Youth Climate Action and Political Transformations in India

By Aishwarya Dhar

Environmental activism is a practice rooted in youth participation. Time and again, youth have used multiple ways to express their political agency against social, economic, and environmental policies that contribute to climate change and environmental degradation. Notably, individual youth have been participating in international negotiations related to environmental and sustainable development issues since the Rio Summit in 1992.

However, there is a marked difference between the youth activism of the 21st century and that of previous generations. While youth mobilization for climate action began in Europe and USA, today we can notice a rapid emergence of youth climate activism amongst the developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. For instance, the rapid decentralization of international coalitions like the Youth Climate Movement and Extinction Rebellion to sub-national and local levels in developing countries has attracted youth ranging from school students (Fridays For Future) to university students. However, while youth leaders like Greta Thunberg are reprimanding world leaders for “stealing children’s futures” (Sutter & Davidson, 2018) and numerous other unsung heroes of the youth climate movement are spearheading local efforts for climate change adaptation in their communities, the question remains: how can the youth mobilize effective climate action at scale in the 21st century? I will expand on this complex question with a focus on the case of youth in India.

Crackdown on Climate Activism in India

The rising power of social media has been the primary catalyst of youth mobilization globally today (Marris, 2019). Smartphones have enabled the rapid circulation of images, articles, and videos with information and visuals from around the world and transformed the depth of awareness of climate change amongst the youth. But even with these digital tools, the extent to which youth climate mobilization can generate effective action varies from country to country and depends on the delicate power dynamics between state actors and non-state actors.

For example, let us take a look at the nascent youth climate movement in India. The rapidly growing movement of young people in India who are concerned about climate change was recently confronted with the jolting effects of police charges on fellow-activists. The arrest of Disha Ravi, a 22-year-old member of the organization Fridays For Future (FFF) India, on charges including sedition and criminal conspiracy, and warrants issues against two members of Extinction Rebellion (XR) India, Nikita Jacob and Shantanu Muluk, have severely shaken countless climate activists, students and other young people in this country, many of whom have withdrawn from social media platforms and put the brakes on activism, lest they be branded “anti-national” (Adve, 2021).

According to various news outlets, the reasons behind the central government’s serious attacks on the youth climate movement in India can be attributed to the government’s intent to undermine the legitimacy of farmers’ protest and the campaigns led by FFF and XR against environmental degradation derived from Adani Group’s planned infrastructure projects in the country (Adve, 2021). To our great dismay, the heavy crackdown against climate activism in India has significantly shrunk the space for collective engagement for the youth.

Equipped with a mode of interaction that the state cannot entirely suppress and with support from other social movements (led by farmers and tribes), youth climate groups are likely to bounce back in the near future. However, the speed of their resurgence will depend on the outcome of the ongoing legal cases. In my opinion, the only way to protect climate activists in India is continued advocacy for their release, at local, national as well as international levels.

Missing: Youth from Politics

Another very important issue to consider is the lack of youth representation in Indian politics. India is a remarkably young country with 65% of its population below the age of 35 (Mahalinge, 2020). However, 75% of the Members of Parliament (MPs) are over the age of 50 (Mahalinge, 2020). Moreover, the few young politicians that represent the youth in the parliament all hail from strong political dynasties. If the Indian youth were better represented in politics and had more decision-making powers, it is likely that climate matters would be better included in politics.

The question thus remains, why doesn’t today’s youth, especially those coming from educated middle class backgrounds, participate in frontline politics? There are five main reasons for this (Mahalinge, 2020):
• The established party system in India is inconducive to the entry of new political parties.
• A large segment of the population lives in poverty, and politics in India is capital-intensive.
• Many public representatives in India have criminal cases against them, leading to the conception of politics as a game reserved only for criminals.
• Crackdown on dissent and mass agitation discourages the Indian youth from participating in active politics.
• The legal age to contest general elections in India is set at 25 years, making politics an impractical career option for many.
• The exam for the Indian Administrative Services is outdated and discouraging for the youth.

Tackling Youth Representation in Politics

A sure-shot way of advancing the fight against climate change in India is to tackle the issue of lack of representation of youth in politics. Before enlisting the ways to improve youth participation in politics, it is imperative to understand the primary concern of a young Indian voter: unemployment. It was, in fact, the promise of creating 10 million jobs per year, that helped Modi win the hearts of India’s youth back in 2014 (Someshwar & Ogawa, 2020). However, according to ILO estimates, India’s youth unemployment rate was at 23.75% in 2020 (O’Neill, 2021). Hence, the following changes can significantly improve youth participation in politics:

1. Universal Basic Income: Adopting a Universal Basic Income goes hand-in-hand with a transition from business-as-usual capitalism to a system guided by circular and regenerative economic model. Without basic income security, it is implausible to expect the youth to engage in frontline politics- which is not only capital-intensive but is also dominated by a privileged political elite blessed with ample social security. A Universal Basic Income will not only secure the livelihood of vulnerable households, women, and youth alike, but can also give young workers the power and capability to turn down jobs that are exploiting both workers and the environment. This would not only increase youth participation in decision-making and politics but also enhance local climate action.
2. Civil Society Participation: Instead of perceiving activists as the state enemy, local MPs should establish periodic public consultations and local reporting mechanisms in partnership with youth-led climate organizations and other relevant civil society organizations, so that there is a constant feedback loop for public policies on the explicitly interlinked issues of climate change, agriculture, displacement, and livelihoods.
3. Role of Youth Climate Organizations: Pushing for a rapid shift away from fossil fuels necessitates a more granular engagement with the key sectors that consume them- transport, industry, energy, and buildings- than the Indian youth organizations have displayed thus far or even realize (Adve, 2021). It is thus, necessary, for the nascent youth climate movement in India, to be mindful of the centrality of jobs and livelihoods even while pushing for a faster energy and ecological transition.
4. Need for a Young Indian Party: Perhaps the youth can find meaningful ways to collectivize on a national scale and join the political frontlines under a common party vision? That could be the alternative we needed all along- a youth-led political movement that emerges in response to the current institutional failure of addressing climate change, much like the nationwide anti-corruption movement that had emerged in 2011 and led to the creation of the progressive Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi.

Way Forward

The climate crisis demands not only a radical political transition but also a change in our perception of work and success. Indian youth will have a crucial role to play in demanding and leading the radical transformations that are required to combat the complex and multifaceted climate crisis. In order to do so, the youth must find meaningful ways to collaborate with local leaders and traditional movements of workers, farmers, and women, at a national scale and join the political frontlines under a common party vision. The much-needed rapid and just climate transition needs not only a youth-led transformation of the current political system but also a government that is receptive to criticism. The crackdown on youth activists, whose only crime is demanding justice for vulnerable communities, must stop effective immediately. Lastly, emphasis must be laid on the fact that youth climate organizations have the constitutional right to voice their concerns and that these issues affect us all.

References

Adve, N. (2021, April 02). Coming of Age of India’s Youth Climate Movement. Retrieved from https://www.theindiaforum.in/article/coming-age-india-s-youth-climate-movement

EconomicTimes. (2021, February 02). Budget 2021: 6% cut in allocation for education sector. New Delhi, Delhi, India. Retrieved June 09, 2021, from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/services/education/budget-2021-6-cut-in-allocation-for-education-sector/articleshow/80640500.cms?from=mdr

Mahalinge, S. (2020, November 07). Why Is The Youth Missing From Indian Politics? Retrieved from https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2020/11/rising-youngistaan/

Marris, E. (2019, September 18). Why young climate activists have captured the world’s attention. (Nature, Ed.) doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-02696-0

O’Neill, A. (2021, April 01). Youth unemployment rate in India in 2020. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/812106/youth-unemployment-rate-in-india/

Someshwar, A., & Ogawa, T. (2020, February 09). Do the Youth of the Country Actually Value Their Vote? Retrieved June 06, 2021, from https://youngindiafdn.medium.com/do-the-youth-of-the-country-actually-value-their-vote-6c2e01db0093

Sutter, J., & Davidson, L. (2018, December 17). Teen tells climate negotiators they aren’t mature enough. Retrieved June 08, 2021, from https://edition.cnn.com/2018/12/16/world/greta-thunberg-cop24/index.html

About the Author

Aishwarya Dhar is a young professional with an interdisciplinary background in international development, Aishwarya is passionate about decoupling natural resource use from economic growth and eradicating poverty in India.

*This Blog Entry was selected for publication under the call with the subject: How can youth mobilize effective climate action at scale?