“Political apathy” among youth refers to a lack of interest or engagement in political processes, which can hinder the development of democratic societies. As per EBSCO, political apathy is one of the reasons why ‘democratic’ regions can’t progress — regions we are also part of.
It might seem as if I am going to rant about our youth or complain about moral decay, declining civic values and an alarmingly declining patriotism. However, I am here to share positive news, as those ideologies and assumptions are fundamentally flawed and impractical for a nation like ours.
In fact, we are perhaps the luckiest nation in the world. You see, many nations, such as North Korea, are operated by a ruthless dictatorship where people’s lives are reduced to an amusement for the almighty rulers, with no apparent illusion of choice. But we are blessed to be in a democratic country where we are an amusement to them, yet have been granted the delusion that we are free.
We are a nation where we can vote, though it is merely ceremonial. We exercise our right to speech, under the circumstances that you do not actually speak your mind. Every granted right is carefully wrapped in the illusion that we can actually have it. Perhaps the illusion is enough. Why should I ask for more when delusion is the driving force for a nation that has nothing to hold onto?
Yet, it is considered a tragedy that the youth are politically demotivated. Our history is evident in the terror that democracy unleashed on our people.
The infamous elections of 1970
The first proper general elections of Pakistan were catastrophic. They were meant to bring hope, unity, and empowerment among people. People were finally allowed to choose their leaders and to become part of a nation they were considered unworthy of. Instead, these fair elections, rooted in democracy, resulted in the country being torn apart.
As famously argued by Ayub Khan, who believed that democracy needs to be controlled and guided, as it is not suited to the ‘genius’ of our people. What followed these elections affirmed his views — not because the people failed but because our leaders, drunk with their powers, were only concerned with those who threatened their power, with the people of Pakistan being the least of their priorities.
These events exposed their blatant hypocrisy and made it evident that the common man shall have no say in their own country, where the leaders are perhaps way too preoccupied with the game of musical chairs amongst themselves.
Operation Searchlight, led by General Tikka Khan, also known as the butcher of Bangladesh, killed millions of people and destroyed hundreds of villages, all because the land and the ego of the rulers were considered far more important than the people.
On the other hand, the genocide of the Biharis by the Bengalis — those who wished for Pakistan to remain united — is a grim reminder of what happens when democratic mandates are ignored, and power is imposed rather than shared. The hatred our institutions instilled in the hearts of Bengalis through years of injustice resulted in terror of a community that was far too powerless and outnumbered, all because they loved a nation that was far too unbothered by it.
Hence, the common man was slaughtered openly and persistently by both sides, leaving a deep and dirty scar on those who witnessed it unfold. For those who lived through it, democracy did not mean representation. It meant terror beyond human comprehension.
Is it any different now?
It can be considered that we live in a relatively peaceful era for a country that has been afflicted by political instability since its birth. Even today, when elections occur in relative peace and silence, the question remains: what has actually changed?
For many first-time voters, the right to vote does not give them any sense of pride that they have become part of the country’s administration. They are well aware that they have no actual voice of their own. It’s the theatrics that they can become part of. So, they do not cast at all. Hope for them and for this nation becomes a strange and dangerous thing.
It’s absolutely barbaric to be held accountable to vote when all we witness is political stagnation, economic instability and hollow promises from the politicians who only have this title because their families have been ruling and dominating our administration for decades.
For many, the greatest aspiration is not reform but escape. To leave with the dream to have higher education and become an “overseas patriotic Pakistani”, all from a safe distance. It is ideal to express loyalty through nostalgia rather than participation. But then again, when did we ever have a say on the leaders and the power dynamics?
What you cannot fix, you eventually learn to ignore. And ignorance, as they say, is bliss. This is not apathy. This is a strategy.
Youth disengagement is not due to ignorance but to a pattern of instability. Democracy, by definition, means that the system is of the people and for the people. Yet, such a system has given us no returns and certainly no hope that we are heard. The inflation keeps on rising; opportunities to stay shrink, while escaping and withdrawal become the only options to preserve our own peace of mind.
Until democracy becomes more than an illusion, delivering the sense of security, dignity and accountability it was meant to, strategic apathy shall not remain a flaw of our youth but a reflection of a system that failed its people.