Cast votes sensibly, intelligently

The electoral process for India’s biggest ever general elections is already underway. Over the next six weeks more than half a billion Indians will go to 930,000 polling stations across the country to cast their votes for  the 16th general elections. However, unlike previous elections, the young and first time voters will likely to play decisive  role in the formation of next government. In fact it is the young and 120 million first time voters who will decide the  destiny of the nation for the next five years.

With growing level of political awareness in the country,  the participation of young people in the electoral process as well as in the Indian parliamentary elections though has seen an enthusiastic rise in the past few elections, their dedicated participation in the electoral process is still a far cry.

However, thanks to growing political awareness in the country, of late, educated people, intelligentsia and youths from various streams in the society are actively taking a plunge into Indian politics. Besides growing political awareness, their increased participation in the political system of the country has also been necessitated by  series of scams which rocked the country in the past few years, poor economic growth, lack of employment opportunities as well as  deteriorating law and order positions. Youths of today appear to get set to take a plunge into electoral politics and clear the rot that has set in our society as well as in our government machineries at various levels.

History is replete with examples that majority of the political leaders in our country were voted to power, notwithstanding their questionable credentials. This was obviously because of lack of political maturity of the people who by and large chose to vote on caste and religious lines, And once these leaders of questionable integrity and reputation got elected, they forgot about those who voted for them and indulged themselves in all kinds of unethical things in pursuit of  fame and money, hardly caring for their voters.

It is high time, the youth and first time voters of our country took a united stand to     oust those from power who brought disrepute to our society as well as our country and elect a leader who  can govern the country well, who can arrest ills of our society, who can provide jobs to  our unemployed youths, who   can protect our  women, girls, who can provide equal opportunities to all sections of the  society to prosper and grow, who can curb inflation, who can arrest phenomenal price rise the country has witnessed in the recent past.

The current  general elections have provided a great opportunity to our youths to make use of their voting rights sensibly, intelligently and cast their votes for only those whom they think can deliver goods  and who can govern the country well.