Younger generation to boycott upcoming LS polls?

It was just two weeks ago that Kerala Kaumudi diligently reported the alarming fact that 70 per cent of youngsters who turned 18 years old have not yet included their names in the voters' list.

Recognizing the dangerous impact and the consequences it can have on the upcoming elections, the State Election Commission has prepared a special action plan to include at least 25 per cent of the young people who are now absent from the voter list. The Election Commission's decision to tackle this concern is appreciable.

The most notable move in the action plan will be the participation of prominent movie stars who will take up awareness programs to influence youths to dutifully participate in the democratic process. The Chief Electoral Officer of the State has instructed the District Electoral Officers regarding the importance and urgency of the scheme and nodal officers have been appointed in all the districts for this purpose.

All these moves are praiseworthy. However, it would be naïve for anyone to judge the aversion shown by youths to elections as ignorance of politics and the democratic process in the country. Compared to the older generation, the current set of youths are better educated and have the knack to judge how politics is moving in the country.

The Election Commission has to perform technical functions to ensure a flawless election process. So, it is not up to the commission to change the mindset of the younger generation, but it should have been the duty of the political parties to take the youths into belief.

The higher education sector including universities and the Youth Commission should take the responsibility of educating the young generation about the perils and danger that will fall upon any democracy if they choose not to vote.

The youth wing of political parties should conduct friendly discussion sessions, especially for the younger generation in the country and should address the concerns put forward by them. Today’s politics reeks of nepotism and power-sharing where the common man struggles as an onlooker. The youngsters are better apprised about the situation so they feel too lethargic to participate in the mundane election process, which would invariably do them no good.

Just think about why younger people are paltry in politics these days. They have better things to do rather than ending up in a muddle that is now a concoction of power, misery. Loot, nepotism, murder, hate and whatnot.

The election commission's intervention in the issue gives hope, but it won’t be sufficient to rope in the youngsters to vote. Political parties have the final say in the issue. They should do the needy.