The Great Distraction: Are India's Youth Being Sidestepped?

It’s a question that hangs heavy in the air, especially as election fever grips the nation: where does the focus truly lie? Rahul Gandhi, during a recent rally in Sasaram, Bihar, didn’t hold back. He painted a rather stark picture, suggesting that while the nation’s youth grapple with the weighty realities of unemployment and securing a decent education, Prime Minister Modi, well, he's busy elsewhere. Social media, apparently, is the chosen battlefield, or perhaps, the ultimate distraction.

Gandhi's critique was sharp, almost a jab, if you will. He asserted, quite pointedly, that the Prime Minister is, in his words, 'online 24/7, clicking selfies.' A vivid image, certainly, and one designed to resonate with a populace increasingly dependent on and, perhaps, wary of the digital sphere. The implication? While the youth are struggling with genuine, life-altering challenges, the leadership might be too engrossed in crafting a public image, diverting attention from the real issues at hand. Is it fair? Is it accurate? That, of course, is for the voters to decide, isn't it?

But the Congress leader didn't stop there. He drew a clear line in the sand, contrasting his own perceived priorities with those of the Prime Minister. Gandhi declared his work is for the farmers, for the laborers, for the youth – the bedrock, in truth, of any nation. Modi, on the other hand, was accused of prioritizing, you guessed it, Adani and Ambani. It’s a classic political dichotomy, of course: the 'people's champion' versus the 'friend of big business.' And honestly, it’s a narrative that often plays out in electoral battles, isn't it?

Then came the promises, as they always do during campaign season. Gandhi, speaking for the INDIA bloc, laid out a vision: if they come to power, a staggering 30 lakh government jobs would be created. Farmers, too, would see their loans waived, and Minimum Support Price (MSP) would be guaranteed. Big pledges, undoubtedly, designed to alleviate the very concerns he had just highlighted regarding youth unemployment and agricultural distress. One might even wonder, just how feasible are such grand pronouncements?

He didn’t shy away from touching on contentious policies either. The Agniveer scheme, for instance, came under fire, framed as creating 'two Indias' – one for the privileged, another for the rest. It's a powerful rhetorical device, splitting the nation into halves, highlighting perceived inequalities. Ultimately, the message was clear: the power, the real power, to steer the country onto a different course, rests squarely with the youth. They, and they alone, hold the keys to changing the government. It was, you could say, a rallying cry, delivered amidst the din and fervor of a high-stakes Lok Sabha election campaign.