Let us transform into a Young India
Let us transform into a Young India
Modi is only born after 1947 among all PMs
Politics – normally I call it a ‘poly-tricks’ as in politics, one must be expert in making behavior, actions and activities as per the requirement of the circumstances.
The other day when I was reading about the history of Prime Ministers – every Prime Minister has his own qualities right from the independence of India. But when run for a search to query as to how many of our PM have born in independent India, the answer would turn out to be only one incumbent – Narendra Modi born on September 15, 1950. He was elected as 15th and current Prime Minister of India in office since May 26, 2014 – a leader of the Bhartiya Janata Party who remained Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is Member of Parliament from Varanasi.
All other PM, right from Jawaharlal Nehru (1947-1964) born on November 14, 1889 at Allahabad to Manmohan Singh (2004-2014) on September 26, 1932 at Gha in Pakistan, have born before 15th August 1947.
Lot of country’s leaders, both at the Centre and States are old and presently the 65 per cent population of India is below 35 years of age and we can easily as Young India with world’s largest democracy.
There are certain startling facts wherein it is expected that by 2020, 325 million people in India will reach working age, which will be the largest in the world and it will come at a time when the rest of the developed world will be faced with an ageing population. It is estimated that by 2020, US will be short of 17million people of working age, China by 10 million, Japan by 9 million and Russia by 6 million. At the same time, India will have a surplus of 47 million working people.
This simple fact brings out an awkward characteristic of our democracy – which a lot of the country’s leaders, both at the center and states are old, and deceivingly so for a nation, which is the world’s largest democracy and most of that population is young.
No doubt, the leaders are democratically elected but we are still being ruled by the elders with a good percentage of youths in our country. In the coming elections it is expected that new faces of young generation, who are energetic and decisive, could lead the country as they are more practical keeping aside the vested political interest of the old timers.
Very unfortunate part in our country is that once in politics, always in politics and you neither die nor fade away. Hardly any repetition is required for the young generation to come forward in politics as lot has been spoken and written. We have seen that both at the Central and State levels, the key portfolios are kept to loyal veterans while the others are either accommodated as various heads of the departments or as junior ministers or the new post created as Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPS). In fact, there is definition for young or old in India and everyone who is active in politics – poly-tricks – is considered as active politician.
Frankly speaking, there are no clear answers to certain questions like the selection criteria. It is always made for the reasons of identity, loyalty, caste, language group, region and need to keep a balance of power of other contenders. The recent example of appointing Vijay Sampla the BJP Chief of Punjab State – a dalit candidate – keeping in view to allure the dalit voters in the coming assembly elections in early 2017. At the same time, elevation in politics is not considered to any conventional patterns of reasoning and this is the reason that politics offers no clarity.
There is a need to re-examine our ideas about age and capability so that the leader have the staying power, determination and will power to carry on. There may not be clear answers to my concept, but to see in its real sense of Young India – we have to see the replacement of spring chicken by transforming this huge young population into a boon rather than a bane, despite the fact that there are no clear answers.
