The world’s largest democracy is going to Lok Sabha polls right now. There are 4.3 crore first-time voters this general election in India. And that is just one way of looking at youth power. In light of their share, young people are also critical stakeholders in all aspects of society and polity. Their energy, motivation and vision are essential assets for positive socio-political change and peace.

The youth as a collective are not only potential voters but have the ability to bring about reforms in the most sensitive situations. It is worth recalling that the first major attempt to bring in democracy in China involved young Chinese. In Burkina Faso youth initiatives helped overthrow a dictatorship and in South Africa, the youth united against apartheid.

In India the young people (between 18-24 years) have grown up in a free nation. They could be the harbingers of a new and modern society and polity. Most of them do not know the shackles that plagued the earlier generation. They are the “post-lib” generation- who are realists and want to find pragmatic solutions. As a result, they are savvy and aware. The percentage of youth (the 18-24 age group) 'very' or 'rather' interested in politics in India rose from around 35 per cent in 1990 to around 50 per cent in 2000, World Bank's World Development Report, 2007 notes, after analysing data from a World Values Survey.

Although the change is encouraging, the fact still remains that young people still are “fence-sitters” when it comes to the political processes. They only think of voting when it is made “cool” to do so. They still keep a far distance in being political leaders as the word ‘politics’ brings an unpalatable feeling in them. This has to change. Youth like us need to express and get active. So dear friends, do form an opinion on everything, express it and learn to lead. eCatalyst is one such platform which will provide you impetus to express.

We look forward to hearing from you- your opinions, essays, research papers or articles on such pressing issues at ecatalyst@ccs.in

In Liberty,

Yavnika Khanna
Editor, eCatalyst

http://letmeknow.wordpress.com: Started by CCS graduate, Nitin Rao, Let Me Know connects students across India with the best opportunities. Find exactly what you've been looking for - whether it's a writing contest or a business conference. As of now, Let Me Know has shared more than 425 opportunities and received over 270000 hits

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