THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : ‘‘However good a Constitution may be, if those who are implementing it are not good, it will prove to be bad. However bad a Constitution may be, if those implementing it are good, it will prove to be good," B R Ambedkar once said. With the election around the corner, youngsters in the city are standing true to the quote.Arjun S Nair, an 18-year-old student at the University College, feels it is the charisma and the power of the person that matters and not the party.
"The agenda put forward by the party was the primary factor for voting. Now manifestos are secondary and the individual and his or her ideas and contributions towards the society matter the most. It is going to be my first vote and I believe that only a strong individual can make a difference," he said.
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Arjun also pointed out the increase in the number of actors standing for elections as they have more acceptability and likability among the public nevertheless of their party. For Prajish A, an advert film-maker, it is about individuals who have excelled in the art of taking action regardless of the circumstances.
Similarly, Rohini M, S N College, Chempazhanthy, supported the thought by saying even though she follows the ideologies of a different party she wants a candidate from another party to win as she finds him the perfect icon who could represent the state at the national level. Anu Unny, a doctor, opined that the personality of a leader matters. "There are politicians who have switched between parties but still win the elections. This happens because people have immense trust in their individual capabilities than the party they represent," she said.
According to Ananshwera P K, a civil engineering student, College of Engineering, Sreekariyam, a detailed analysis of the candidate is what she focuses on. "My political views are neutral, I don't support any party but I do support individuals," she said. Advocate Chandrapal Thanackal said in the near future, only parties which can support youth can survive. "Social media platforms are flooded with campaigning and for youngsters, it is about a new change which is positive," he said.
On the contrary, A Ashweny a research student, feels even if the individual is good but the agenda of the party represented remind vapid, there is no point in voting for the individual. In the same vein, Naufal N, a Phd student in politics from the Karyavattom Campus stressed on the fact an individual cannot be controlled but a party can be. "A party has a set of ideologies on which it is rooted in, an individual who represents the party will also carry the same set of agendas. But strong and powerful individuals can even make a difference in the way ideologies has been set up," he said.