An Indian mind, at any given time, is subconsciously consumed with two things: Bollywood and politics.
Our interactions are dominated by these two pillars of Indian life in between college lectures, library sessions for assignments due, huge presentations for meetings, the upcoming chunk of manual labour, the upcoming client at your tea stand, and the upcoming meeting to be held in your cabin. Politics and Bollywood never change, no matter who you are or where you're from. We aspire to be as big as these larger-than-life characters and worship them. We aspire to live bigger lives similar to those we watch on television; we want to be Shah Rukh Khans and Narendra Modis. We are a nation of 1.5 billion people under 35, all of us with bright, glowing hearts.
I set out to locate India's youngest lawmakers in early 2018, a year before the general election that was expected to have the biggest proportion of younger voters ever. I was interested in learning about their causes, goals, and unique characteristics. There were two categories of politicians: dynastic families and student radicals. Like so many Indians, I pondered this question during my fieldwork and student activism. Would I ever want to get involved in political politics? Like many young people, I sincerely love my country and want to see it achieve its utmost potential while also being acutely aware of the problems that prevent it from doing so.
Was entering politics the solution to this ingrained need to take action for my country? If there was, then how do I join? The solution for those of us without the paraphernalia to support this wild ambition has always been student and youth activism and politics. However, certain political voices are hell-bent on shutting down this avenue of political entry for those like us by demonizing student politics and undermining democracy.
The same organizations that today demonize and denigrate student activism and political participation neglect the fact that these behaviors are the foundation of their very existence. Today's ruling parties, the BJP and RSS, have a history of supporting student movements, particularly during Indira Gandhi's tenure as prime minister during the emergency period. One such student who popularized the transition from student activism to a political career was the late Arun Jaitley, who is still regarded as one of the most successful student activists turned politicians. Today, we require the education, stage, and political sensitization offered by a vibrant student electoral politics environment to create new leaders.
But it’s important to note that student activism doesn’t exist to produce political leaders: it is the soul of India’s birth and existence. The Indian independence movement included multiple youths and student organizations, and student activism created not only the Nehru’s and Gandhi’s of the world but people in business like Dhirubhai Ambani.
Junagarh had long demanded constitutional changes and regional public representation, giving rise to the Praja Mandal agitation, which became much more tumultuous following Indian independence. To quell the demonstrations, the ruling Nawab resorted to establishing a reign of terror. When he was in his teens, the founder Ambani not only joined the movement but also recruited some students to paint messages on the town's walls in the dead of night. He created, painted, and scrawled posters in secret hiding places, carried out leaflet distribution from his school bag while concealing forbidden publications like Janmabhoomi and Navajeevan beneath his shirt.
Politics isn’t just for politicians or political parties but for every citizen it impacts. It has been and continues to be essential for democracy.
The notion that students should solely concentrate on their study and not become distracted by political participation is today openly mocked by those in positions of power. But why education must be described as only including what is taught from books "within" the classroom needs to be questioned of these critics. Democratic activities like running for student government and planning protests, dialogues, and rallies shouldn't be classified as distinct from the traditional "book-to-brain" educational model. Participating in such activities fosters the critical thinking that education seeks to foster.
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