With the Modi wave gaining strength throughout India, the nation seems to be undergoing a revival of sorts. The ideology of the masses, especially the youth, is evolving steadily. As the nation changes gear, there is a renewed zeal amongst young Indians. Gone are the days when citizens were manipulated on the basis of false promises and empty words. Today’s youth is shrewdly observant and much more aware of how things work at all levels. The 17th Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections that were held last month prove that the political dynamics are changing in India.
The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a landslide victory by a majority of 325 seats out of the total 403 in the elections. Despite the fact that the Party did not announce a chief ministerial candidate beforehand, they managed to keep the odds in their favour by capitalising mostly on the brand value of their leader, Mr Narendra Modi. Why and how they managed to win the people over may be understood with regards to what the BJP proclaimed to offer to the people of Uttar Pradesh. BJP’s manifesto (Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra- Pledge for People’s Welfare) for the 2017 Election included free Wi-Fi in colleges and universities, funds for the Baba Ambedkar fund, 24×7 electricity in all houses, better public transport facilities, special focus on women/widows/girl child issues, loans at 0% interest rate for farmers, strict action against criminals and corrupt people, freedom from caste bias, special privileges to students, and employment opportunities for the youth amongst various others.
The revolutionary steps taken by the Government under the leadership of PM Narender Modi have compelled the nation to believe that the BJP shall fulfil its promises. The Demonetisation drive and the surgical strike on the Indo- Pak border were used by the BJP to promulgate the Prime Minister’s image as a leader with great potential in regards to pro- development measures for the nation. The youth seems to have been impacted by these measures, which is apparent in the voter turnout as well as election result during the U.P. election.
With the radical changes brought in India by Narendra Modi, the young guns of India are reassessing the workings of the political system. They are looking out for dynamic leaders who will bring about the desired changes by implementing the right policies in the right manner. The BJP has been able to project significant progress for the nation and taken charge of critical situations ever since it has come to power. The youth desire to see actions being taken, rather than hear fake promises. They aspire to look beyond religion and castes. In recent years, it has been observed that Indians are giving more importance to social and economic development instead of upliftment of selected castes and communities. Literacy has increased, and so has awareness among the youth. They seek improvement in more concrete aspects of life such as jobs, security, higher education, and stable lifestyles.
The youth of the nation are no longer impressed by biased behaviour or selective advantages by the political leaders towards any particular caste or community. In a constantly evolving world, they feel left out in their own nation due to the lack of proper facilities in terms of education and employment. The youth have faith in their potential and the nation, but not in the ones who run it. High levels of corruption, unfair reservations, and dirty politics infuriates the able youth, who feel hopelessly dissatisfied with the current situation in India. The present generation believes that electing a stable Government shall help realise their dreams of well- developed educational institutions, more job opportunities, higher wages, and job security. In this aspect, if a Government or a leader lives up to his words, the youth are bound to place their trust in him/her, as was demonstrated in the election results.
The impact of the youth in political and economic matters is too significant to not be taken into consideration. India is one of the youngest nations in the world, where 65 per cent of the population is under the age of 35. Their decision will surely account as majority, especially in political matters. They are not just the current workforce, but also the very future of our nation.
The youth are done with suffering in silence. They demand their rights and they demand it now.
