Through this column, I would like to enlighten my fellow Naga youths -the context of politics in our day today life. I’ am not an educationist or a writer, but as an aspirant political leader, I felt it as my bounden duty and responsible to share my opinion in this subject matter. The greatest challenge of transforming our society and the state lies with the youth, which has the power of ideas, ambition and ability. The resource of the youth is an important building block for transforming our state into a developed nation. Democracy is the buzz word for our political system. But let’s give a serious thought. Is it democracy that a nation where a majority of population is below 40 age who elect a majority of people above 60 to power? Are we really satisfied with the way our country and state is governed? Should it not bother us that at that very age, people generally retire and rest, but politician actually become eligible to be at the helm of affairs? Why is it so that people below 50 years are considered as political kids?
According to the census data, about two third of India’s 1.2 billion people are 35 or younger and half are 20 or younger. It is estimated that by 2020, the average age of an Indian will be 31, compared with 37 for China and 48 for Japan. When we refer back to last Lok Sabha elections, more than 20 percent of the 700 million eligible voters were 35 or younger. Our state desperately needs some young leaders who personify energy, enthusiasm, morality and diligence. No, doubt, we have progressed a lot in the last 47 years of statehood through the hard work of our past leaders in their own capacities, where today’s generation should acknowledge their noble deeds, but the development pace would have been different had some young torchbearers led the process of development. The difference between a young person and an old person is that a young person looks towards the future, whereas, an old person looks in the past.
It is worth mentioning that our present legislatures consist of some young leaders in the house of sixty (between the age group of 35-45)but that alone cannot fulfill the aspirations of thousands youths. There should be at least one third of youths legislature whom we could rely our future and bring changes of our political system in our state. It lies within ourselves, as to opt politics as a career or condemn the system while remaining mute spectators Nagas youths generally depends on a white collar job and if we fail in our first attempt, we condemned the politicians and the system for the messes and started hunting for easy money with degree in our hand, which ultimately pollute the society. We never aspire to become a political leader but consider and condemn politics as ‘Dirty’ rather than participating in it to abolished all the corrupt practices prevailing today.
Government are finding hard to create avenues for the unemployed youths due to lack of industries or any private sectors where employment opportunities can be generated and avail by the youths. We cannot blame the politician alone but out of our ignorant we landed in misery life. Nowadays, corruption poses a serious development challenge. In the political realm, it undermines democracy and good governance by flouting or even subverting formal processes. Corruption in elections and in legislative bodies reduces accountability and distorts representation in policy making; Corruption in judiciary compromises the rule of law; Corruption in public administration results in the unfair provision of services.
Generally, resources are siphoned off and the public office are bought and sold and at the same time, corruption undermines the legitimacy of government and such democratic values as trust and tolerance. In a democracy country, nothing can be more tragic where all politicians, people’s representatives are regarded as corrupt. But politicians alone cannot be blamed or corruption confined to their ranks only. It has become rampant in all aspects of life. It has literally entered every walk of life, every profession and in every area of activities. We are all guilty.
A full recognition of our democratic rights and responsibilities as citizens will automatically rid the system of corruption, criminalization, money power, muscle power and the like ills. Nagas are ignorant out of our simplicity and so today we are ultimate victims of it. We never bother to use or exercise our democratic rights and its values, which paves the way for all the prevailing corruption and its messes. In a democracy set up, the role and the responsibilities of the citizen are enormous. The tasks of nation building and economic development cannot succeed unless the citizens at large feel intimately involved to contribute our mite in every possible way. To give votes and leave everything upon the elected representatives alone can be most suicidal for us.
Our constant and organized vigilance over the conduct and activities of those elected leaders to public office is utmost important for corrupt free governance. Right to vote under universal adult franchise gives to every citizen an opportunity to participate in the democratic process and to select the government. This right must be used not only to operate and defend democracy but also to make it more effective and meaningful. Wake up to make our home state a better place to live in.
(The writer is Vice-President, District Congress Committee, Dimapur and is also the Convenor, Anti-Corruption Cell)
