VARANASI, India — As one of the most popular political figures in this impoverished northeastern Indian city, Tazim Ali fields round-the- clock cellphone calls about such everyday problems as child hunger, domestic violence and caste discrimination.The only thing that’s unusual is that Tazim is 9.
He is the 4-foot-tall president of the Varanasi children’s parliament, the first body of its kind in India, which — with 75 percent of its population younger than 35 — is one of the world’s most youthful nations. With its passionate leaders and reputation for prompt action, the four-member children’s parliament has become an example of honest, functional politics.
The Varanasi children’s parliament drew a turnout of 95 percent in June in its first-ever elections. There is a minimum voting age: 6. And a maximum: 13. Winners are limited to a single term in office.
