Young Diplomacy

Just last year, I had witnessed my first college election voting. I was very keen to vote. Having heard so much about voting rights, with democracy being the buzzword, the mere thought of how my vote could contribute in how a college government would shape up, gave me an inexplicable sense of responsibility. My friend, Andrila had clearly, confessed to me about her absolute disapproval towards indulgence in elections of any sort. She maintained that “diplomacy was the best policy”.
                             Sadly, that’s the plight in our country among most of the youngsters and their attitude towards the Government. In India, there are many unspoken, diluted but nonetheless evils in the form of developed and orthodox mindsets, both on the sides of the generation above 30 and the generation below that. People have a natural tendency to believe that experience and at that “years of experience’ is the only viable and feasible solution to acquiring enough efficiency of skills and thought, in order to be adept enough to make concrete, changes such in the Government. Youngsters are thought to be irrational, rash and lacking in depth and stability. They are restricted to only being “cool, rebellious and happening”.
But perhaps, we can see a changing scenario, looming in the backdrop with the advent of dynamic personalities like Agatha Sangma, Sachin Pilot, Rahul Gandhi and Omar Abdullah calling the stops in the Government. . One of the most violent phases of Youth politics came with the attempted self-immolation by Rajiv Goswami, in protest against the implementation of Quota system under the Mandal Commission. Other remarkable instances to follow are - Omar Abdullah, 38, was sworn in as India’s youngest Chief Minister in the New Year. Barack Obama is just 47!
                                   Thinking and contribution from youngsters in unhampered, devoid of manipulation, as it is not influenced by any partial view of reality. J.K. Rowling has aptly said: “Age is foolish and forgetful when it underestimates youth”. In today’s knowledge-based economy, what you have is more important than what you’ve experienced and that’s what we find in the youth.
                                    Youth involvement would also bring in a fresh surge of new innovative ideas, and most importantly a lot of spirit and enthusiasm. Going on the lines of the Anil Kapoor Starrer – Nayak, where a 32 year old man becomes Prime minister for a day and the whole functioning of the Government changes!!
If we as a nation have to move ahead and build the country of our dreams, we have to use politics as a medium to ensure that the Government remains sensitive and accountable to the people. We need developed and young minds instead of corroded and corrupt minds.
The youth shouldn’t get perturbed by old conventions and disapproving, lashing tongues. As a saying goes- To change the system you have to be in the system”. The country desperately needs some young leaders who personify energy, enthusiasm, morality, and diligence. During Independence we have leaders from all across the country like Jawarhar Lal Nehru and BR ambedkar active on the political forefront but sadly today politics is an avenue more so for the hierarchy, and the security due to the fact than rather a venture which people want to join as a result of their driven passion for their motherland. We have a handful of young leaders who are very much within the circle of politics, hailing from big families who have built empires in politics and the work affiliated to them, presumably for this very reason lacks passion and devotion. They are driven more by an obligation to carry the family trade on then rather a morale inherent sense of duty to their country.
Youth, clearly don’t consider politics as one of the most sought after, lucrative and comforting job avenues to venture into. But at times, when the youth so actively is involved in issues like the Jessica Lal murder case and reservations, their actions and their passion for fighting the cause totally negates any illusion of disinterest harboured by them towards politics. Second reason may be that young people are not given opportunities to prove themselves claiming that they are not equipped with experience to participate actively in the governance of the country. This somehow seems relatively more plausible and a reason as the monopoly of old leaders in almost all avenues of politics is disarmingly prevalent.
                              What I passionately desire is that voting should be the first step to establishing an inlet for fresh blood. Youth should actively campaign for the cause and themselves should be active participants in the voting process. Last year, there was so much of hue and cry about voting, the media coverage the publicity was phenomenal, but the outcome was pathetic. In fact superstars like Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapoor who had actively campaign for the cause, had themselves refrained from participating in the process.
                                The idiosyncratic laidback attitude and apathy associated with the voters, young and otherwise should be removed. We shouldn’t forget that complaining about all the numerous problems and defects in the Government is not the only way out. We should move and fight and strive for all the change that is possible at our level. It’s only then, can we witness a change in the functioning of the country. And for most of us, who think that they really don’t care about the way things function, then I presume we should really think about all the villages which don’t have electricity, all the women who are raped and yet haven’t got justice, for all the families who have lost their loved ones and the murderers are at large, looming free. Who are we fooling... our country, our people or ourselves?
-Priyanka Dass Saharia