#ITCounts: Indiatimes Readers Share Views On Issues Which Should Be Included In 2019 Polls

What kind of change would you like to see in India After 2019 polls? What issues should be included by the political parties when they come to ask for your vote. The millennials know exactly what they want from their representatives. Over the past one week, Indiatimes asked them a few straight questions about the important issues. Here's how they have responded to the queries. The following are the results of the polls. They clearly reflect what the youth of the country wants.

Air Pollution

According to a 2019 report by the State of Global Air (SOGA), more than 1.2 million (12 lakh) Indians died in 2017 due to air pollution. In 2015, 13 lakh Indians died due to pollution-related ailments. And guess what? In a recent report it has been found that 15 of the top 20 most polluted cities in the world are in India.

91% of the readers believe that air pollution should definitely be a top election agenda this year. Facebook users said that while India was working on conventional renewable energy resources, One user said that development should be in such a way that people get motivated to leave their vehicles back home and embrace public transport more.

Disabled-Friendly Facilities

#ITCounts polls posed a question if politicians ignore millions of disabled Indians in their poll promises and 90% responded with an astounding ¡®yes¡¯. Many said that most disabled people were not getting financial and moral support in the Indian society.

Do you feel otherwise? Leave your comments below in the poll section.

Mental Health Issues

According to the World Health Organisation nearly 56 million Indians, that is, 4.5 per cent of India¡¯s population, suffer from depression. Another thirty-eight million Indians, or 3 percent of India¡¯s population, suffer from anxiety disorders including panic attacks, phobias, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Still mental health issues are considered a taboo in India, should they be a part of the election agenda? 82% agreed to it while 18% didn¡¯t believe that mental health was important enough to be a part of the growth story of India.

Man-Animal Conflict

Between 2015-2018, 1,713 people and 373 elephants were killed in conflicts.

In Karnataka, 45 people are getting killed in human-animal conflicts, every year - four deaths per month. Since 2010, 761 people and 249 jumbos have lost their lives in conflicts in Assam.

Tigers are being shot by professional shooters and are being branded as man-eaters. India is losing its flora and fauna to poachers and urbanization, yet human-animal conflict isn¡¯t a part of the election agenda.

80% agree that loss of habitat for animals should be an election issue while a few believe that since animals cannot vote, they shouldn¡¯t be included in human affairs.

Women Safety

They say educate women to change the world! Documentaries have been made, apps have been developed, security forces deployed in key areas however, Indian women continue to remain unsafe.

According to the data released by the Delhi Police, five women were raped and eight were molested daily on an average in the national capital. The data revealed that 2,043 cases of rapes were registered last year as compared to 2,059 cases the year before that and 2,065 cases in 2016.

Last year, 3,175 cases of molestation were reported as compared to 3,275 cases the year before and 4,032 cases in 2016. Should women security be the most important topic of our discussion? 87% of the voters say yes, of course it should be.

Farmers Distress

The government of India has not shared data on farmers¡¯ suicide since 2016. As per the last report, around 17 farmers commit suicide everyday. Isn't it time, their plight is taken into consideration, this election season?

Only 6% feel that it is not necessary while 94% of the poll participants agreed that politicians must increase the income of farmers to provide them with a stable income.

Same-Sex Marriage

While decriminalizing section 377 in India was just the beginning, the societal and behavioural attitude towards same-sex marriage and homosexuality will take years to evolve. When #ITcounts asked netizens if same-sex marriage should be allowed in India, only 53% agreed to the idea. 47% of the people still think that same-sex marriage shouldn¡¯t be legalized in India.

#ITCounts is an Indiatimes initiative to move beyond the noise and the name-calling and focus on issues that really matter to our generation. We aim to be more about migration, pollution, LGBTQ rights, women's issues and healthcare than about Pakistan, political posturing and trolling.

If you have any suggestions/inputs/feedback or advice please hit us up at kabeer.sharma@timesinternet.in