Since the founding of the Republic of India, it has maintained the status of a vibrant democracy and is widely regarded as one of the most stable countries in the region. Credit for this stellar democratic record rightly goes to our past and present citizens. However, multiple avenues remain for us to further deepen our democratic values and increase the degree of public participation in the political process.
On India’s 78th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi poignantly addressed this issue, calling for an additional 1 lakh Indian youth, who lack a political background, to enter active politics. The Prime Minister’s message has undoubtedly stuck a chord with the public. It is evident that the entry of next generation citizens into the world of Indian politics is vital for the health and continuation of India’s democratic traditions. It is equally apparent that such an outcome will not be possible in the absence of sufficient ‘opportunity’ and ‘guidance’ from existing political stakeholders. Involvement in Indian politics is accompanied by significant sociopolitical hurdles, which have served to deter many passionate citizens in past decades.
Foremost among these hurdles is the proliferation of dynastic politics, even embodied by the dynasty of our very first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. ‘Parivar vaad’ and the passing of political power down the generations of establishment families has created substantial barriers for those without political connections. Exacerbating this issue is the continued preference for seniority and political experience over the vitality and ideas that younger minds can bring. Many passionate young citizens without political connections are also aspiring career professionals and hope to contribute to India’s blossoming $4 trillion economy armed with a 21st century skillset. This also limits their ability to take the risks associated with political careers unless such options are ‘professionalised’ to a greater extent.
Further, existing platforms for political engagement are also limited, as is general awareness about present opportunities for political engagement. While some fellowships, internships and professional opportunities, such as legislative assistances for Members of Parliament, have been introduced over the years, these are largely concentrated at the central level in New Delhi and lack the scale necessary to bring about a change in India’s political landscape. In any case, the induction of new youth should not be confined to the inadequate opportunities focused on elite centers of power. Talented and motivated youngsters are sorely needed to support activity at the gram panchayat and State Government levels, and everywhere in between.
While discussing the issue of limited opportunities, it is crucial to address the heightened difficulties for women and persons from India’s many marginalized communities, for whom access to existing opportunities can be completely out of reach. It is ultimately up to India’s political class and numerous political parties to create an enabling environment for the Prime Minister’s vision to succeed. To resolve the ‘opportunity’ issue, parties may introduce a variety of new professional opportunities and even dedicated platforms for engagement. This may take the form of ‘Young Professionals Forums’, think tanks and policy research units which can enable local, state and national level contributions in the fields of economics, technology, healthcare, and law. Initiatives like these would also serve as effective avenues for new inductees to receive mentorship from established politicians on potential career pathways in politics.
A structured apprenticeship based model may be devised in political parties for senior party post holders to nurture new leaders and teach them the ropes. To resolve the issue of ‘access’, these opportunities should be equitably structured, and designed to encourage greater participation from women and marginalized groups. Parties must also improve grassroots recruitment campaigns and public communications on professional opportunities to maximize engagement from marginalized groups. A good step in this direction is the recently launched nation wide membership drive of the Bharatiya Janata Party to induct members across varied age groups and demographics of the country.
Scaling-up new political opportunities requires parties to expend significant additional resources on induction and training. However, resource constraints should not be allowed to dictate the fate of professionalization initiatives. This is where government has a crucial role to play in providing capacity-building opportunities for interested young professionals to develop knowledge in policy issues and awareness around governance matters. Existing platforms such as the digital SWAYAM and SWAYAM Plus can be used to roll out certificate courses with attached credits.
Organized paid-internship or research opportunities at Councilor or MLA offices can be leveraged to provide knowledge certification on subjects like public policy and administration. Such projects can create funnel points to streamline induction of educated and aware youth into political spaces. Lastly, India’s vast demographic dividend has the most important role in realizing the Prime Minister’s vision, through active participation. Presently, young Indians passionate about politics can already explore and create, to create a dynamic eco-system of political consultancies at grassroots level, bringing a ‘start-up’ culture into the political domain.
This can nurture and channel the energy of India’s youth towards political engagement and nation building. The blueprint described here requires action from all key stakeholders, i.e. youth, political parties and the government by harnessing the unique capabilities they possess. This plan for inducting 1 lakh new youth is not just a matter of representation, but a vital necessity for the rejuvenation of our democratic processes. However, for this potential to be fully realized, it is imperative that systemic barriers to participation are dismantled and that political institutions become made more inclusive and supportive of young voices.
(The writer is a lawyer and Trustee, IFIM Institutions and Vijaybhoomi University/)