Young voters in India are concerned about community spirit, corruption and unemployment

For 18-year-old Skandha Dev, a first-time voter from Kerala, communal disharmony and women’s safety will be two of her top considerations when she votes on April 26. Referring to the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the violence in Manipur, she says she would prefer a government that makes everyone feel ‘included’.

Skandha is among the 18 million first-time voters in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which are currently underway. In an effort to understand what drives the political choices of Indian youth, TNM spoke to several young voters and asked what their concerns were. Some of the top concerns of the youth are inter-communal violence, attacks on women, unemployment and corruption.

“We live in a country where women were paraded naked and publicly abused in Manipur. Violence against women is increasing every day and I want a government that will take adequate action against such crimes,” said Skandha. She added that she will choose the candidate based on the constitutional values ​​of the political party to which the individual belongs. “Because ultimately the decisions are made collectively.”

Secularism for victory

“I think it’s a scary time for our country. From the CAA to the Prime Minister’s statement on Muslims in a recent speech shows how India is losing its secular values,” said Namra Syed, another young voter from Kerala. “The Constitution provides religious freedom to the citizens, and separates the state from any religion as our country is home to diverse religious groups. But acts like CAA, which discriminate against Muslim migrants, are against our constitutional values. Elections are the only way the country will still be democratic,” she added.

Dattatraya Datta from Assam says he is against CAA as it affects the identity of the Assamese people. “For the rest of India, CAA is a different scenario. But in Assam it is the question of identity. Implementation of the law could lead to an influx of Bangladeshi migrants, resulting in further depletion of employment opportunities for the indigenous population,” he said.

India is the world’s largest democracy, and its constitution declares the country a “sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, but I don’t think so anymore,” said Abhirami Nair, a journalism student. “We are heading to a point where the nation is no longer a socialist, sovereign, secular democracy. Whether it is the celebration of a place where communal riots have taken place or the targeted hatred against the minority, I will definitely keep these in mind as I vote.”

Vaishnavi is unhappy with the mixing of religion in politics and says she will go for None Of The Above (NOTA). The first-time voter from Karnataka thinks it is not from one party. “People need to learn to keep religion separate from politics,” she says.

Born in Arunachal Pradesh, Vivek Sangcho also believes that discrimination based on religion threatens the democratic values ​​of our country, and it is important for youth to be politically aware. “Many have no insight into social issues and blindly join parties. This leads to uninformed participation, allowing corrupt leaders to manipulate them. With awareness, young people can recognize problems, make informed decisions and make wise choices,” he says. He believes his vote is a tool to hold public officials accountable and demand the necessary reforms to create a fairer and more inclusive society.

More jobs, less corruption

“I have seen my seniors, they cannot get a permanent job. That worries me,” said Sai Teja, who is getting ready to vote for the first time from Andhra Pradesh.

Unemployment is a critical issue that has been worrying the country’s youth for some time now. According to the government’s Periodic Labor Force Survey, the country experienced its highest unemployment level in 45 years in 2017-2018. Even though the official unemployment rate fell from 2018, educated youth continue to suffer and this has now become an electoral issue.

“Most people want to leave India, and I think we as a nation need more employment opportunities. People prefer to move because they want to be well settled, which they believe is not possible in our country. And even people who have jobs are not happy with the wages,” says Abhirami.

A corruption-free India is another pressing issue being discussed among the youth. With the revelation of the Electoral Bond data, the details of huge political donations are open to all, and voters who have examined the data say it is “problematic”.

“For example, there is a company called Vedanta Ltd. It is under scrutiny for violating India’s energy laws. Such a company financing our political parties and the leaders we elect is problematic,” said Dattatraya. He adds that companies like Future Gaming and Hotel Services, which are on the run from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), are funding political parties as an easy way out to evade raids. It raises a big question about the nature of the donations to these parties.

“Under the BJP and the Congress,” says Navya Modaliar from Karnataka, “the BJP will come to power because I feel the party represents India at the global level.” She also adds that the developments a candidate brings and their past contributions are some of the categories she will consider when voting.

Water on priority

The young voters are also concerned about their regional issues and are looking for a candidate who will better represent their constituency at the national level. Karnataka voter Srishti R Jois says she would choose the candidate who also cared more about North Karnataka, and not just Bengaluru. According to her, the ongoing discussion about the water crisis only receives attention because it takes place in the capital. “But northern Karnataka has been struggling to access water for years and the politicians have not cared even after many complaints. Although some solutions are being given, they are not being implemented properly in north Karnataka,” she said.