The Silent Majority - Rise Of APOLITICALNESS
Opinion By Harsh Nath Jha
*This was written for the magazine of Motilal Nehru College's Political Science Department*
The thing I am talking about has always been a trend. Be it any nation, creed, identity, or anything else, the idea and simplicity behind it make people follow it. The thing we are talking about is the people’s idea of being APOLITICAL. Most people in the world don't want to be associated with any politics or don't want others to see them siding with one particular wing or ideology. But why is this topic so important that I am submitting this vague and basic article to the Political Science Department's magazine?
The reason is this stunning statistic: globally, voter turnout has been declining, with a drop from 65.2% in 2008 to 55.5% in 2023. And if we consider India, in the 2024 election, 33.9% of registered voters did not vote, which amounts to approximately 331 million registered voters who abstained in that election. So, isn't this statistic common yet impactful?
Diving into the topic I stated above—Why do people choose not to care?
There are many relatable reasons in this context. The first and most basic one is that others may start hating them because of their ideology or the leader they support, leading to discrimination or judgment. There’s no reason to actualize this and fish out facts supporting this reason using ChatGPT or Google, searching "how many people break friendships or relationships based on their partner’s political ideology or view"… the answer, according to me, would be minimal, as that is one of the least concerns of human life. People want their friends or partners to believe in them; politics is the least of their concerns.
Yeah, it can turn into a brutal argument and debate over dinner or any meeting, but that happens on very rare occasions, and these kinds of debates are healthy for both friendships and the politics of the state. Although such discussions may not arrive at a logical conclusion, they make people consider the points the other person has put forward in the long run. Now, this whole scenario is a nightmare for an introvert, so they exclude themselves from such altercations by being apolitical.
As things stand, we come to the second reason, which often translates to this: the opinion holder may benefit or suffer professionally based on their views. This may or may not be true, as it is often seen that people in positions of power want to see those of the same ideology in similar positions, so they might appoint people based on their bias. It can also be observed that, mostly in the private, sales, or target-oriented sectors, this topic is just a secondary conversation between cigarette breaks and nothing more. This is one of the most common and logical reasons people remain or pretend to be apolitical, fearing it may harm them in the long run. This is the reason that parents in the Indian household often warn their children living far from them not to drink, smoke, fight, or get involved in any kind of politics.
If we let our imaginations get crazy and think about the stupidest reason for this apolitical attitude it is that: people are not interested and claim they don't have "time" to decide their fate. They are so busy with their lives, jobs, and hustles that they don’t care which government comes into power. The problem here is that laziness costs them dearly, both metaphorically and practically. When a corrupt government or a government that does not address people’s needs comes into power, it creates chaos and implements plans and projects that people don't need. In the end, those who voted for that same government will have to support the worthless and aimless work done by the leaders they chose because they boasted about their political views in front of their friends and family.
This brings us to the fourth and most relevant reason in India: peer pressure or the pressure of the political atmosphere during elections. There exists a large segment of society that depends on others to tell them what one party or ideology did wrong, which one did right, which person they should vote for, and which person they shouldn’t. At least in India, these people are the main pillars of democratic voting—those who have not read any manifestos, legal documents, or anything but believe the words passed down from their acquaintances, which is a perfect example of the Chinese whisper effect.
This apolitical attitude has declined in recent years, being replaced by an extreme love for one’s ideology, which is also problematic, as humans require change to develop. If we talk about what we should do, what things we should consider, or which person to vote for, it would be a waste of time, but what we should consider is how politicians and their policies affect us.
Even if the politician you find better suited to your needs is not from the party you support, you should still vote for that person. The logic behind this simple method is that your decisions will determine your fate in the long run—if the policy you elected your leader for is implemented, it will change your life, and if it's not, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you tried your best to bring about change.
In the end, the only thing that matters is that we use the most powerful tool the Constitution has given us: the right to choose and be POLITICAL. Being political doesn't mean carrying huge flags, hats, banners, and loudspeakers shouting "ZINDABAD" or "MURDABAD" or fighting with people of different ideologies using bats, sticks, and rods. Instead, our sense of being POLITICAL means knowing about what is happening in our country, understanding which policies should be implemented and which shouldn’t, being aware of court cases that impact our lives, and exercising our right to elect the best candidate to represent us.
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