Promises to Keep

UPA’s party is on full swing,but here comes a wake-up call. Delhi-based non-profit The YP Foundation is organizing a session in which young voters will ask elected leaders the most important question of the hour — What next? As Ishita Choudhary,managing trustee of the foundation,explains,“Many promises were made during campaigns; our aim is to ensure that the issues for which the youth voted are adhered to,that our elected representatives don’t forget their promises.”

The session,to be held at India Habitat Centre on July 25,is part of the YP Foundation’s ‘What Does Your Vote Want’ campaign. The campaign started a year ago as an effort to get apathetic youngsters to cast their votes. Choudhary says that the second phase of the campaign kicks off now,to create regular dialogue between young people and politicians. “We will stay focused on the pre-election manifesto and ask for accountability on the way forward,” she adds,in between finalizing the list of politicians who will attend the session.

The initiative is being supported by Sony Music,which will release a two-CD set called Say Something to fund the campaign. The CD will comprise only politically relevant tracks,from Tina Turner’s A change is Gonna Come and Peter Tosh’s Get up,Stand Up to songs by John Mayer,Bob Dylan and Men at Work. The only Indian band to feature in the list is Pentagram,who will sing Voice,a song about breaking the bond of silence.