Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha raised the issue of youth participation in politics. Raghav Chadha cited figures ranging from the country’s average age to the youth population and also demanded a reduction in the age limit set for contesting elections to the Upper House. He said that the average age of India is just 29 years. 65 percent of our country’s population is below 35 years of age. About 50 percent of the population is below 25 years of age. But are our leaders, our elected representatives also so young?
Raghav Chadha said that when the first Lok Sabha elections were held after the independence of the country, about 26 percent of the members in the first Lok Sabha were below 40 years of age. In the 17th Lok Sabha i.e. the last Lok Sabha, only 12 percent of the members were below 40 years of age. He said that as the country is becoming young, our elected representatives are moving away from youth. Raghav said that we are a young country with old leaders. We have to move towards becoming a young country with young leaders.
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He said that politics is seen as a bad profession. When a child grows up, parents say that son, when he grows up, he should become a doctor, engineer, sports person, chartered accountant. No one says that he should become a leader, go into politics. Raghav Chadha said that there is a need to encourage the youth to come into politics and for this I have brought some suggestions. He said that the age limit for contesting Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in our country is 25 years. I demand from the Government of India to reduce the age limit from 25 to 21 years.
Raghav Chadha said that if a youth wants to contest elections at the age of 21, he should be allowed to contest. He said that when an 18-year-old youth can vote and elect a government, then why can’t he contest elections at the age of 21.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)