Urban youth find Obama appealing, not desi politics

As the general election juggernaut rolls on, India's contesting political outfits stand a consummate chance of losing out on the most privileged of the nation's establishment: the young urban literate electorate.
Well-educated, city-dwelling, young adults widely considered the finest products of the Indian social loom just beyond the cusp of the national suffrage age, exhibit a certain disdain for the ballot that draws deeply from their demography.
For some, the exit from the domestic political loop is so complete that their first intimation of impending polls come from physical changes that they see around them.
"I didn't know that the elections were about to happen until I saw roads being dug
up. When I saw perfectly fine streets being re-done, I asked my friends if the elections were around the corner. My guess
was right," claims mass communication student Opashona Ghosh (21) nonchalantly.
Others perceive the issues tabled by political parties as having little relevance in their lives. "I'm not sure how land reforms will affect my life. Unlike my college elections, where we vote for issues like a broken lift or bad food at the canteen, the changes this general election can bring will hardly be tangible," first-year Jadavpur University student Arijit Sett says.
The disconnect is much deeper. "I see most politicians with contempt. I refuse to vote for antiquated people who disrupt our lives," says Gaurav Guha (18). It is hardly ironic then that the youth were significantly more attentive during the US presidential elections. From their perch, many young Indians associate better with Obama than domestic politicians.
"I could relate to Obama. He is young and speaks a language that I understand, unlike an old Tollywood actor who is standing for the elections this time. In India, the way political parties market and campaign is clearly aimed at the rural population, not the educated middle class. We are a minority," Sett adds.
Indian youth were also impressed with the four presidential debates that directly pitted each contestant against the other and want this done in India.
"The debates provided an insight into the real characters of the candidates. We need to have similar debates here, with the main prime-ministerial candidates putting across their points of views on a single forum," Guha suggests. Ironically, last week, BJP prime ministerial candidate LK Advani mooted the idea of holding US-style TV debates before the country went to the polls.
There are still some who don't mind taking up politics as a career option. "Although the issue of earning a livelihood dissuades me from pursuing politics as my primary career choice, this is something I would want to be involved in. Party offices should be more innovative in involving young people. If there is an option of being part of an political establishment and continuing with our careers, making a full-time commitment to politics in the future won't be very difficult," St Xavier's College student Utsav Nath says.