Biswas Baral

Politics is neither about washing hands off the blatant neglect of responsibilities, nor crying fowl when starved of authority. Likewise, neither are vandalism and riots necessarily its indispensable components, brought forth when vested interests are in peril. Nope —Not at all!

Aristotle thought politics was among the most sacred of professions. A million quotes have been penned for politics, with most chiding it up to the hilt. But, can we live without it? – My argument is: we can’t. Love it or hate it, you cannot hide from it. You can’t, because your life is always controlled by it in many inconspicuous ways. Thanks to the recent disruptions in studies and frequent bandhs, the youth has started keeping abreast of the latest political developments. This trend is a welcome change.

Say, a referendum is held, asking us youth to choose among alternatives like active monarchy, a total republican state, present constitutional monarchy, and several other political tenets! What will you say? That, you have no idea. I am sorry to say, but that’s shirking away your responsibility as a dutiful citizen. The rather deplorable attitudes the youth harbour today against politics does not help anyone. The most common adage rife is, of course, “Politics is a dirty game.” But remember guys – somebody’s got to play it. Einstein pays one of the greatest tributes to politics. “Politics is more difficult than physics,” he said. So as you strive to be scientists, medicos, constructors, entrepreneurs, it may not be unwise to consider, for the sake of “bona fide” nation development, the option of choosing politics as your career.

If every capable head starts shirking away from politics, and only empty-headed characters embrace it, may god bless us, there is no way we can overlook politics. I am not asking anyone to start preparing for his swearing in; being aware of the political happenings will go a long way, per se. There is a huge debate raging about the issue of a republican state. For most of us so accustomed to terms like “constitutional monarchy,” and “Panchayati Bewastha,” what does a “republic” mean? Don’t you want to know? — I do! I don’t comprehend the exact meanings of all the convoluted political soubriquets, but I try to, and quite frankly, that is all I can do. So you don’t need to start browsing over works of Aristotle or Marx, just scanning over your morning paper for fifteen minutes might be a good start. Happy reading!