False certitude on the part of political youths is eating up their chances of personal achievement as a member of their society and a promising citizen of the nation.
They cut even poorer figures when they feign to exude superficial certitude before the public, who despise them for their lack of genuine confidence. They are eternally kept in darkness but they presume that they are equipped with political awareness.
If anyone were to ask me a question as to what lies at the heart of all ills surrounding the country, I would unhesitatingly furnish my reply—false certitude in youths and unwarranted fortitude rampant in the mass. Doing away with this fortitude requires a tie up with certitudes that are already cantoned in the ideological camps of the political parties.
We are faced with colossal problems. But the cantoned certitude is in fact bringing shame upon us instead of doing us proud. The reason: the very foundation of this certitude is rooted in the corrupt practices always contemplating conspiracy to keep fertile and young minds busy with violent thoughts and behaviors.
The ideologically-cantoned youths are ready to pick up every word by their leaders so that they can act on the spirit of it. Alas, how servile they have turned! They are so easily aroused by studied utterances of the old leaders who harp on this unconditional and uncritical backing.
Such an unconditional faith bred by false certitude does not check the reality and acts hand in glove with the rumour mongering. This is a thriving business among our elite classes. So the incompetent rulers are always in search of tactics to engage the youth brigades. They pronounce some vague words against their invisible ´alien´ foes at frequent intervals.
We have enough evidences that this kind of politics works in this country in multiple forms. It is no wonder that an ´alien conspiracy´ is being slandered time and again. This itself is a trick employed by many party supremos leading the nation and the government.
So I would like to call it a real state technique of dirty politicking. Politics has ushered in more real states than it has tried to manage the STATE here. Safeguarding the national interest is considered to be of secondary importance by a great many leaders in our country.
This is why corruption cases are ever on the rise in stark contrast to the professed commitment on the part of the leaders. This makes the youths fight it out among themselves and it is easier for the old leaders to rule the divided youths.
This is one of the reasons why even the new entrants in politics are not faring better than their inveterate counterparts. They are compelled to deliver to their youths. Hence the fierce competition to promote militant youth wings among the parties in the country.
The election to the constituent assembly last year saw an emergence of youth activities. But this bubble has already burst yielding no result. This is owing to the mantra of political absolutism and opportunism brought into effect by the political leaders playing upon the weaknesses of the youths.
FSU elections
The stage is set for this political absolutism and opportunism to show its true color. The students in government campuses under major universities are going to vote in the Free Students´ Union (FSU) elections. This is where we can see an ugly intervention of core politics in the academic sector.
The candidacy pattern in the FSU elections will reveal that servile flatterers of the leaders get the tickets to contend. Those not getting the tickets will lay blame on irregularities in candidates´ selections. Some disgruntled student leaders will go to the extent of pledging non-cooperation and passivity towards the organization. Some daredevils will issue press releases to challenge the central leadership.
Despondency will prevail in many student organizations and their many camps. It is mainly bred by dependency—a dependency imposed on these youths by their old political masters. Still, the youths are competing to serve their ubiquitous masters who infiltrate, cause infightings in the sister organizations of the parties and seek to intervene to prove their supremacy.
On a brighter note, pulchritude will again make its mark in this election by garnering more votes. This is what we can term a universal indulgence on aestheticism.
I fear I will be using a politically-incorrect language if I say that female pulchritude will outsmart the male one in this election. Recently, one of my friends rightly remarked that FSU elections in Nepal are not only ideological affairs but also hormonal ones.
Whatever the outcome in the FSU elections, it would be better if our student leaders and youths gave up false certitude and extended a helping hand to do away with mass fortitude that is allowing the powers that be to go awry.
(The writer teaches English at Patan Multiple Campus, Lalitpur)
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