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Is it COOL to VOTE?
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Come election day and all roads will lead to the polling booths. But how many youngsters in the city will tread that road?
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ELECTIONS ARE round the corner and the battlelines have been drawn. As the election process gets under way, the poll frenzy sweeps across Thiruvananthapuram. Banners and hoardings stating the disparate ideologies of various parties have sprung up at every nook and corner of the city. The tone and tenor of the speeches have been set after numerous brainstorming sessions by party activists. Public relation firms have joined the bandwagon. For, it's winning votes that is uppermost on their minds. For some weeks now, candidates have been espousing party manifestoes in an attempt to woo Generation X. Come election day (E-Day) and all roads will lead to the polling booths. But how many youngsters in the city will tread that road?
How do the youngsters, who form a chunk of the electorate, react to the battle of the ballot? What do the first-time voters (FTVs) think about the election hullabaloo?
A quick chat with some students on the city campuses revealed some interesting views on politics, voting and the election fever.
Most youngsters, here, believe that voting is an important duty and feel happy to be part of the election process that will determine the country's future. "I will surely cast my vote. After all, in India we have a democratic system and it is very important to participate in the electoral process by exercising our right to vote," believes Sreeni Nair, a second year M.B.A. student of the Institute of Management at Palayam.
Youngsters like Yamuna Chandran, a first year LLM student of the Law Academy, believe they ought to do their bit to make a difference to the country. "I cast my vote for the Assembly and panchayat elections. This is the first time I'll be voting for the Lok Sabha elections and I'm looking forward to it, " says Yamuna.
Ken Sam Philip, a second year engineering student of Barton Hill Government Engineering College, feels, elections and voting are mere frivolous acts.
"I don't think a single vote can make a difference. So, why should I waste my time and money?" asks Ken, who belongs to the Adoor constituency.
Joju Kynady, a second year student of Law Academy Law College also agrees with Ken. "Our options are limited. Moreover, these days elections are all about choosing the best of the worst," says Joju.
R. S. Lakshmy, a final year degree student of Philosophy, Government Women's College and a first-time voter feels, "Casting the vote is one's fundamental duty and I'm eagerly waiting for the E-Day." Vinayak Y. Kammath, a final year B.Sc. Bio-Technology student of National College also feels it is important to exercise one's franchise.
So, what will their priorities be while heading for the polling booth?
"I always make it a point to vote keeping in mind the candidate who I think is the best, regardless of the political party he belongs to. As far as children of politicians are concerned, they should make it on their own steam," Yamuna says.
Sreeni, who is not impressed by any political party in particular, plans to "give priority to the image and charisma of the candidate."
Vinayak feels that the political affiliations of a candidate does matters. On the other hand, Lakshmy is of the view that the candidate's image or the party manifesto hardly matters when the votes are being cast. "I will vote for someone who is able to do something good for us regardless of the party he belongs to," she says.
"I'd love to cast my vote but my name has not been included in the voters list and do not have my voter's identity card either," says Shiny M. Salim, a final year LLB student, Government Law College, Thiruvananthapuram. "I wonder how many political parties are genuinely interested in the development of the country and the welfare of its citizens?" Anyone who believes India is shining is not aware of the reality, says Shiny. "If India were truly shining would so many people have been killed in carnages such as the one at Godhra? People in the rural areas are dying of malnutrition. India is definitely not shining. So how can the `India Shining' slogan be bandied about like this? Can the developments made over the past 50 years be discounted?"
Shiny is in no mood to cast her vote and has not bothered to get her name included in the voters list. "I'm spending my time preparing for an upcoming SSB exams. Why waste time casting my vote? The youth today are not gullible, they can think and decide for themselves," she reasons. An observation made by the college-goers is that some candidates who have a good deal of credibility and really want to do something for the welfare of society often find themselves in a fix, unable to do anything worthwhile owing to the limitations of the political parties.
The youngsters have a wish list that reads like this — "better academic infrastructure, maintenance of law and order, more employment opportunities, alleviation of poverty... " Most youngsters say that the promises made by the candidates during elections are implemented just before another.
A demand put forward by these youngsters was the need for including a `none-of-these' button on the electronic voting machines (EVMs). The Election Commission's suggestion to include such an option was rejected by the Government. This suggestion, many feel, should have been considered.
"I would go to vote if the `none of these' option is available on the EVMs," quips B. Balu, a research scholar on the Kariavattom campus of the Kerala University.
K. A. Aruna, a second year student of the Fine Arts College, thinks along similar lines. "I'm sure it is a good idea. It would bring more people to the poll booths as they can express their disapproval of the current choice of candidates," says Aruna.
Some others like Midhun Mohan, a second year student of the Law Academy Law College, do not find this idea favourable.
"If the EVMs have a `none-of-these' button it would be equivalent to casting an invalid vote. Why would a person go to the polling booth and waste time just to do this?" asks Midhun. Major political parties have roped in film stars and Page 3 socialites to woo the masses. But will the political parties benefit from these gimmicks? "Not at all," feels Sreeni. "Only youngsters who lack political awareness will fall for them. People with strong political convictions will not be distracted by such farce." Youngsters claim they are willing to root for anyone who's not a scion of a politician.
"The star value may attract the MTV generation but I don't think it will have much of an impact in Kerala. Political parties here probably know this," points out Lekshmy.
Some youngsters feel the presence of celebrities has reduced the seriousness of elections. "These antics have reduced the election process to mere entertainment. The serious issues have been sidelined," laments Aruna. Apart from celebrity stunts, major political parties are also banking on technology to reach the youth. Party activists are going hi-tech these days. They solicit votes through e-mails and SMSes. "But I doubt whether all this would have the desired impact on youngsters," avers Balu. The stage is all set for the much-hyped election. Candidates are well aware that campus votes cannot be dismissed lightly; these are the deciding factors on the E-Day.
But who can read the minds of the youth? Certainly not the candidates! For now, the candidates can only hope for a favourable turnout at the polling booths.
A. V. AADHARSH & SMITHA SADANANDAN
Photo: S. Gopakumar
Graphics: C. Swaroop Kumar
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