Writer Banjagere Jayaprakash appeals to the youth to actively participate in electoral politics

Writer Banjagere Jayaprakash lamented that the youth had been inactive with regard to electoral politics and thereby contributed to the weakening of democracy — a system meant to ensure political equality — after inaugurating a seminar on B.R. Ambedkar’s thoughts and the youth, in Shivamogga on Tuesday.

Many young people, Mr. Jayaprakash said, hardly cast their votes during elections. They seldom think of political parties and candidates or choose the leader who could ensure human dignity to all, he added. “A majority of the youth are busy deciding who is the best actor, or busy discussing who is trending among the Bollywood actresses. Questions like who should be the Prime Minister or the Chief Minister have become topics out of the prescribed syllabus,” he remarked.

This lackadaisical approach of the youth, the writer stated, would imply that they were not serious about the political equality that the Constitution propagates. The youth should contribute to the strengthening of democracy by actively participating in electoral politics; similarly they should strive towards achieving social equality, which the ruling governments alone could not ensure, he said. “With the country’s freedom, the government changed, but the society remained the same. To change this, every individual should treat the other as a fellow traveller, giving up the age-old sectarian or casteist views towards each other. This is possible through understanding Ambedkar’s thoughts,” he added.

Further, Mr. Jayaprakash said the central focus of Ambedkar’s thoughts was that of one individual human being. He considered every individual as a unit, and on that basis, he framed his views on democracy, the fight against casteism, the nation state and other issues, the writer stated. “Ambedkar argued that an individual should not be viewed as part of a community as the prevailing social hierarchy discriminates against certain communities. Hence, the Constitution gave the highest importance to the individual being. As an individual, a person can choose his religion, pick a political ideology, and also go for a companion of his liking,” he said.

Kuvempu University Registrar A.L. Manjunath, B.R. Ambedkar Study Centre director Nallikatte Siddesh, Sahyadri Science College principal N. Rajeshwari, and others were present. The one-day seminar was jointly organised by the B.R. Ambedkar Study Centre of Kuvempu University, the B.R. Ambedkar Research and Training Centre in Bengaluru, and Sahyadri Science College in Shivamogga.