Let Youth drive change………..Are you kidding me??
The title of the article may sound extremely pessimistic and I am certain that every DCEite who cares to read it (few students who find time off porn magazines) will accuse me of questioning the power of youth and conversely their abilities as well. With the elections just round the bend the “youth euphoria” has suddenly claimed centre stage attention for the first time in India since Rajiv Gandhi’s stint as PM. This is not the Obama effect mind you; it’s simply a political compulsion as statisticians claim that the youth now constitute more than 50 % of the voting population. It’s a piece of the pie no political party with serious ambitions can afford to ignore. Be well aware the politicians don’t wish to “tap the power of youth” by “empowering them” but only want their vote to impose 70 or 80 year old Fuddy Duddy (so called) Youth icons upon them.
For a country like ours, which is often at the seams of helplessness with no hope left we have no choice left but to temporarily give up our responsibilities and just binge on the “power of youth” and wait for the hangover. This is akin to some loser who finds remorse only in a bottle of whisky after successive failures (say with placements at T & P!!). As far as the “power of youth” itself is concerned, I wouldn’t like to get too drunk on it though.
In my four years at DCE, I have seen time and again, the youth failing to rise to the mark. Irrespective of the degree of intellect and intelligence that one needs to possess in order to succeed in the various courses at DU, DUites and DCEites go to the DUSU voting poll as pea-brainers. The NSUI, ABVP and other student bodies alike run a campaign which caters to these pea-brained and irresponsible tendencies amongst us. “I don’t give a shit about who wins the Student union elections man! As if it matters.” Votes are garnered by these parties through the distribution of alcohol and movie tickets. The candidates elected in return feel little sense of accountability. The youth like the previous generation have few morals and can be purchased at will. The students sell their conscience and indulge in petty corruption by licking off minor sums of a thousand or two during fests. The Gen-Y wants its chai-paani too! This is an indicator that “the future is going to be no different”. Can we expect individuals who aren’t serious about the successful functioning of democracy at their own level to take elections to the Lok Sabha seriously? It’s like asking someone who can’t add “2+2” to do higher order vector calculus!
The only time that I’ve seen students take democracy seriously was when the Lok Sabha passed the OBC Reservation Bill unanimously. Though the students couldn’t achieve their goal but undoubtedly, they were able to create awareness against the populist and vote gathering nature of this measure and forced the government to alter their policies to some degree. However, look at the undertones, the only time the youth did discover that they had a voice was when their own “vested interests” were at stake. Whether there are riots in Gujarat or Orissa or exploitation of farmers in Nandigram , we don’t care to even read about it , let alone protest or show solidarity.
Even in DCE, students aren’t above petty caste and tribe politics. Year after year rival caste groups place their candidates for the elections to the Office of the President every year. These very youth will enter the fray of national and state politics one day and play the caste card just like the current lot. It’s been more than a decade and the student community at DCE hasn’t been able to get a hostel with basic sanitation, security and recreation facilities. Can we call DCE’s youth empowered? Sadly the situation is the same across India and it is at its least bad in DCE. To this generation taking the elections seriously means “going to cast their vote for the candidate their father usually votes for.” We don’t even care to frame an opinion of our own. Let us admit it, just like our fore fathers; we are crippled by the lack of enthusiasm towards taking responsibility upon ourselves which could benefit society. We talk of big things and build castles in the clouds. The reality is that we don’t even have enough civic sense to throw a banana peel in the dustbin. Admit it my friend, the “power of youth” is no more significant than a bottle of vodka. Get high on it at your own risk.
IN THE NAME OF TATA AND MODI
That day, I was just flipping over the pages of the newspaper; yes just flipping. We aspiring engineers don’t have the time to read it all…… please, please that was a joke, or else I shall be quoted as a ‘ghissu’. Guys I am as ‘vela’ as you… How do I know you are ‘vela’… Ha…Ha…. Anyone in this world having a decent business will not read what I have written. Anyways that day, when I read the newspaper, I realized that India is truly the peoples’ nation, just go through the newspaper, and you will see it filled with news items of
NANO – THE PEOPLE’S CAR
ELECTION- OBVIOUSLY FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE AND THE
IPL- THE POPULAR GAME
In this nation, the aam aadmi just needs to open the newspaper to feel so ‘ un aamle’ powerful. Now since I am so powerful, I have all the guts to express my opinion on the matters which strongly affect my life…. No! The IPL should not be hosted outside the nation. I, the proud citizen of this country hereby recommend that the election instead should be conducted outside the nation. Think of the aad aadmi, can he fly to South Africa to cheer for his team in the stadium? Are those scantily clad ‘firangi’ cheer girls enough to boost the moral of the sons of the soil… no, we have to be in the stadiums.
ON THE CONTRARY, if the elections are conducted abroad it hardly makes a difference; we don’t VOTE ANYWAYS’. I the aam aadmi from a small town recommend that special parks should be made in my neighborhood, where I can flaunt and drive my NANO. I the aam aadmi who has risked his life, all his life just to walk on those streets, who has lost lives falling in the ditches dug by R.U.I.D.P. , can I afford to take my ‘ lakhon me ek , lakhtakiya ‘ NANO on those roads ? I demand special zones to drive my bubble gum on wheels.
If these recommendations are not taken seriously, I on the behalf of all the aam aadmi announce that I shall protest; by having a peg or more after returning from office will quarrel with my wife and shall not let my children watch cartoons on TV…. I the aam aadmi is so’ smart’ and powerful. JAI HIND
