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'Votebank manager', UP's hot job
Published on Wed, Apr 04, 2007 at 09:11, Updated on Wed, Apr 04, 2007 at 10:16 in 
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As Uttar Pradesh goes to polls, CNN-IBN examines the lives and expectations of a group that has the most at stake from the future of the state - the youth. In a special series, we meet the Young And Restless In Uttar Pradesh.
Meerut (UP): Ishwar Chand Sagar is the pride of his family, his father's favourite son, his wife's sweetheartand the richest man in Diggi Mohalla of Meerut. Sagar owns two houses, eight buffaloes, and runs a flourishing dairy business.
At 35, Sagar – an ABVP candidate - is also a student and harbours enormous political ambition.
"There are so many uneducated politicians. So why not an educated politician like me? I'm doing Ph.D,” he says proudly.
Sagar is no hurry to finish his PhD as the university is the training camp for his dream future in BJP.
Therefore, his real thesis is his campaign strategy. "Frankly, I'm a Scheduled Caste and only my people will help me win with maximum votes,” he says.
Caste-based politics isn't just confined to the walls of Meerut University.
The four biggest colleges across Meerut, Sahranpur, and Muzaffarnagar have presidents who belong to the area's dominant caste.
The campus has become the easiest place to begin building a caste votebank.
Student leaders wield power by keeping caste divides simmering and young hands pick up weapons at the slightest provocation.
Teachers have been attacked and last year, a student was even shot dead by a rival gang.
"The students here fight elections on caste, religion, and most of all, finance. Money is lavishly spent " says Political Science Professor at Meerut’s CCS University, Sanjeev Sharma.
Unfortunately, an MLA or MP ticket doesn't come cheap. So if one is an aspiring politician, he/she needs money.
"If a form is Rs.61, they take Rs.100 and pocket the rest. For Rs.40, they sell their conscience," says a Meerut student.
But one needs to be - at least technically - a student to be a student leader.
So, bending university admission rules is the norm for those who want to kickstart their political career.
For example, Students' Union candidate from CCS University Sanjeev Verma wanted to contest for president this year, so he took a course in Urdu mass media, even if he didn't actually qualify.
The campuses of the wild west of UP are now just replicas of the feudal society that surrounds it. It's caste conscious, patriarchal and very violent.
It's been literally beaten into student netas that the only way to achieve political careers is with muscle power and money.
So really, why would anyone care about ideology, social change or young rebellion?
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