By THE UPCOMING elections to the three-tier local self-government bodies in Kerala will see several youngsters – particularly women students and professionals with little political background – being fielded by mainstream parties. The candidates say they are in it for development and to change the way people look at politics.
UDF candidate in Changanassery municipality Aysha Hussain says she wants youngsters to have a say in grassroots governance. “In elections, we usually see people who have made politics their means of livelihood. We want a change and youngsters should lead our local bodies,’’ she says.
The 23-year-old M.Tech student, who has no political background, says the decision to contest elections was her own.
K A Ashwini, the CPI(M) candidate in Aryad panchayat, Alappuzha, says social work has been her stepping stone to politics. The daughter of a daily wage labourer, who is doing her masters in social work, says, “For the past five years, I have been giving tuition to children in coastal villages. This has helped evoke my interest in politics and social work.”
A local office-bearer of SFI, the student wing of CPI(M), Ashwini’s experience in politics so far was largely limited to campus.
In Nanmanda panchayat in Kozhikode district, the BJP has fielded Aswini Balan, a 23-year-old who has completed her B.Ed. “This are changing times and I believe the youth have a large role to play in the evolving development agenda,” she says. “There are a lot of technological interventions we have to bring to rural governance.”
“I have not, however, abandoned the dream to become a schoolteacher,” Balan says, adding that her college days were free of politics although her family has BJP background.
For the political parties, the willingness shown by women students and young professionals to participate in grassroots governance has helped them reduce dependence on the pool of women members in the state’s poverty eradication and women empowerment mission Kudumbashree and ASHA workers, who so far formed the bulk of the women candidates in civic elections.
After reservation of seats for women was increased to 50 per cent, the parties had to scout for willing candidates. This time, however, in several local bodies, women are contesting even in general seats, which have been dominated by men.
According to Dr Joy Elamon, Director-General, Kerala Institute of Local Administration, the involvement of youth is a good sign considering the growing role of local bodies in governance.
