POLITICS FOR GENEXT!

IS POLITICS A VIABLE CARRER ALTERNATIVE FOR GENEXT?

An emphatic YES! Allow me to elaborate:

On one hand India is a young nation. The average age of India today is a youthful 27 yrs! 50% of India is born after 1983. Their needs, wants, requirements in all areas that affect their day-to-day being are driven differently. These areas, when tabulated & understood fall into one of these 9 categories: Social, Political, Agricultural, Cultural, Educational, Industrial, Economic, Security & Health Care.

On the other, what we have witnessed in India over the past 60 years is quite the opposite. Sample this: The 1st Lok Sabha had just 1 MP in the age group 71-90yrs & 86MP’s in the 56-70yrs. The corresponding figures for the 14th LS are 38 & 201! And a man dominated one at that. Clearly Male Geriatric Politics is unabashedly nurtured in Indian political system. Result? Regressive policies, ridiculously outdated definitions on morality, mismatched & archaic education system, ancient laws to check contemporary crimes, non-existent women health care, gender atrocities falling to abysmal levels to female foeticide & infanticide, economic & physical squalor, lack of will and energy in doing, intensive inertia in moving ahead with times, etc are things we see around us everyday. The decay in governance is almost total.

Reason? Whether it is the pot hole on our roads, or terror strikes, or water shortage, power shortage... there is one common thread that runs thru all this. And that of Systemic Failure. The reason behind this is that winning elections has become an end in itself. Often this is achieved by wily, dubious means, manoeuvring the system that has gone unchecked for decades. Unenlightened, uneducated, insensitive people who have nothing but personal agendas to pursue are sitting in decision implementing positions, making laws that you & i have to follow. There is no accountability, no responsibility of position at all. At the same time, the middle class youth have stayed away from active politics. It's “ uncool” factor added to more of them staying away.

The steady decline in the quality of political managers, at all levels of governance, on account of dynasty, candidate winnability, goondaism & money power, sycophancy, fudged voter list, unimplemented EC Rules (49-O), is so complete that none want to get into this cesspool. For the common youth, whether it is the administration, executive or judiciary, in all these 3 vital arms of governance, faith in being assisted at the ‘first point of contact’ is non-existent. The rot is complete! Politics is degenerated into a ‘dirty’ word. Nobody wants to even talk about ‘dirty politics’ let alone foraying into it.

And the youth of India has only watched in horror. Many are fleeing. Many more are disinterested & even frightened to seize the runaway bull by the horn. Others revel in their own stupor of not wanting to look beyond their nose tips. Yet some bravehearts are voicing their anger, anguish, frustration thru street marches, gheraos, candle light walks, protests and the sorts.

The question is what next?

Emotions die out. Frustrations continue and we learn to cope with it. Candles burn out. Energies sap. Marches get us nowhere close to being heard. Violent protests get us into jail. And the average middle class youth, progressive minded, educated, well meaning, with reasonable awareness does not go around molesting girls in pubs for cheap publicity!

The way out is only ONE. Thru the ballot, into the System.

Competent and professionally qualified youth with the right skills MUST take to politics & good governance fearlessly and proactively. Openly discuss political issues. Stage protests & andolans. Conduct debates. Hold street plays. Host TV shows to throw up worthy names as candidates. Stand up for rights. Demand explanations on accountability of public resources used. Take up credible courses in public administration, governance & urban development. Contest elections on credible political platforms such as PPI. Win seats. Get into the System. Reach decision implementing positions. Raise progressive bills. Argue in favour of their benefits. Make them into laws. Drive Systemic Change. Make the system efficient & effective enough to deliver so as to positively impact the quality of life of the last Indian at the very bottom of the stack!

This is possible. Very achievable. Remember politics is not dirty, the politician has made it look that way to keep us away from it! Mahatma Gandhi was a politician, but he was clean. "Politics is inextricable from my being", he said.

PPI believes that young Indians must consider politics as a viable career option just for one reason. Better Governance. “I am for better Governance” should be the mantra ringing the air incessantly till change occurs!

Professionals Party of India is the answer to the youth of today, showing them the way out of the mess we are in. Join the movement. Come, let’s reclaim our India.

Jai Hind. Jai Ho!

Regards & Prayers

Girish Deshpande
Core Group Member & Media Coordinator
Professionals Party of India
www.ppi.net.in
Action for Better Governance!