Youth should take to informal politics such as protests and civil society activism to gain entry to the formal, mainstream politics, said the former Chairman of Legislative Council, B.K. Chandrashekar.
Participating in a discussion on “Is politics putting off the youth?” Prof. Chandrashekar said that the Right to Information Act is the best tool for youngsters against injustice and help building civil society activism. “RTI along with the climate change issue could help the educated youth come to mainstream politics,” he added.
Urging the people to raise their voice against injustice, he said that people should decide whether they need a particular project or not. Citing projects coming up under National Urban Renewal Mission and several other Central programmes, he said educated youth can raise questions on all these.
He also pointed out that informal politics would provide practical experience and publicity while protests will also bring youth into public life.
Prof. Chandrashekar said that youth should not involve themselves in all types of politics, and pointed out organisations such as the Shiv Sena, the Sri Rama Sena and the Lashkar-e-Taiba in this connection.
“We cannot consider this as politics. Youth should be in politics with values and should enhance liberty,” he added.
Quoting from a survey conducted by the Centre of Study of Developing Societies, Prof. Chandrashekar said 85 per cent of the sample size of 400 persons believed that it is their duty to vote.
As much as 47 per cent of the respondents claimed to have voted in every elections while 16 per cent said that they have voted in some elections, and 12 per cent have hardly voted.
“There is a preconceived notion that politics in India is bad. There is a crisis in the idea of democracy and politics. People believe contesting elections is politics. When a politician in India loses an election he has a crisis of identity,” he said.
Several members in the audience felt that it was the educational system and parenting that were acting as inhibiting factors for the youth to enter politics. Parents also put career path ahead of politics for their children.
Responding to these observations, Prof. Chandrashekar said colleges and universities have become bureaucracies of different types.
They have lost independence and autonomy, he pointed out.
