Prashant Kishor Warns Government: Youth Unrest is Just the Beginning

Patna, October 10 (Daily Kiran) : Prashant Kishor, founder of Jan Suraj, has raised concerns about the functioning of the Election Commission, calling for significant and transparent reforms in the electoral process. He noted that trust in the Election Commission and the electoral system has diminished among a large segment of society over the past eight to ten years. Kishor highlighted rising youth dissatisfaction regarding unemployment, education, and issues like paper leaks, warning the government not to underestimate this movement.

Kishor emphasized that public concerns about the Election Commission are widespread, not confined to a single individual. He criticized changes made to Forms 6 and 7 aimed at creating new voters, the use of Special Intensive Review (SIR) for removing names from voter lists, the process of determining election dates, the enforcement of the code of conduct, the appointment of observers, and the counting of votes.

Using Bihar as an example, he alleged that attempts were made to buy votes by offering people large sums of money just two days before the election. He also claimed that during the elections, workers from Jan Suraj were detained to influence the opposition. Such incidents have eroded public trust in the Election Commission and the electoral process.

Kishor warned that protests could persist until substantial and transparent reforms are implemented within the Election Commission and the electoral process. He described the current movement as merely the beginning, asserting that halting it would not be easy.

Regarding security measures during protests in Delhi, Kishor noted that approximately 40,000 police officers, paramilitary forces, and other security personnel were deployed. He connected this extensive security to the government’s concerns, stating that the youth’s discontent cannot be ignored despite the heavy police presence. Kishor pointed out that the anger among young people extends beyond electoral issues, encompassing significant grievances related to the education system, unemployment, and paper leaks. The discontent has not subsided following previous protests at Jantar Mantar.