Here we are, celebrating or rather passing through another Independence Day!! We have a population of over 3000 people in BITS and if even half that number attends the Flag Hoisting in C-Lawns, the National Anthem sung during the program should serve as an early morning wake-up call for the whole campus. But, never mind! When we do wake up and read the newspaper to go through the sports page lambasting the Indian Team for their consistent poor performances (It would have been quite symbolic if India crushed England sometime near Independence DayL), we might come across some articles or maybe an Independence Day special edition with cynical stuff written by cynical guys posing questions like “Is India really free?”, “Are we really free?”, “Is this what our freedom fighters fought for?” etc. They are obviously referring to the poverty and the whole cluster of problems persisting in India and to be fair, they do have a point.
Now, some of us might retrospect about this for some time and we would not have to think hard and long about the underlying cause to all these problems before almost inevitably landing at corrupt politicians, inefficient bureaucrats etc. After a train of thoughts, we finally decide it’s about time youth entered politics. It’s about time young people like us replaced the old ones and brought about radical changes in the system that would change the very face of this country. To be fair, we also definitely have a point or do we? But before we can continue our train of thought, its 12:30 and our sidie (sorry if that is spelt wrong) beckons us to mess for the grub (Independence Day, remember?).Now, we wouldn’t want to miss that, would we?
It’s highly unlikely that we will resume that thread again anytime in the near future. Anyway the point being, if a poll was conducted on “Is it time youth entered and dominated politics in India?” the result would be a prompt yes.
Now, let’s put India aside for a moment. Take BITS, Pilani. At present, there is an election campaign going on in the campus. It may not be an exact scale model of Indian politics, but it will do for now.
We think we should run the country. But are we even eligible to do that, when we, with all our education and rationality, harbour feelings of regionalism at this very basic level of society? Forget the ignorant and illiterate people of the country, do we elect our representative unbiased and without expecting any personal benefits? If we don’t, then how can we expect a poor man not to vote for a person who hails from the same place, who gives him money, drink and a whole lot of other things just for a single vote? We divide ourselves into communities based on regions or whatever and make deals for support in exchange for benefits, influence and what not, but when some old people do it, we think we should replace them. Now, why is that? So we can do the same thing? And now the grand question. Are we sure we are running a clean administration at this basic level? Because, if we are not, then the question begs as to whether we are eligible to even call it our country, let alone run it.
So, it is better to contemplate on these issues before we actually get all cynical about our political system and think of taking over the reins. It is not just enough to have young boiling blood and youthful energy so much as reflecting on our own selves when we are put on the same pedestal.
