
NEW DELHI: "These are not freebies but basic rights that we rightfully deserve,” said one of the students at University of Delhi when asked if the vast array of ‘freebies’ up for grabs are lucrative enough for students to come out and vote for on Feb 5.
In the past few weeks, all three major political parties have been actively targeting Delhi youth by announcing several ‘welfare schemes’ concerning students.
While BJP announced free education from “KG to PG”, Congress has announced Rs 8,500 under the Yuva Udan Yojana. AAP, too, has announced financial assistance to children from the Dalit community for pursuing higher education abroad and 50% concession in Delhi metro.
However, the students in Delhi institutions have a different perspective when it comes to ‘manufactured issues’ and ‘actual demands’. Rishita, a student at DU’s St Stephen’s College, said, “Announcing freebies should be against the morality of politics, but unfortunately, parties go harping about it. They should rather address some real issues. Do they really know what we are facing under the New Education Policy? Seven subjects and a practical is, well, quite impractical. Go out on the streets and see how polluted the city is. Political parties should get practical instead of making overwhelming promises.”
A student named Rehan, preparing to cast his first vote, said, “In the larger scheme of things, freebies can play a significant role in upliftment of certain sections, but sometimes, it is just bad economics.” Citing the ‘50% concession in metros’ promise, Rehan said, parties need to decide who their prospective voter is: “I hardly spend `30 everyday for a metro ride to come to college. How will this 50% concession affect me?”
Most students, however, disagreed with the word ‘freebie’ saying some of the promises made were actually basic necessities citizens deserve, and such announcements should not be used as a political tool to lure masses, especially the youth.
Talking about ‘free bus ride for students’ proposed by AAP, a first year graduate student Zoha said, “Whether as a woman or a student, if I am permitted the option to take a free bus ride, I would not chose to do it, because I know there will be some people on the bus who will make the atmosphere unsafe for me. I also think there is no harm in making announcements, but they should ensure that the policies are implemented properly.”
Voicing a similar sentiment, one of the presidential candidates in DU students’ union election 2024, Savvy shared how travel and accommodation are two major concerns for most varsity students.
“We as students have to bear the brunt and in this case, going out to vote is the only solution,” she added.