Shadab Ahmad and Kunal Dharmani stood in front of Raipur’s Holy Cross Senior School, their hands across their eyes to keep away the sun. It will be a few years before Shadab and Kunal cast their first vote, but they told me that they already knew which side they were on.

Shadab supported the BJP. The Raipur cricket stadium was now ready and the city’s power supply had improved dramatically. Kunal, however, rooted for the Congress for he felt that change is important. Then they both laughed and said that they had just parroted what their parents said earlier.

There was commotion behind us. A ragtag group of children, with running noses and in soiled clothes, was marching past the school carrying party banners and flags. One boy carried a bird, which he placed on the head of the toddler in front of him. Shadab and Kunal were aware of the elected representatives’ failures: for them, pollution and clogged roads were Raipur’s problems.

They told me that their civics teacher had once asked what her students wanted to become. Pilot, policeman and cricketer, the children had answered. A lone student, however, had replied that he wanted to join politics. The smiling teacher had turned grim and warned “Rajniti mein mat jana (Don’t go into politics).” The two boys had decided to follow this instruction. Their lack of interest in the future of their democracy worried me.

But then the two boys rekindled my hopes briefly. They said that they were looking forward to November 14. It must be the elections, I said. But the boys burst out laughing, and in between gasps of mirth, said that November 14 was Children’s Day.