Voices from an Azamgarh college: Need women in politics, progress without bias, say first-time voters

“If the youth are educated, they can ensure a bright future for the country. Development will happen only if education is affordable for all,” says Arisha Jamali. 19, who wants to become a teacher.

Her friend Sanubi Imtiaz, who hopes to become a doctor, adds the government should focus on healthcare. “All of us saw what happened during Covid. Our healthcare sector was completely exposed; it failed to save the lives of common people,” she says.

Sanubi says it’s important for the country to have women in politics. “The SP has done a lot for students but I disagree with Akhilesh Yadav’s caste politics. In the future, if a better alternative emerges with a party led by a woman, I will change my preference. Between the AIMIM and BJP, Akhilesh seems to be a good middle ground for the state. He is neither staunchly Muslim, nor is he Hindutvawadi like the BJP. If he comes to power, he will ensure development for all. Just because I am Muslim, I can’t just think of development only for Muslims. Development should reach everyone irrespective of caste and religion,” she says.

It’s on this count, they say, that the BJP government has fallen short. “The party is actively working to end secularism in the country. They only talk about Muslims. The CM says ‘March 10 ke baad dekh lenge’. Then he talks about 80 vs 20. He is saying all this because he can’t win an election without targeting the Muslim community,” says Sadaf Siddiqui.

In the 2017 polls, the SP had won five out of 10 seats in Azamgarh, the BSP four and the BJP one seat. In 2012, SP won nine seats and the BSP won one.
This time the SP has fielded Durga Prasad Yadav, the eight-time MLA from Azamgarh Sadar, the constituency of which Shibli College is a part. The BSP’s Sushil Kumar Singh and the Congress’s Praveen Kumar Singh are both first-timers. The BJP has fielded Akhilesh Mishra, the runner-up in 2017 who lost to Durga Prasad Yadav by 26,262 votes.

Asked about the Congress’s decision to reserve 40 per cent tickets for women, Aliza Raees, who wants to join politics, says, “I really like Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. But the Congress was late to arrive on the scene. How many times has Priyanka visited Azamgarh before the elections?”

As the conversation shifts to the hijab row, Arisha says, “The hijab is our personal choice and an essential part of our religion. How can we take it off because someone else has a problem? Will Yogiji stop wearing saffron clothes or will Modiji stop wearing his tika if we object to it? We won’t and he shouldn’t. That is his choice and this is ours.”

Aliza says the BJP will not stop at the hijab. “They will keep finding new subjects to keep people busy and to shift the attention from development, inflation and unemployment.”