High Court Judges Child Political Campaigning Strategy as Poor Parenting

What Happened

Parliament may soon have to decide if involving children in political campaigning should be grounds to set aside election results. Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy of the Madras High Court made this observation while dismissing a petition filed by a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate. The petitioner argued that Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party leader and actor Joseph C. Vijay engaged in undue influence by urging children to persuade their parents to vote for the TVK election symbol, the whistle. The judge criticized the trend of using children for YouTube reels as poor parenting and a cheap, politically motivated act.

Discussion and Concerns

Experts Andrew Sesuraj and Anil Pillai note that this tactic crosses over consumer marketing techniques into electoral politics, utilizing the pester power of children. While children have a right to participate in politics under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, experts warn against turning them into instruments of persuasion. Unlike adults who possess the agency to vote independently, children lack the agency to evaluate political candidates on their merits, making emotional appeals through them highly manipulative.

Context

Electoral laws prohibit undue influence that overpowers a voter's volition, though courts must weigh whether such persuasion constitutes legal tyranny over the mind or simply ordinary political communication. Debates around child campaigning highlight the tension between protecting minors from exploitation and recognizing their civic participation rights.