Maharashtra polls: Jobs, better education and women’s safety are what young voters are seeking

In a world rife with information and misinformation, the early Gen Z and late millennials are refreshingly clear about what they want from their elected leaders in Maharashtra -- jobs, better education and safety for women.

Tejasvi Patil, a 19-year-old student studying interior design, is looking forward to voting on Monday. Her family had opened accounts in PMC Bank and, she says, “PMC Bank’s problems are really affecting my family, but we are still better off. We are hoping that the situation will ease a bit". An issue that the 19-year-old thinks deserves attention is that of education. "I'm in college now. What is most important is that our education translates into jobs. All government institutes should be able to get companies for placements. For private students, it becomes easier, because everything happens directly from college and they are paying a premium for it."

Simran Amesar, a 21-year-old engineering student from Thadomal Shahani College in the city, says, "Women's safety is very important and so are women's issues. There are many campaigns being run to improve conditions on the ground, but the trickle-down impact is minimal. We need to take women's issues seriously."Apart from this, she spoke of the need for better resources for education. “We need a more updated syllabus and education that makes us want to study and makes us more marketable after that, instead of being clueless about the future,” Amesar added.

Raj Jobanputra, a 22-year-old who manages his uncle’s shop at the APMC market said, “I don’t think I will vote. If I do, I would go with NOTA.” The youngster feels that all the political parties are cut off from the real world and talk about things he can’t relate with. “I don’t relate culturally with anything they talk about. They are not very forward-looking. Unemployment is also something I care about, which has not been highlighted.”

Shivani Chinmani, a 23-year-old lawyer currently employed with a firm, expresses her concerns about the impact demonetisation and GST has had on the economy. "My family was badly hit by demonetisation and GST. The slowdown has been painful for us."

Every young person has different views, but most of them hope for a better focus on education and jobs.

(The writer is an intern with BusinessLine's Mumbai Bureau)