Christian student body urges young people to vote 'consciously'

The Student Christian Movement of India (SCMI) is calling on young people across the country to take a pledge to vote for people that work for sustainable development and bring to power parties that take strong stand against all forms of discrimination and injustice.

As the April-May elections begin in five states, SCMI is urging young citizens to vote "consciously" and elect pro-people governments which assure to address the basic needs of the people and work for sustainable development and equal justice.

Kerala, West Bengal, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Assam are five states that will go to polls next month. Over 140 million voters are eligible to cast their votes at some 150,000 polling stations.

SCMI in a statement appealed to young people to vote against candidates with criminal and legal cases, and bring to power those that "work for the welfare of farmers, youth, children, women, daily labourers, marginalized people, transgender communities, minorities, Tribal and Dalit people."

Highlighting the need for young people to take interest in the electoral process, theSCMI said, "the political scenario today is dominated with issues of corruption, continuing scams, misappropriating public funds, dynastical politics, wooing the voters with allurements, cashing on majority – minority divide, fundamentalism, caste divides, and the saga of the present politics goes on."

"Vote for the Party/Alliance which assures to abolish child labour in all forms, human trafficking, privatization of education, commidification of water and environment, sexual harassment and all forms of exploitation and for the prevention of atrocities and violence against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes," the student ecumenical body suggested.

Elections to Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are scheduled to be held on April 13. In the State of West Bengal elections are to be held in six phases. The counting of votes for all the five States will take place on May 13.

"As young people, this is the time we should use right to vote with prudence and responsibility. Time has come not only to exercise our electoral franchise, just for the sake of being a citizen of this land, but to ensure that a pro-people government came to power," expressed SCMI's general secretary, Rev. Raj Bharat Patta.

"If all our young people vote consciously, our political constituency shall be strongly mapped, and people's power shall be safely guarded and guided. Let the whole process of electioneering be a meaningful one," he added.