Youngsters key to preserving democracy: Kageri

The speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, Vishweshwar Hegde, spoke to students in Mysuru about the challenges of democracy in the present day. Hegde highlighted the systemic deterioration of ethics in social life as the biggest challenge to democracy, and urged students to be at the forefront of a movement to convince people not to put their votes up for sale. Hegde also pointed to the example of women's reservation in the assemblies and the Lok Sabha as evidence that change is possible only in response to popular demand. Hegde also discussed the problems of candidates contesting from multiple constituencies, police inability to check the use of money and liquor by candidates to influence voters, and successive governments persisting with reservation. Hegde expressed confidence that the Karnataka government would act on reservation for people from the economically weaker sections of society soon.