Around 1,270 people were surveyed for the CVoter snap poll. As per the survey, conducted among those aged between 18-35 years, as many as 58.7% of the respondents said political parties do not understand the concerns of Gen Z.
Only 20.7% felt they do.
Interestingly, as many as 20.5% of them - remained silent and non-committal.
What should make PM Narendra Modi - a youth icon for long -- take corrective measures is the fact that among the respondents aligned with the BJP-led NDA --
54% said political parties do not understand Gen Z concerns.
Only 26% replied in the affirmative.
Now comes a modest consolation prize for the BJP and their 'chanakyas' --
The figure was significantly higher among those supporting the opposition.
'India Today' reported that around
64% said political parties were out of sync with India's youth.
Around 58.5% of those backing other parties held the same view.
The recent protests at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, and the subsequent agitations in Punjab and Jharkhand, have shown how much importance Gen Z places on education.
The CVoter survey reveals that the youth are focused more on everyday issues.
An overwhelming 53% of the respondents revealed --
employment, education and health were the biggest electoral issues.
Inflation was the second-biggest factor (13.1%),
followed by corruption (11.9%).
The age-old issues of
bijli (electricity)
paani (water),
sadak (roads) were important to 8.2% of the Gen Z respondents.
For 4.8% of those surveyed, law and order and women's safety were the most important electoral issues.
What is said is that
the National security was important for just 2.7% of
India's Gen Z.
This is partly shameful. Partly the faults of the elders - families and society including teachers.
Of course the Gen Z is inherently 'selfish' in more ways than one.
From her modest experience as a middleclass woman - my wife says -- those born in India after 1980 "are a selfish" lot.
Her diagnosis was not based on any survey. She speaks these in family circles and she does mainly to taunt herself, her husband and also her parents and others in the small Tripura town - Kamalpur.
And I do endorse what she says. My experience too - in my family circles. in my work places (journalism and non-journalism) is somewhat the same.
I know friends and relatives - who say "little bit cheating for scoring good marks is okay".
My mother would have caned us - even just for saying this. Old values - they say; and obviously they reject it.
Left to me; I am scared of interacting with unknown teenagers. Even in Metro travel; I avoid asking the youngsters -- even innocuous questions - where are you going or what's the time by your watch.
Nevertheless, the CVoter survey also gave a glimpse into the voting preferences of Gen Z.
Around 33.3% underlined that "issues" were the key basis for deciding their vote.
The choice of a leader was secondary for India's Gen Z (20%).
Only 13.9% of the Gen Z respondents said they would primarily base their vote on the party.
Only a mere 7.7% said the candidate would be the key factor in their decision.
Again, I would insist - some of their responses may not be truthful or genuine.
There is nothing with the surveyors perse.
The younger generation is also more parochial and regional and hence also communal ... that is divided by religions.
This is my experience based on my own findings and interaction. A few years back one Pakistani scholar said the same thing about youths in his country.
I know Naga elders -- who say the Naga and non-Naga differences are more pronounced amongst youths.
Hence it would be very rare when a Muslim or a Christian youth would voter for Yogi Adityanath as a 'performing chief minister' by some standards.
Similarly, for Hindu youngsters - they would not be voting for Modi just because of his contribution to development or administrative measures.
Here Hindutva works in favour of Modi and also the likes of Yogi Adityanath.
Otherwise when farmers' agitation took place in 2020-21; the youths and especially educated youths including Gen Z should have dissociated themselves from any stir and openly backed PM Modi for the much needed agri reform strategies and the three pertinent laws.
We are not exaggerating things here. It is a truism that winning 2022 assembly elections in UP became much easier for BJP only after the three farm laws were withdrawn.
It's simple - the Youths or Gen Z too cannot run with the hare and hunt with the hounds.
The present Lok Sabha composition reveals a startling fact. The average age of MPs is 56 years. Only 11% of members are 40 years old or younger. In fact, there are only three 'Gen Z' MPs.
GEN-Z on social media and Nationalism:
The survey has revealed that social media plays a significant role in shaping political opinion among Gen Z. Nearly half of the respondents - 49.3% - asserted that social media played a key role. No surprises here. The surprise was in the next question.
When asked whom they trust most on matters affecting their lives, 'parents' were the overwhelming choice for Gen Z at 75.1%. Friends were a distant second at 6.9%, followed by social media influencers at 6.8%.
Gen Z also wants greater youth representation in politics.
Nearly three-fourths of those surveyed (74.6%) said they would vote for young candidates if political parties fielded them in elections.
This last statement ought to be taken with a pinch of salt.
If that was the case -- Bolero rides and cash flow would not have happened or required at all in a state like Nagaland.
Here, Nagaland is just an example. Most of my friends in different states will also agree.
In Tamil Nadu - TV sets distribution would vanish. And election manifesto everywhere by every party would not be about free laptops and bicycles.
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