A. Orwell

It is crucial for
a vibrant democracy to have politically conscientious youths. When young people
are politically aware, they are better able to understand the world around
them. They critically analyze the positions of political parties, narratives,
and agendas. Rather than simply following trends, they thoroughly examine all
the facts and interrogate different narratives to form informed opinions and
make better judgments on critical issues. Conversely, those who are not
politically conscious are more vulnerable to being swayed by misinformation or
false narratives.

Before and during
the general election, many people who believed in democratic values,
constitutional morality, and strong institutions were concerned about the
backsliding of democratic values and norms and the transformation of
once-raucous democracy into a subdued democracy. Concerned citizens have
underlined the need to work together to rescue democracy.

In the general election, the people of India sent
a clear message—they still uphold the constitution, value diversity, and expect
politicians to work for their welfare and development.

The recent election result is unique – both
the Blocks are celebrating. The ruling party is celebrating three consecutive
terms in power, and the opposition is content with reducing the ruling party’s
majority and forcing it into a coalition government.

However, there is no room for complacency. If
we, as concerned citizens, want to see our country remain a functional
democracy with strong and autonomous institutions, we must remain engaged. It’s
not just about election campaigning; it’s about continuous, active
participation in the democratic process. We understand the concerns and share
the responsibility to uphold our democratic values.

The biggest concern is the depoliticization of
citizens in general and youth in particular. Youths are making and watching the
reels, and WhatsApp University has become the primary source of information,
turning them into foot soldiers of divisive politics. 

Moreover, I often hear that youth should stay
away from politics and focus on education and improving their livelihoods. Escaping
from politics in a democratic society is not a choice; here, politics does not
mean party politics. It is about being politically conscious and politically
aware. 

If youth are politically educated and provided
space and opportunity, they can meaningfully engage in shaping the political
discourse and can be the driving force behind a more inclusive and progressive
political landscape. Youth who are actively engaging with social media and
other platforms will not be mindless foot soldiers of vested interest and can
become agents for change for a better India.  

Role of active citizens and need of political and social
consciousness

Active citizen roles don’t end with voting in elections, and
active citizen means engaging in the political process discourse, questioning
harmful social norms, speaking on the matters that affect them, their community
and the country, making an informed choice and holding the people they have
chosen to account for. Register their protest if something is not going
right.  Influence policy that can improve
lives, demand accountability and be responsible citizens. A small act, no
matter in what form, by millions of people can transform the country.

Political and social consciousness is required to equip
citizens, particularly youths, to read between the lines, what is written and
what is left out, and the tone and tenure of the speeches of leaders, public
figures and the media.

For example, recently, a study “analyzed the
coverage under six themes – contextualization, language, framing, claims, the
undermining of Palestinian sources and the misrepresentation of pro-Palestinian
protesters – the research found that many news outlets have opted to present news from an Israeli
perspective, often with significant lapses in basic fact-checking and
verification’. The images, headlines and
expressions they used are in favor of Israel.

There are many studies done on the way media reports
rape or violence against women cases, often putting the blame on the victim,
why she was out in the night, questioning her dress, and why she was partying
late night with friends. Newspaper headlines, “A 20 year old college girl is
raped”, it doesn’t report, “A 60-year-old professor raped a girl”. At first
reading, you may not notice much difference in the framing; if you know how to
read between the lines, you may see the hidden patriarchy. Often, sexual
violence is sensationalized, dramatized and gives nauseating anatomical
details, hardly questioning social structural values, which puts the
women/girls in a disadvantageous position.

The placement of news has its politics—it is
not regular innocent work. There is a reason and decision made why some news
gets headlines and others on the fifth page in the small column.  

Let’s take another example. The media is full of debate on
meritocracy and how reservation has killed merit, but the same people were
happy when the EWS 10 percent reservation was announced. Merit never comes into
discussion. They are all happy. Do you know why? It needs deeper social and
political awareness of who shapes the agenda, who builds the narrative, and why
they do so.

Furthermore, after the JEE and NEET results, every year,
media and social media worriers highlight the reserved categories cutoff. This
year, the cutoff in one of the competitive exams for EWS was lower than the OBC.
There is no hue-and-cry.            

Language matters

Another example is how language matters in politics, policy
discourse, and reporting. When the government gives tax holidays or special
economic zones, it is called an incentive for economic growth. When the
government provides fertilizer to farmers at controlled prices, it is called
subsidized and demonized in the TV debate. Writing off a corporate loan is
reported for profit proficiency; farmers’ loan waivers burden the economy. Services
to the poor are freebies/ rewry; for the rich, it is good governance.

“Repeat a lie often enough, and it becomes the truth” This is
attributed to the Nazi Joseph Goebbels, who was the master of propaganda.
This comes true in the case of Muslim appeasement, and it is repeated so many
times that people, in general, started believing it. Muslim appeasement was a
propaganda construct, far from reality. Data shows Muslims are far behind other
communities in almost all social, economic and educational indicators. Only
through hard facts can this lie be debunked.  

It is crucial
to foster critical consciousness and encourage active engagement among
citizens, especially youths, in political, economic, social, and cultural
processes. Through engagement, education, and empowerment, we can instill in
citizens and youths the ability to comprehend reality, question/challenge
prevailing harmful norms, and drive them to take action for positive change –
leading to a more inclusive, just, and peaceful society for ALL.

In the words of Howard Zinn, You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train. So, be politically conscious.

Note: Author is a development professional working in child rights and policy and governance domain.

Image credit: Istockphoto.com