KOLLAM: Even as political awareness among youth is on the rise, many in Kerala do not consider voting their responsibility. A lot of youngsters claim that distance deters them from voting while others are disillusioned with political parties and governments.
In Kerala, a total of 4,66,408 voters are between the ages of 18-19, with 2,34,707 male and 2,31,701 female voters. Within the age group of 20-29, a total of 45,72,783 voters, with 22,89,584 male and 22,83,121 female voters are eligible to vote, according to the official data of Election Commission of Kerala.
Jaivin Joy Eapen, an IT Professional from Kottayam who works in Chennai says, "I won't travel to Kerala for elections alone. I will travel only if there are other personal requirements to be fulfilled alongside. In that case I can plan accordingly. The main reason is transportation cost, as return flight charges for one person would come to around Rs 9,000."
According to Jaivin, after spending such a huge amount there are no viable returns. He is also not sure if the company will sanction leave for the same. "Now everything is digital and we have a unique ID like Aadhaar. There should be facilities to vote online which would be much easier instead of being physically present at the polling booth, spending huge sums," Jaivin opined.
At the same time there are youngsters who feel they should use their right to exercise their franchise wisely.
"Till now my vote was in Tamil Nadu and this is the first time I'll vote in Kerala. Personally, I am not very keen on a government continuing in power. So I'll be voting for a change," said Arshathul Afia, a resident of Thiruvananthapuram.
Another first time voter Evana Mariya Binu from Idukki too recognises the importance of voting. "In a democratic country like India, voting is my right and I'm proud of it. While voting, I do consider candidates who would work sincerely for the development of the country and for the people. The manifesto presented by the candidate would also be looked into."
Anisha Samuel, another first time voter said, "Seriously I don't find it a necessity to vote for the candidates, standing so long in the queue as I can't see any efforts or developmental steps taken by them. I would vote if I feel so."
Diya Binu Pulikkakandam, the youngest Municipal Chairperson in the country who was recently elected from Pala stressed on the importance of voters to have political awareness. "Now there's a Gen Z trend to remain apolitical; It's becoming common. They should have political awareness. The younger generation doesn't think about elections until they come across issues like a war scenario or LPG shortage. Some youngsters, at the time of elections, speak to elders in their family anf form an opinion and yhen cast their votes."
Youngsters must have awareness about who is ruling the country. They should know not just about political parties but also about the functioning of both state and central governments. Each youngster must vote according to the party with which their morals and political ideologies align, and be a part of this democratic process, Diya added.