Most of the students seek stable and secured lifestyle where the income is regular; lifestyle is lavish, the social standard is high, and foreign trips are affordable. There is nothing wrong in this dream. Security and stability help in healthy living. However, some students or some individuals are born with different perspectives.
They look at the world differently. Such individuals know their strengths and abilities & they want to be known in society. Politicians, sportspersons, entrepreneurs, artists, etc. are such people. They take risks, they deal with every situation, they love to win, and they all are performers, in one way or another.
However, politicians live a life, unlike others. Their perspective, vision, decisions, and intelligence not only affect their political career but affect the whole nation, citizens, and society. It is a role full of responsibilities, hurdles, stress, and criticism too.
It is said that true leaders are not born; they are made. In the same way, one can become a true politician only with experience and learning required skills. If you think, you are born to make a difference and politics interests you. Here is how your dream could come true. Like every country, a developing country like India is in need of great politicians too.
Start early
If politics is what attracts, you better start it from the moment you get this realization. There is no masters or Ph.D. which could qualify you to become a politician (knowledge of social sciences could help), you have to go on the field, connect with people, understand the issues, stay updated with current affairs, know government policies, laws and regulations.
Apart from this, what will make you a good politician is the knowledge of political stands of every leading or competing party. However, all of this could help you only when you have clarity. Clarity comes with exposure, learning, and experience.
Starting early will give you enough time to learn all the basics of politics; you will make your own contacts, and observe the existing leaders and seniors dealing and leading. On the other hand, if this career option fails to meet your expectations, you have time to switch to the career path.
Know the purpose:
Before you finalize politics as a career opts in, you must ask yourself WH type of questions. Know your expectations from the career? Does politics fit in that? Will you be able to impact the society the way you want? Will your objective be achievable? Is there any particular area you want to focus on?
Once you know all the answers to these questions, you will think: How to do it? When to do? Where and why to do?
Don’t lose the focus
You don’t have to crack any exams to enter politics in India. However, what you do need is the understanding of the problems of people. Most of the politicians start with local politics. This is your home ground, you have stayed in this area and hence have seen local people and their issues closely. This is where you learn and get prepared for national politics/national leadership.
What will keep you going as a leader is your focus! You will be recognized as a good politician only when you can lead the group and make sure that people in society are living a decent life.
If you are still in school or college, this is the time to get active on social platforms (online too) and start connecting to people. Participate in social causes, events, show your skills, let people know you, be there in their need. If you learn to manage these things with confidence, you can surely get there!
Transparency:
Many years of history and personal experiences of voters have made them realize that their representative not only has to be confident and empathetic but also honest and transparent.
All love a representative with a clean image, good character, open mind, and a vision to take society ahead. As a leader, all you have to do is build trust and maintain it. Transparency in your actions would help in this!
Use of Technology:
The latest addition to your path of becoming a good politician is using technology. Technological inventions like Social media, internet, AI, or any other technology which can keep you connected with people and stay updated, would work in your favor.
Social media is one of the best and easiest ways of reaching people and informing them about your activities, stands, and plans. In India, where most of the population is young, using technology to deal with issues will help you connect with this young population and relate to them. Even they will think of you as one of them, somebody who can lead the nation towards a better future.
While the ways mentioned above would develop your soft skills, here is how you can improve your knowledge base to become a successful politician:
You can choose Political Science for your bachelor or Masters. You can study economics or sociology too, but an understanding of political science will create a strong base.
Read about Indin politics as much as possible. Understanding the present, past, and geography of your country from a political point of view is crucial.
Join a debating society or student associations to polish your oratory skills. Good oratory and political success go hand in hand - Present PM Narendra Modi or former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee are examples of this!
Remember this:
You can start attending party meetings seriously. Analyze political scenarios of the country and start sharing your ideas in the meetings.
Do not fail to play as a team. A good leader is one who is a good team player. In case you plan to go longer, walk with your team!
All the ideas as mentioned above and paths are to create a strong base. However, your real journey will start when you contest for the election. This is the first step, and this is your real exam. Here, you will know if your preparations were done right! You will be able to test your leadership qualities, strengths, and understand weaknesses too. Your first election will help you strategize your career ahead.
Your first election will teach you a lot about your friends and enemies. The key is to have a long term vision and stay intact to it.
Verifying, please be patient.