Youth Unrest

Dr. Keyoor Pathak

School of Humanities, Lovely Professional
University, Punjab.
Email: keyoor.26132@lpu.co.in
 Introduction
• Social Movement: “Collective expression of
common interests”.

• “the term ‘youth’ in social sciences is regarded as

an ascribed status or socially constructed label
rather than the biological condition of being
young.

• ‘Youth’ is the stage between ‘childhood’ &

‘adulthood’.
 ..cont…
• T.K. Oommen (1990): youth have following features:

1. It is an age group between 15-30 years.

2. Youth is full of psychic energy.

3. Youth are neither progressive nor conservative. The uniqueness lies in their
potential for a new start; their willingness to penetrate into a new world of
experience.

1. Youth are ‘untouched’ to & ‘unsettled’ in society; they have not any vested
interest in the mainstream of the status-quo.

Note: deeply engaged in progressive movements like civil rights movements, the
transnational LGBTQ movements, feminist movements, environment justice
movement, animal right movements, antiwar movements etc.
 Factors leading to student & youth
1. Socio-political

2. Psychological

Sociological factors:
1. Quest for freedom
2. State policy
3. Unemployment
4. Deprivation & injustice
5. Education system
6. Generation gap
7. Social background
8. Alienation
9. Power of internet etc.
 ….cont…
1. Quest for freedom: Indian freedom movement: Kashi
Vidhyapith, BHU, DU were the centre of nationalism.

2. State policy: like reservation policy pursued by the

government in 1990, 2006 & 2015.

3. Unemployment: the case of Alia University, Kolkata:

‘The Telegraph’ 29th Oct. 2014 reported- class boycott demanding job
placement. The university runs job oriented class like B.Tech, MBA, MCA
etc. the student claimed that the job fair held by the university was a
flop show. Of the 30 companies which were invited, only two turned up
and they offered jobs with salaries 4000 & 5000.
 ..cont..
4. Deprivation & injustices: eg. Under the rule of tribal king, in the 1930s &
1940s, the tribal of Tripura ere suffering from a host of social evils. Starvation,
deaths were common, various superstitions & evils were in practices. Land
alienation occur due to dowry system. Some progressive youth in Tripura under
the banner of Janshiksha Samiti launched a literary campaign against the kingship
and started some hostels (Rajkhiram Thakur & Oakhiram Thakur) for the students.

5. Education system: authoritarian & bureaucratic, Lesser promotion of free

thinking, feudalism, caste & Gender biasness (case of UoH hostel & Rohit Vemula).

6. Generation gap: “persons in a common age group who in their formative years
have known the same historical experiences, shared the same hopes &
disappointments, & experienced a common disillusionment with respect to the age
group towards whom their sense of opposition is defined”. Eg. Opinion on marriage,
caste & gender issues.
 …cont..
7. Social background: Philip & Altback (1968): two types of leadership in
the universities:

i. Upper class leadership: social & cultural activities, festivals, birth ceremony of
ideological icons etc.

ii. Lower class leadership: poor housing, price rise, fee hike, availability of hostels,
study material, scholarship, subsidy etc.

8. Alienation: extremely organized social structure.

9. Internet/Social media: a power:

The first use of the terms ‘facebook revolution’ & ‘twitter revolution’ is
associated with Egyptian revolution in 2000.
 ..cont…
• Eid: “wired youth in Egypt have been in the global vanguard when it
comes to using communication tools as ‘a weapon of opposition’.

• Linda Herrera: studied the role of youth in Egyptian revolution in

2000:

a. Youth in Arab world live under authoritarian &militarized regimes.

b. Youth unemployment is highest in Arab countries.

c. Young educated Arabs make an exceedingly disaffected group.

 ...cont…
• Linda Herrera traces four phases in the emergence of Internet linked youth
activism:

• First: “opening frontiers”:started using internet, gaming & entertainment.

• Second: “cultural revolution”: profound changes are noticed like immature &
casual discussion.

• Third: “citizen media”: exchanging information, political sensibilities, political

awareness.

• Fourth: “becoming a wired generation”: political activism: phase is marked by

extensive use of social media (Shabab al-face) for political organizing.

• And finally rallied around the cause of Mohammed El Baredei, who founded the
‘national association of change ‘ in Egypt: electoral reform, representative
democracy.
 Psychological causes
1. Desire of power: not in the sense of controlling others,
but valuing their independence from society & family.

2. Antiestablishment: ubiquitous due to authoritarian social

and educational system.

3. Radical: Bittner (1968): two kinds: right wing & left wing:
just want to change the system by their ideological forces.

Regards.