Chalta hai attitude will render Orissan youth a mere spectator

By Rupak Johnson

The youth of Odisha have developed a very casual attitude toward every spheres of life, be it professional, social or political. By refusing to shape their attitude in tune with the time, they have developed a habit of showing indifference or a lack of concern for the matters of grave concern often by giving a simple explanation — what can we do?
This regularly repeated behavior pattern i.e. habit, is admissible in certain cases but when it becomes a general inclination or tendency — that is, the attitude is then geared towards ‘Chalta hai’ mode. It is an ominous sign which renders youth powerless in the matter of decision-making. This is a big stumbling block which is responsible for keeping youth from being a ‘mature and contributing citizen’. Not only it affects the health of a society but the state’s overall progress is hampered too. Do the youth understand that they are responsible citizens of this beautiful land endowed with minerals, natural resources and a vast coast-line? Shouldn’t they feel they need to stand up and raise their voice against any injustice or discrimination whether by the State or the Center? It is rather unfortunate to note that they do not know how to belong to the State.

Youth: reaction to issues
Recently, the Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government presented Railway budget and subsequently the Union budget. Prior to that, Delhi High Court passed a landmark judgment decriminalizing homosexual acts between two consenting adults. But there were hardly any collective reaction from Odisha youth on these issues. As far as Railway budget was concerned, once again Odisha got a raw deal compared to its neighbours. For development of poverty-stricken State, there have been legitimate demands for having railway lines linking whole of Odisha, but nothing happened. Instead of raising funds for this purpose, the Centre reduced budgetary allocation from Rs 949.34 crore last year to Rs 715.22 crore, a drastic cut of Rs 234 crore or 25%. In addition, demand for development projects like coach factory to generate employment was turned down despite the fact that the Indian Railways gets more revenue from Odisha than any other State in the country. The youth of Odisha face a lot of problem as a result of insufficient railway facilities but they remain silent; they are not bothered about their rights and privileges; they leave everything into the hands of God. Call it suffering in silence !
Talking about the Union budget, it was pointed out that Odisha’s shares in Central taxes were reduced from Rs. 8,849.49 crores to Rs. 84.95. 93 crore. That means the State would receive Rs. 353.56 crore or 4% less assistance from Centre. If an annual gross devaluation of money (inflation) of 10% is taken into considered, then it was a reduction of around 35% and 14% for the railway and general budget respectively. Such a drastic cut! And that too when Odisha is reeling under the impact of global economic meltdown! Should the youth not raise their voice over this step-motherly behavior? Instead, they remained silent and once again, left everything into the hands of God. Call it saintly behavior!

Now take the much-talked-about issue relating to the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT). This topic generated a lot of heat in the country and the youth from other parts of the country expressed their views and opinions. But, in Odisha, the youth did not bother to attach any importance to the topic; they feel it is not their prerogative to discuss the ramifications of the Order. Their common refrain: it’s too hot a topic to discuss in the public domain. Call it piety!
Well, this indifferent attitude is visible even in matters related to their education, the very essence of their survival in this cut-throat world. Despite facing several problems at the education front, they keep mum, for reasons best known to them. Call it ‘Chalta hai’!
Youth: Way forward
Getting over this unhealthy attitude requires a reorientation of the mind with its thoughts, feeling and behavior. The youth need to stimulate themselves for a greater activism — both social and political. It has to be a state of mind, from regressive to progressive, from worrisome inhibition to joyful exhibition. For this to happen, the youth, first, need to recognize their fault and then work on it with a sense of urgency. Catching up with the forward-moving world demands a lot of character and tenacity of purpose. There are certain following points that can serve as guiding principals to be effective as well as politically correct:

Professional Attitude: It goes without saying that professionalism is the key word in today’s competitive world. It is in great demand not only in the big business world but also in the political world. A professional person is the one who keeps one’s word, sticks to deadline and delivers on promised line. Commitment is an integral part of professional attitude and is appreciated by one and all. Compare Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha with any other capital city of the neighbouring state like Andhra Pradesh and the difference is there for everyone to see. This State can not afford to lose its image any further; the youth have a task cut out for them.

Accountability: A majority of the youth in society has a herd mentality; they lack the ability to think as individuals and therefore, find it difficult to face situations where accountability is required. This is the very reason why there is a great dearth of leadership quality among Odisha youth. Accountability calls for practicing restraint i.e. nurturing an inner discipline which is a pre-requisite for playing roles of greater responsibility in the public arena. There is no place for arrogance or so-called super-ego which is a sign of individualistic attitude. The youth should learn humility which comes along with accountability; it’s a virtue that unites and is very much needed for the State.

Competency: Before putting the house in order, one must put one’s own self in order. If the youth have to achieve success, they have to create such a workforce that demonstrates the knowledge and competencies for superlative performance on the job. It requires a killing instinct, dedication and a desire to perform at a higher level on a regular basis. Bangalore or Hyderabad have become IT hub of our country because of its competent youth brigade. It is high time that Odisha youth woke up to the reality in the larger interest of the State.

Political Understanding: The youth, in the State, have a very vague and narrow idea about politics often terming it as activities associated with criminals and people with malicious intentions. And, therefore, they avoid it even going to the extent of ignoring their right to franchise! This is because of a lack of understanding about the power relationships in politics that is interrelationships between the people, groups or organizations.
This power relationship is a strong means to build a force which can ensure transparency and accountability in the matter of governance. A need has arisen in the State to cultivate the culture of politics among the youth through debate and discussion/s. And for this, the youth need to come forward.

There are greater challenges ahead for the youth as the competition is getting tougher day by day; global standards have left no place for complacency. Doing away with ‘Chalta hai’ attitude would be a wise step; otherwise the development work of the State would go into the hands of `Outsiders’ and the state youth would be rendered mere spectators !!!

The author is a communication expert and regularly writes on Youth affairs. Please send your comments and suggestions at janatavikasmanch@gmail.com and visit http://www.janatavikasmanch.blogspot.com/ for more details.