The bail hearing of Aryan Khan, an accused drug dealer, drew the attention of the entire media world once more on Wednesday, with some outlets reporting it with a certain amount of glee. And, after bail was denied, there was a flurry of discussion on the internet once more. As a mother of a young man, it fills me with a sense of helplessness, not only for the young individual, but also for the youth of this country as whole.
Yes, a young man made a blunders, that is true. I’m going to be put on trial. He was not found to be in possession of drugs when he was apprehended, and there is no medical documentation to support his claim that he consumed drugs. It should raise concerns not only for those making judgement calls, but also for the general public, given his repeated denial of bail, which should be the norm in most cases.
When our systems are truly and fiercely independent of all fear, favour, or prejudice, the norm is followed. We have a broken system, and that is what we are leaving for our children to fix, if they are able to do so at all. The generational gap between millennials and their parents is becoming increasingly apparent — to cite one example, a news media channel, while reporting on a WhatsApp conversation, interpreted the phrase “imma bounce” as referring to a “bounced cheque.”
In a similar vein, the National Control Bureau (NCB), in opposing Aryan Khan’s bail, cited his WhatsApp conversation about “having a blast” as evidence of a sinister plan. If it hadn’t been for the fact that this was a tragic turn of events involving young lives, it would have been amusing.
The youth of the nation is referred to as the nation’s demographic dividend. When we ask for their votes, we refer to them as the future of the country. Each time we hold an election, we remind them of their obligation to vote in that particular election. In our manifestos, we promise them a great education, fantastic opportunities, and secure jobs, but once we gain power, we fail miserably at all of these promises.
Today, India is on the verge of turning its demographic advantage into a source of contention, as it attempts to bridge an increasingly difficult unemployment gap, close a skill gap, and improve educational outcomes. After liberalisation, a large proportion of the country’s population was born, which created opportunities for the country but also widened the income disparity between the haves and the have nots. The Covid pandemic resulted in a significant portion of India’s population moving out of poverty in the twenty-first century, but it also increased inequalities of wealth: during the Covid pandemic, the wealth of Indian billionaires increased by 35 percent (90 percent since 2009), while over 75 percent of informal workers lost their jobs as a result of the Covid-induced lockdown.
Today’s young people face a variety of challenges, including huge — at times even 100 percent — cut-offs at well-established universities, which are best suited to accommodate the top 10 percent of India’s admission seekers, when seeking higher education. The large number of IIT, IIM, and NEET applicants each year should tell you the storey: with such a large number of admission seekers, most are forced to attend private colleges with high capitation fees or study at foreign universities.
Our society has an urgent need to provide a safe space for youth, particularly those who have been affected by violence. We must acknowledge and comprehend the dilemmas and issues that young people are confronted with. A strong support system at the individual and institutional levels is essential for us to provide as a society to those who are experiencing difficulties. We also need to put in place strong institutional mechanisms to assist and guide the young people in our society.
Due to the fact that our systems have become so deeply compromised as to be subject to the will and command of a few, the majority of them are now met with suspicion and scepticism. So, if a celebrity child, instead of receiving help, is subjected to a public trial and is treated as a criminal, what hope do those whose cases aren’t worthy of public attention have?
We must remember that while governments come and go, political parties may or may not remain in power, the redressal mechanisms will be in place for the foreseeable future. When these systems were established, the concepts of justice, equality, and liberty served as the foundation. They are intended to ensure that citizens of a country, even when they make mistakes or break the law, receive a free and fair trial. In order to build stronger institutions for our future generations, we must ensure that they are actively involved in the institution-building process rather than simply being spectators at the event. We will not gain their confidence until we begin to communicate with them rather than at them. However, we may gain their votes if we do so.
