue of EducationWorld reaches newsstands, a mere 56 percent of youth in Delhi NCR have taken the trouble to register as eligible voters in the imminent assembly election. This disinterest in participating in the democratic process to elect suitable MLAs (members of the legislative assembly) who would voice their concerns and address issues of importance to their well-being — education, health, employment, law, order and justice, civic governance, water and sanitation, and women’s safety, among others — is very confusing because while making politically correct noises, youth miss no opportunity to plead for the devolution of leadership of society and the nation upon themselves and their representatives. Yet their lack of interest in participating in the most fundamental processes of democratic practice suggests that like young spoilt brats and princelings of the Congress and BJP, they expect the electoral process to be shaped to their convenience and for leadership to be thrust upon them. That’s vainglorious wishful thinking. The blame for injecting this curious malaise, cynicism and sentiments of helplessness within the nation’s young who — it should be noted — constitute the majority of the population, has to be laid at the doors of leaders of the major political parties. Instead of practicing inner party democracy, they perpetuate their rule and the status quo by cynically manipulating the entry of their progeny — who have never suffered material deprivation, employment anxiety, the law’s delay, insolence of office, the country’s dysfunctional public education and healthcare systems etc — into state assemblies and Parliament. Gandhi, Scindia, Singh, Dikshit, Hooda, Gowda and Karunanidhi succeed Gandhi, Scindia, Singh, Dikshit, Hooda, Gowda, and Karunanidhi in monotonous succession. Little wonder the more youth leaders come and go, the more things remain the same. Admittedly this is a depressing scenario and the first impulse is to withdraw from the rude scene wishing a plague on all their houses. But my young countrymen, that’s precisely the trap set by wily political patriarchs hell-bent upon perpetuating nihilistic dynasty rule. Don’t fall into it. The impact of the inevitable misrule of untested dynastic spoilt brats will be suffered by your generation rather than mine. Instead, take the trouble to register as voters and exercise the full power of the ballot to comprehensively reject India’s ideologically and intellectually bankrupt mainstream political parties. Several new political alternatives including the Children First Party of India — led by people with proven track records and purposive development agendas — have emerged from the crucible of post-independence India’s failed socio-economic development effort (see www.childrenfirst.in). Muster the resolve to sign up with them bearing in mind that the worst we can do will be better than the best Congress/BJP have done. A great opportunity has become available to India’s short-changed…
