YUVTHA SPECIAL- POLITICAL

YUVATHA takes the power of Election 2014

The elections bugle has sounded and this time over 81.4 crore voters will be voting. A key constituency in this election is the first time voters. The election commission estimates 4.4 crore voters aged between 18-22 years who will be voting for the first time with around 90000 voters in every Lok Sabha constituency. These first time voters are a key for every political party. They can swing the elections if they want but many of them say that they are going to go for NOTA. In a situation where 4.4 crore young voters will be voting, the big question arises - Who will they vote for? Where the voters are of 18 to 23 years of age, most politicians are in their sixties - be it the sitting prime minister who is 80 years of age or the BJP prime ministerial candidate who is in his 60s or even the 'youth icon' supposedly Rahul Gandhi who is 42. In our country such high positions are based on one's age rather than on one's credentials and capabilities. Though there are young politicians in the Lok Sabha but they are all dynasts. Figures say that more than 2/3rd of the Lok Sabha MPs are hereditary. Every MP under the age of thirty has inherited his/her seat from either his mother or his father. And this sends out a bad message to the young citizens of the country that no person can enter politics without them having a dynasty in politics. The youth today feel apathetic about politicians. They feel that 'sab neta chor hai'. Politics is now-a-days more about identity; dividing people on the basis of caste, race and religion. Politicians particularly don't consider the voter to be a very rational person. They keep trying to divide them. And this identity politics is what upsets the people. For vote banks, politicians are ready to divide states, ready to give reservations that haven't benefited anyone due to which there is a deficit of seats everywhere. This election not caste, creed, race or religion is the issue but nationality is what people want their leader to talk about. Now in such a case, can the identity of a political party or a politician bag votes for him? The politicians are not aware of how educated and aware the voters are today. They have a stereotypical notion of what a political speech is. They are too educated to be coned by politicians. And they know that every political party is talking the same language - glorifying self and criticising and condemning others. Same issues of water, electricity and roads are being revoked again and again. Politicians on being constantly in power sort of disassociate with the people and with the society, and start working as rent seekers which lead to corruption. In such a situation there's a need of a new mandate and the voters need to know the nuts and bolts of everything before they vote for any party. There's a requirement for checks and balances of the leading party this time and therefore, there also has to be a strong opposition besides a strong leading party. The people are dissolution with the political scenario today and they feel that through NOTA (None Of The Above) they might be able to assert that a lot of people are dissolution and we need a change. But that is not a solution to any problem. We have to be strong enough to choose a party and choose an agenda this election. If we vote for NOTA, we again lose our chance to blame any government just like the way when we don't vote. We need to exercise our choices in a right way and not waste votes. By voting for NOTA, we are removing all accountability.
SHAHNAAZ ZABI