By Priyanka Chakrabarty:
If you thought small talk was awkward, then the Rahul vs. Modi debate seems to be the best way to avoid that. Even the introverts seem opinionated regarding who should be the next Prime Minister. The nation is absolutely obsessed, but now we need to ask a question. Who does India need? India needs a dynamic leader, who will uphold the values of secularism and democracy, and drive the country towards positive change by involving the youth. Do Rahul Gandhi or Narendra Modi, fit into this definition? The answer is no. Why not?
Rahul Gandhi, while he talks about problems of the political and the bureaucratic system, is often considered to be a philosopher. While he philosophises the issues of the downtrodden and the necessity of the youth, he is often considered as an individual lacking initiative. He campaigned during the 2012 Assembly Elections, and the results were far from satisfactory. Congress won only 2 out of 15 seats from the Amethi constituency, in Uttar Pradesh.
Narendra Modi is one man who avoids all questions relating to the 2002 Godhra Riots because he has already answered “enough”. But is never tired of answering about the growth and development in Gujarat. The four times Chief Minister in Gujarat has a lot of controversies surrounding him. Known for his Hindu Nationalism, and Anti-Muslim ideologies, he does not seem to be an ideal choice for a country whose founding father dreamt of establishing a secular country.
But have we not had enough of these debates and arguments? As citizens of this country and agents of change do we really need to deliberate, to the extent of obsession, that who out of two not so fit people would be fit enough to be the next Prime Minister? This seems extremely prevalent even in the youth circles. More that 50% of the India’s population is below the age of 25. Instead of trying to figure out who is “more fit” to govern the country, why do we not step into politics?
Most of the youth in our country shy away from giving their votes. It is not because they do not want to; it is because they are not aware of the political structure of the country. Politics is one such field and topic which is avoided, or only limited to superficial discussions. We really need to be politically educated, if we wish to bring about any development or change. No, politics is not the only way we can go about changing, but it is a very influential institution. So it is high time that we stop having the clichéd Rahul vs. Modi debates and think along the lines of what could our individual contribution be, for the development of our nation.