Youth manifesto presented to Byre Gowda & RK Misra

If there's been one striking feature to distinguish this election from any previous one, it's the focus on the young voter. Media messages and political speeches have all urged India's hundreds of millions of young voters to come out and make their voice heard. But are the politicians listening to young people's concerns and ideas? Are parties open to fresh approaches suited to the new India?
The Resurgent India Trust set up by Professor Rajeev Gowda of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore provided a platform to discuss and consolidate the voice of Bangalore’s youth in a half-day Youth Manifesto event held at IIMB. A carefully selected group of hundred young people between the ages of 18- 35 came together in five sessions moderated by experts to share their concerns and ideas around the themes of 'education, 'environment', 'women's issues', 'sports' and 'other topics'.
The groups presented their manifestos to young leaders Krishna Byre Gowda (President, Karnataka Youth Congress and Bangalore South candidate) and R K Misra (National Executive Member, BJP, and Lead India winner) in a session moderated by Prof. Rajeev Gowda. Heated debate ensued as the leaders responded to the suggestions made by participants. One issue that took centre stage was moral policing and attacks on women. Krishna Byre Gowda criticised the state BJP government for its failure to respond to atrocities across Karnataka. He waved the PUCL (K) report on Moral Policing in the state and quoted from it, much to the delight of the audience who responded with appreciative applause. R K Misra also condemned the violence against women. He invited the youth participants to join with him in implementing programs initiated by ABiDE, the body set up to improve Bangalore.

Many constructive suggestions were made that presented actionable agendas for education reform, good governance, energy alternatives, sports strategy, etc. The youth participants were unanimous in their appreciation for the healthy engagement with issues at the Youth Manifesto event and urged Prof. Rajeev Gowda to make this an ongoing feature. The manifesto suggested by the youth is now online at www.resurgentindiatrust.ning.com