Do you know? The problems faced by young people in Indian Politics?
When you ask people on how can we bring a change in the Indian Political System? Then the most common suggestion you hear from people is that “young people should enter into politics”. And they say with young people entering into politics there is hope for a change.
On the other hand when you talk to young people who are extremely keen on getting into the system and change the system for the better, you see that most of them are extremely apprehensive. The current political system inhibits and discourages them from getting into the system. We have a system where the sole determinant of success inside politics depends on caste, money, influence or dynastic affiliation.
Dr. Ambedkar said, “However good the constitution may be, it may turn out to be a bad constitution, if the people who are called to work at are a bad lot.”
Take an example of a young man who wants to enter into the political system. He first joins in the youth wing of a particular party, but none of our political parties have a decent stipend mechanism to encourage these sort of young people. Without such system in place these young individuals start indulging in taking money and that’s how corruption has started at the very initial stage. Then he works hard for decades for the party with a dream to become a top leaders in for the party. But at the time of elections he wouldn’t even be considered for a seat to contest for the elections.
So how do you think that candidate selection works or who gets the party ticket?
That one man who is born in a particular family or that man who has enough control over money and who can bring in money to the game of politics gets the ticket. This is a system where meritocracy is not respected, the talent is not respected, the hard work and sincerity is not rewarded. Can we ask young people or encourage them to enter into a system like this?
However good our constitution may be, however bad a constitution may be, if the people who are called to work for are a good lot, then the constitution will be good.
This problem of young people not being encouraged not being welcomed by the political system is just a symptom of larger malice that is afflicting the civic body quality of this country.