Youths in Politics

By: Prem Prasad Sigdel

Youth involvement in politics in our country is often ignored issue though it should have been promoted. Some of the youths have involved in politics due to their ‘end’ chance from other sectors. The expected involvement of ethical and knowledgeable youths in politics is lack far behind. We have found only some ethical and enthusiastic leaders in politics unlike the persons who have involved in dacoits, leaders of gangsters and the persons who haven’t seen any potentiality of them and would follow leaders only to be a leader.

We need such youths who have deep understanding of politics and the knowledge and skill for development. They must have enthusiasm like the youth of Chekhov’s character Leda. Leda is the main character of The House with the Mansard who has influenced the whole story with her political consciousness. Among his stories, this story has remained the Nepalese context in a vivid way. It seems as if he had guessed the Nepalese context in some sense which also proves the intellectual soothing of the talent writer. The story has explained various perspectives in a setting in which we can find love, conflict, politics, pride and selfishness.

Among them I am going to takes political theme which the antagonist is going to fight against a dictator. Leda was a girl of 24 who initiated to fight against the unsystematic nepotism in politics of her district. Balagin was the person who had ‘got the whole district into his hands’ along with the school of Leda where she had been teaching. She wanted to revolt against him and was successful at last.

The narrator of the story had followed her in pursuit of love whereas he got despise from her as the girl had been pursuing her motto of social service. She was a famous social worker who had initiated campaign of health and education in her country side. She wanted to make her society ahead with her campaign of health and education. She admitted that that one should ensure health and education to the people who had been living in remote parts of the country. It could be a better foundation of development according to her and she had been pursuing her motive at any cost.

On the other hand the narrator was an artist and he has also tried to value his artistic works. Leda and the narrator seemed to promote their jobs with their own efforts but they had conflict as they couldn’t accept each other’s ideas. They always engaged in discussion and were great enemy at the end of the story due to their pride. The narrator didn’t like medicine and education whereas Lead didn’t prefer art; so the conflict came to the surface when they didn’t accept each other.

However, Leda influenced the story as she was one of the confident, stout, good looking, logical and practical girls. Her father had passed away and she had to take care of her little sister and mother. She was ready to fulfill her responsibility so that mother and sister didn’t reject her ideas. Mother wanted her to marry but she couldn’t say anything to her. On the other hand, Leda had pursued political or societal issue first instead of her private life.

She had a headlong purpose to bow down the nepotism of Balagin as he “has put his nephews and sons-in-law into all the district posts, and does whatever he likes”. Leda said that “we must resist. We young people ought to make up a strong party”. The socio-political context of the late 19^th century Russia and ours is same. Leda had seen the need to form political party of youths. The youths like the narrator had problem as they didn’t have any interest in politics rather they would prefer love.

The scenario of our country has also same if we evaluate the present context of politics. Mostly the youths have no attraction towards national politics and administration. The competent persons have no interest at all those who have interest in politics is for petty benefit only. Or those who have been rejected from other fields or who don’t have potentiality of doing anything would be leader carrying their bags. They have lacked the knowledge related to politics and ideas for the development.

Mostly the persons would like to fight in Public Service Commission when they don’t have opportunities in other fields. We have seen that those who don’t have any opportunities or those who don’t have potentiality to do anything would involve in politics and administration. They have the concept that the job would be permanent and they would get pension. They don’t have any concern for the development of the nation. On the other hand, the work of administrators would follow the plans and policies of the politicians only. So we need a good, concise leader to lead the country ahead.

The persons who failed in examination would involve in politics when they didn’t have any other possibilities. Those who don’t feel shame of running after the leaders carrying their bags would be attracted towards politics. On the other hand, the qualification of our politics is that the young cadres should carry the bags of the old leaders. Their commitment and dedication is measured with the time they have given to the leaders.

Those who have got knowledge of national development or who can have independent decision or who don’t’ favor flattery wouldn’t get attracted. We have seen the persons who have been roaming around the politicians have made politics their yielding. The self-dependent and ethical persons wouldn’t fit in Nepalese politics at all. Those persons have been spending luxurious life style without any job or enterprise. We can easily guess about their illicit activities with the above example. They are always voracious to get money from the leaders or they would carry their bags to get sustained.

In this way, they have damaged the norms of politics which is just opposite of the character of the story Leda. We can find the combination of mediocre persons in politics and administration so the development of the country is far back. Those who have no potentialities are the politicians and those who have no decisive power are the officials. Hence the country has been running with this weak manpower. The development of Nepal is thus not possible as we don’t include to those who have knowledge, ethics, skills, decision making power in politics.

If we take example of Leda she was a girl of enthusiasm and skills; or she doesn’t give space to those who don’t have social concept. The narrator had gone to her to get love rather she proved herself as one of the conscious, socialize and decisive girl. She wanted to challenge the existing norms of the society so that she challenged Balagin and his system in the district. She wanted to challenge him unlike the Nepalese youths who have involved in politics. She also invited the narrator to go to her school and fight against Balagin and his regime. Balagin is equal to our political leader who has influenced the whole district. We can find the elements of our society in the story regarding politics, not Leda. Thus we need Leda to change the system of our politics and the youths. Our system has taken vicious circle so the country is always back.

At last, Leda was able to ‘black-balled’ Balagin from the Zemstvo school. It was possible only when she was committed to her dream to defeat the dictator. She presented a good example that one should fight against the nepotistic to get positive change in the society. If we can learn from her, we can guide our country towards progression. Till this time youths have done nothing in our country; rather they are the supporters of Balagin. If we count the date, we are 200 years back in comparison to the Western world. To change Nepal from the present context we need the leaders like Leda.

I also involved in politics in my student life thinking to change the society or to make the nation prosperous. I didn’t prefer the behaviors of the seniors that they would wait in campuses or Universities till they become old. I got despise in politics as it was a game of blessing or even begging. Those who don’t involve in other jobs wouldn’t realize the ethics of work or the real context of the people and the nation. Unless we don’t work with the common people, we can’t understand the real situation of the worker, working condition, situation of the nation as a whole. The politicians should have known the socio-political context of the nation, rather than following the leaders and their illicit activities.

Our youth leaders have been waiting so long to get any position. For example, the leader of students would cross 50 years of age. They have been waiting chance in politics like the fox following an ox. We can see a true example of Nepal Students’ Union leaders who are going to contest in the coming election. Thus the condition of leaders is too much miserable, ironic, sarcastic, and shamefulness. David Cameroon, the ex-Prime Minister of UK retired before 50 years from politics after completing two tenures of Prime Minister; whereas our student leaders would contest in students’ union election after 50 years. Do they feel hesitation that they have spend time for nothing? Is it the waste of valuable life or not? What will they contribute for the nation of being useless towards the end of their life?

We need such persons who could bring change in the society with their conscience, skill, ideas and so on. We need the persons who can have future vision to build the nation. The combination of the mediocre people in administration and politics would contribute nothing to the nation. The real revolutionary and decision making people have been engaged in different jobs themselves. They wouldn’t be attracted to politics due to obsession. Unless we can’t promote the forgotten citizens in politics and administration, we can’t get any progression of the nation with idle persons. The present problem is the outcome of the shamelessness nature of the Nepalese youths and the ignorant of the capable persons.