My Response to Survey, ‘Youth Perception on Politics’ (You can participate too)
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Hello,
My name is Rajesh K. I am 31 year old male, living in Chennai. I am not exactly a youth, but I would like to participate in the below survey. My answers follow the questions below. {Note: Anyone can participate in this survey, it’s not only for youth}
General Questions for all (1 to7)
1. What is your perception about politics?
It is a FOR-PROFIT venture (as I see it) which attracts people who have making a lot of money or gaining a lot of power as their only goal. There maybe a few honest and society-minded politicians, but majority of them are in it for personal gain. That’s my perception.
2. As a youth do you feel politics is the right route to do public service?
No. Politics is not the right route to public service, at least in the current scenario. Individual efforts and NGOs may yield better results than politics, which I feel is controlled by vested interests catering mainly to themselves or a small community. Besides, there is no way for people to check if politicians are doing their job properly. Can you tell me how I can do it?
3. In the current political scenario – as a youth what are the challenges that you perceive to enter into politics?
Enter politics?? HAHAHAHAHA. I can’t even vote, man! This EC should make it easier to get the Voter ID card. I have submitted the application, I have followed up, but I have not got any card till now. I have no clue if my name is even included in the voter list. Why is it not possible to publish the voter database online, so that we can check if our name is there and if not, take some action (like applying online) or voting with other credentials, etc.?
4. Do you think caste, creed, religion, money and strength dominate the perception of the voters? Or, Is the good service to the people by the youth leaders respected by the people? Is that alone sufficient for the people to come forward and vote?
The problem today is party-based voting. People vote for the party (influenced by whatever mass media campaigns in newspapers, TV, Facebook, etc.) but don’t check the credentials of the people whom they are voting for. They have no clue if their prospective MP or MLA has any criminal records behind them or if they are suitable for the job (prior experience, background, intent, etc.).
If you want everyone to vote – make it easier to enroll and vote. Why not allow people to vote online or from Internet kiosks, after proving their credentials? This is where Aadhar card like schemes are helpful – One can verify themselves by the fingerprint reader, quote their Aadhar number and vote even without the Voter ID card, even over the Internet. But I was not aware when the Aadhar camp was conducted in my locality and hence I missed – God knows when they’ll be here again or if I will ever get an Aadhar card in this birth!!
5. What is your suggestion to reduce or eliminate corruption in public life, administration and all the other services in the society?
The problem doesn’t entirely lie with politicians. After all, they have been elected by people. I feel that corrupt people elect corrupt leaders. Only if people are inspired not to be corrupt and their belief in corruption is changed, can we ever get a good government. For this, the advantages of living a corrupt-free life should be highlighted clearly by mass-media campaigns, etc.
6. What are the reforms needed to make the public life clean and orient towards societal change from the present day business orientation through costly election campaigns and money for voters concept?
Awareness. If people know what they are losing when they vote for money or vote blindly for a party (that has commercial interests) and how that will affect their personal life, will they ever vote for the wrong party? This message and how it will affect their personal life, should be conveyed to them. How about making a film on this topic or using the TV/Newspapers/Social Media to create awareness?
7. As a voter, what is your expectation from your Councillors, MLAs and MPs to your constituency / state and to nation? (Please give your expectations individually for councillors, MLAs and MPs)
Me, along with so many other people of this nation, have no clue about what the duties/job of an MLA/MP/Councillor is?? Only if we know that, we can have any expectations!! Until recently, I was not even aware that Councillors are elected and we need to vote for that!
I am sorry if my answers hurt you, but I have a reputation for being brutally honest. I find it very difficult to sugar-coat my words!
Thank you,
Rajesh K
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The below are forwarded email messages. You can read the instructions below, if you want to participate in this survey.
| From: | Prime Point Srinivasan |
|---|---|
| To: | undisclosed-recipients:; |
Hi
Mr V Ponraj, Advisor to Dr APJ Abdul Kalam is making a study and preparing a report on ‘youth perception about entering politics’. He has requested me to circulate a set of questionnaire for circulation.
Please go through the questions. There are 12 Questions. Questions 1 to 7 may be responded by all. Questions 8 to 12 may be responded by youth who are interested to join politics or people already in politics.
You may kindly share your responses through email directly to Mr Ponraj at vponraj[at]gmail[dot]com.
While responding to him, please make the subject line as ‘youth perception on politics’.
The respondents can be of any age. Even seniors can respond. He wants more youngsters to participate and share the views across the nation.
Please introduce yourself briefly before giving your views, along with your age and contact details (place and mobile number). If Mr Ponraj wants to get more clarification, he will contact the respondent directly over phone.
While giving your views, do not remove the questions. Please copy the questions and write your views for every question. You can also add more views separately, if you want, beyond what is asked.
Please submit your views before 15th October 2013 directly to Mr Ponraj. You may also kindly share this questionnaire with your contacts.
Srinivasan
Prime Point
—————–
From: V. Ponraj <vponraj[at]gmail[dot]com>
Subject: To get the views of the present day youth about politics – Regarding
Subject: To get the views of the present day youth about politics – Regarding
Question to the present day youth, you may circulate among our India Vision, action 2020, and other youth groups and get their opinion.
General Questions for all (1 to7)
1. What is your perception about politics?
2. As a youth do you feel politics is the right route to do public service?
3. In the current political scenario – as a youth what are the challenges that you perceive to enter into politics?
4. Do you think caste, creed, religion, money and strength dominate the perception of the voters? Or
Is the good service to the people by the youth leaders respected by the people? Is that alone sufficient for the people to come forward and vote?
5. What is your suggestion to reduce or eliminate corruption in public life, administration and all the other services in the society?
6. What are the reforms needed to make the public life clean and orient towards societal change from the present day business orientation through costly election campaigns and money for voters concept?
7. As a voter, what is your expectation from your Councillors, MLAs and MPs to your constituency / state and to nation? (Please give your expectations individually for councillors, MLAs and MPs)
The following questions (8 to 12) may be responded by those who are interested to join politics or already in politics.
8. How do you inspire the political leader to consider you as a potential candidate for contesting in election?
9. How do you reach out to the people and to do public service? In what way? What are the current challenges? Why people look out for a leader like you presently?
10. Is it possible to attain good position in politics irrespective of caste, creed, religion or any other affiliation? If so, pl provide details? What are the challenges that you have faced to attain any position by merit or performance in public service? If not, explain why is it so?
11. How do you propose to work when you are going to get elected? What are the values that you would like to radiate around you while you are in politics?
12. What is your vision to the constituency or to the state or to the nation – when you are elected to represent in Panchayat or State Legislature or Parliament?
With regardsV PONRAJ
good answers to good questions
I guess you received this mail and participated in it
have to read once again
Yes, I got the mail and then participated in the survey. But anyone can participate by sending a mail (as stated above)…
Destination Infinity
Really enjoyed reading this article.Really looking forward to find out more. Awesome.
It’s a completed article, so there is nothing much to add 🙂
Destination Infinity
I really do like your answer to Question – 5. We often blame the state of affairs in our country on our politicians saying – “They are bad, they are morally bankrupt, they are criminals, they are this and they are that!”
Well, it is not as if our politicians and our government came from Mars. THEY are US. ‘They’ reflect ‘our’ morality.
‘They’ not only reflect our morality, but ‘they’ are used by citizens to justify their own acts of corruption. Sometimes I think if citizens will not want to elect good politicians because their actions will be under scrutiny!
Corrupt Citizens + Corrupt Politicians = Mutually beneficial relationship.
Of course, being corrupt and cheating others, etc. is no solution to any problem. People will only succeed in creating an ecosystem where everyone cheats everyone else and they will be perpetrators and victims, both. It will take some time (and loss) to accept this and mend ways. Eventually I hope people will realize and bring in some order in their lives…
Destination Infinity
Well answered, rajesh. Precise to the reality of politics.
Thanks, but these are perceptions 🙂
Destination Infinity
Interesting one! I quite go with you on the 4th answer
ok…
Destination Infinity
People are so disenchanted with politics. It is more about self interest and less about ideology. Politics today is big business involving money and muscle power. Naturally the youth are unable to enter even if they want to. Electoral reforms is the need of the hour. Interesting answers, straight from the heart.
Politics reflects the attitude of the people. Do you think people have any ideology beyond self-interest, these days? Electoral reforms will automatically happen if people get reformed. But that will take time – we are still a young democracy and an over-populated nation at that!
Destination Infinity
Liked your answers DI. I am probably one of those people who are least interested in politics 🙂
No.4 makes sense but online voting can lead to fake votes.
I think, all of us should be interested in politics, at least to the level of knowing whom to elect and why.
Destination Infinity
1. What is your perception about politics?
It is a FOR-PROFIT venture (as I see it) which attracts people who have making a lot of money or gaining a lot of power as their only goal. There maybe a few honest and society-minded politicians, but majority of them are in it for personal gain. That’s my perception.
See Mr.Rajesh Profit venture it’s a business. Those who entering in to politics as a business the possibility of full loss is there. That type people bet only on winning side. Peoples now need authorisation to a person from some political party. Actually politics is a war without blood. youth must have the ability to make the people to believe the cost of fuel is more for the search engine.(selling ice-cream to Eskimos )you have enough guts to sustain in your view without even bother about your heart.
Then you may question how I can be a good politician? People like you cannot be a politician.
2. As a youth do you feel politics is the right route to do public service?
No. Politics is not the right route to public service, at least in the current scenario. Individual efforts and NGOs may yield better results than politics, which I feel is controlled by vested interests catering mainly to themselves or a small community. Besides, there is no way for people to check if politicians are doing their job properly. Can you tell me how I can do it?
Yes. Every politician after some growth must have the thrill to say public service. Give me a answer which public service people enter in to the politics and got authorisation from people? Whereas people authorise politician to do the public work? Public service is for self satisfaction and not politics .public service like eating food where as politics is like 2G like a well where you get more and more water.
there is no way for people to check if politicians are doing their job properly. Can you tell me how I can do it?
The same question is applicable for the NGOs even their object so many NGOs are running in hidden agenda? for politician there are some control and have some competition (example NGO organisation run by ex chief election commissioner NAVIN CHAWLA since he order to issue winning certificate to one looser we are suffered with finance and scam)
3. In the current political scenario – as a youth what are the challenges that you perceive to enter into politics?
Enter politics?? HAHAHAHAHA. I can’t even vote, man! This EC should make it easier to get the Voter ID card. I have submitted the application, I have followed up, but I have not got any card till now. I have no clue if my name is even included in the voter list. Why is it not possible to publish the voter database online, so that we can check if our name is there and if not, take some action (like applying online) or voting with other credentials, etc.?
People like you are the better reason for the politician to be like this they are success in their business as u mention earlier. Why not u carryout such a NGO service to the people because this is not only used to vote it is acted as a face card in many place.
Even PM was not voting in the last election. Your answer may not interested tobe a politician. When your answer is not like that you are ready to eat provided someone have feed like our PM. So that he cannot take steps in his own.
4. Do you think caste, creed, religion, money and strength dominate the perception of the voters? Or, Is the good service to the people by the youth leaders respected by the people? Is that alone sufficient for the people to come forward and vote?
The problem today is party-based voting. People vote for the party (influenced by whatever mass media campaigns in newspapers, TV, Facebook, etc.) but don’t check the credentials of the people whom they are voting for. They have no clue if their prospective MP or MLA has any criminal records behind them or if they are suitable for the job (prior experience, background, intent, etc.).
If you want everyone to vote – make it easier to enroll and vote. Why not allow people to vote online or from Internet kiosks, after proving their credentials? This is where Aadhar card like schemes are helpful – One can verify themselves by the fingerprint reader, quote their Aadhar number and vote even without the Voter ID card, even over the Internet. But I was not aware when the Aadhar camp was conducted in my locality and hence I missed – God knows when they’ll be here again or if I will ever get an Aadhar card in this birth!!
See Rajesh Indian politics are based on village even in some area people still belive MGR is living .Hope you are not even seen a village. Why the Aadhar got failure?that is politics ? if you have the ability to get a winning certificate even though you are not elected that is the criteria to become a strong minister. When you save you from a loss you can save the nation (Party family).It is very easy for a politician to make educated as fools than a lay man. This is the basic for politician
5. What is your suggestion to reduce or eliminate corruption in public life, administration and all the other services in the society?
The problem doesn’t entirely lie with politicians. After all, they have been elected by people. I feel that corrupt people elect corrupt leaders. Only if people are inspired not to be corrupt and their belief in corruption is changed, can we ever get a good government. For this, the advantages of living a corrupt-free life should be highlighted clearly by mass-media campaigns, etc.
Corruption having two type.1)to perform a job quickly 2)not to do their job
Example 1)to get a certificate,2)not to file a case/violation so you have to suggest something when a transference and a good e governance come it will be sort it out Or when a Aadhar like card get it to be finalised we can reduce the corruption from the public. I can challenge you you can’t give a suggestion to a politician because you are not intended to answer this question.
6. What are the reforms needed to make the public life clean and orient towards societal change from the present day business orientation through costly election campaigns and money for voters concept?
Awareness. If people know what they are losing when they vote for money or vote blindly for a party (that has commercial interests) and how that will affect their personal life, will they ever vote for the wrong party? This message and how it will affect their personal life, should be conveyed to them. How about making a film on this topic or using the TV/Newspapers/Social Media to create awareness?
Never by a TV/Newspaper/social Media. Give me the answer why media is silent in telunganaa? See, a politician statements people should avoid media which cry of advertisement? He is a ex-CM?
7. As a voter, what is your expectation from your Councillors, MLAs and MPs to your constituency / state and to nation? (Please give your expectations individually for councillors, MLAs and MPs)
Me, along with so many other people of this nation, have no clue about what the duties/job of an MLA/MP/Councillor is?? Only if we know that, we can have any expectations!! Until recently, I was not even aware that Councillors are elected and we need to vote for that!
I am sorry if my answers hurt you, but I have a reputation for being brutally honest. I find it very difficult to sugar-coat my words!
Here only you are right. The above 6 question the question sender may think you have some good point and you will advocate to your points they need your opinion in this regard and it maybe a private circulation. you send this reply through sansad Ratna team. Which giving award to best performing MP and they also giving so many explanation in their magazine both in English and Tamil.
Ok before answer to this question why you are not using social media ?like google /some group even in loksaba /Rajyasaba web site? Corporation website ?a educated you are not ready and willing to take excuse by saying I am sorry if my answers hurt you, but I have a reputation for being brutally honest. I find it very difficult to sugar-coat my words!. But uneducated people have to think all?
Rajesh even though I am very poor in English. i take much time to type u the reply because this purpose of the questionnaire require some good suggestion from youth please be positive and have some look and take some attention on this matter and give some analysis in this regard.
Still I don’t want to hurt you. Please withdraw / send some good suggestion apart from our personal feelings and thought which is not suppose affected the project .vision 2020
Still you have enough time to complete this exam sir. Hope you know MAALAALAA a pak girl.now she says her aim is pak PM.
Rajesh, valluvar says
1) VELLATHTHANAIYAA MALARNEETAM MANTHAARTHAM ULLAATHTHANAIYATHU OYARVU.
2) THOTANAITHOORUM MANERKENI MANTHARUKKU KATRANAITHOORUM ARIVU.
3) AAKKAM ATHARVINOY SELLUM ASAIVILLAA UOOKKAM UDAIYAN UDAI
Rajesh this is my request please work for this project prepare a fresh answer for the above question. If I hurt you I got my excuse first.
‘Brain training’ boosts working memory, but not intelligence
Thank you,
Rajaji.N
I appreciate the time taken by you to give me feedback and giving your suggestions. I also appreciate the Sansad Ratna team (not sure if you are one among them) for all the efforts taken to highlight and give awards to MLAs and MPs who are performing well. I had been to the award function held before a few months in IIT, and it was good to know about hard-working politicians.
In fact, I have written an entire article about it –
https://destinationinfinity.org/2013/04/20/sansad-ratna-2013-award-function-facilitating-top-parliamentarians-of-india/
It should be evident that we bloggers highlight both positive and negative things.
This survey was on youth perception about politics and I have written what I think about politics, frankly. The question whether I am right or wrong, true or untrue, etc. doesn’t apply to a survey that wants to know my current ‘perception’. They want to know what I think, and I have written it.
Coming to creating a better political system for our country and why I am so negative about it, I can only say this – NO SYSTEM WILL CREATE AN EVERLASTING CHANGE UNLESS PEOPLE WANT TO CHANGE FROM WITHIN. UNLESS PEOPLE BELIEVE IN THAT CHANGE.
This is my opinion – you can have a different opinion – that’s ok. But you cannot say that you are totally right and I am totally wrong. I cannot accept that.
I am negative because, negativity is what I am (and many more people are) exposed to on a daily basis. I am appalled at how self-centered and corruption-ridden, our politicians and political parties are. You cannot refuse the number of scams that have been uncovered and much more that have not been uncovered.
In this background, I appreciate anyone who is/can have a positive outlook towards politics. You people have a lot of ‘inner-strength’ and ‘hope’, which I am not able to have. Maybe one day I will get that strength, I can also hope for that.
It is good to improve political systems, but if the society as a whole is not improved along with it, it is very difficult for such improvements to sustain on the long run – please remember that politicians are elected by people/society.
Destination Infinity
Pure coincident. Considering 2014, I wrote a post (after a long) time…one exact same subject. But no one asked for survey.