Elections. Whose choice is it?

“Why vote you say? The youth make up a majority of our billion plus population, but how many of us vote? We complain about bad roads, corrupt politicians and unfair reservations, but what are WE doing about it? The first step to resolve these  issues is to vote.” – This is what jaagore.com says.

These statements by jaagore.com sounded lame to me! 😡 Haven’t we been voting for many years now? Is not corruption still rampant? Unfair reservations keep sifting out deserving candidates everywhere! And bad roads…well, gone today (when elections loom ahead); back tomorrow (when somebody gets the throne!). So, is voting the ultimate solution to these problems? Bah! I don’t think so.

Again, is voting a right or a duty? Nowhere does it say in our constitution that voting is a duty; it’s a right. That gives one the freedom to (or not to) abstain from it. Most people seem to think that voting is a duty, and if not followed, can lead to legal issues! Such people need to be informed that voting is a right, not an obligation/duty. They should do it after logical reasoning — and not emotional thinking: like succumbing to petty attractions (like an offers of money/property/job)!

Now, irrespective of it being a right or a duty, how much choice does a voter get? In an election where none of the candidates represent the voter or his interests, what should the voter do? Is there an option of voting for “None”? No!  So, the ideal/moral thing to do would be not to vote. If you ask me, in such a case, by not voting, I’m declaring that I do not find any of the candidates acceptable. 😐

They say the Rule 49-O allows this. The rule says: If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form-17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon as required under sub-rule (1) of rule 49L, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark.

Now, the ballot paper / voting machine has only a list of candidate names. So one who wishes to make use of this Rule will have to inform the presiding officer at the election both — so where is the secrecy!? And taking into account the number of goondas who loiter around in the area, one can only imagine what safety one would have if such a thing is informed! So, that ‘option’ becomes a joke! 😕

The e-mail doing the rounds — claiming that if the ’49-O’ votes more than those of the winning candidate, then that poll will be canceled and will have to be re-polled, and that the contestants will be banned and cannot contest the re-polling for their life time — is apparently a hoax! 🙄 Personally I feel a rule like this would mean a lot of national waste: considering the amount of public funds spent to conduct an election!

And what makes a person eligible to be a candidate? Why, even the post of a “stenographer” requires some minimum qualifications for a person to get that job. But any Tom, Dick and Harry can get into politics — and then lead the nation! I don’t say all leaders should be MBA graduates, but the least one can expect are candidates who have a ‘clean’ portfolio! Is that asking too much!? Along with the right to vote, people should be given the right to demand certain “minimum qualifications” of the contesting candidate!

Apparently, it’s the responsibility of eligible voters to enroll the names of eligible contestants. So, if people hate all the politicians, who is to blame for the state of affairs? The politicians or the citizens ? But for quite a few years, have the young voters had a choice, really? I mean, politics has become a family business mostly…and everyone knows who’ll contest for the next 10 years! (OK, I’m exaggerating; but even if a new comer contests, people now seem to have no faith. They still go on voting for ‘those who’ve been in the business for a while’ now.) What I mean to say is…the ‘chance’ to enroll new contestants at the grassroots level seems to be a distant dream!

Hehe…we seem to need a fresh start! Like.. lay offs in politics! Send all the existing ones home — with a nominal pension, of course! — and start afresh with younger, competent people. Who? Well, I don’t know! 😳

“The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in a democracy you vote first and take orders later; in a dictatorship you don’t have to waste your time voting“, said Charles Bukowski.

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I agree with him. I will not vote! 😀

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Now that you know what I think, let me know what you think! Tell! Tell! Tell! 😀

“Be the change you want to see!”

During those good old school days, October 2 used to be a holiday much looked forward to! Gandhi Jayanthi…yay!!

We used to gear up the previous night itself — with little brooms and knives and hatchets and spades and coir baskets. We used to line up on the streets and clear away the grass and papers and plastic. The next day morning, the streets would be NEAT! All this, for those rounds of fresh, cool lime juice and that feeling of “I’m doing something of importance!” And we’d all proudly show it off to our parents and dig out praises from them 😉

It was something we kids used to religiously take part in, every year — and yes, boast about it next day in class. “I covered almost the entire stretch of road from House No. xa to House No. xm!! Was I tired!” The significance of the act was never questioned.

Once that age passed us by and we entered high school, it became a headache…but for a few more years, we did it grudgingly. “Oh, what’s the point? Clearing the road once a year makes no sense! We should, instead, focus on the nation’s development. Motivate people, instill confidence in them…and create a new mindset in the youth!”

By the time we were college go-ers, it became a nuisance. “Damn! Clean the road? I can’t even dream of getting caught doing such stuff! I’ll lose my image! Anyway, what does Gandhi Jayanthi have to do with cleaning the road? Might as well light up candles, cut a cake and party!”

Today, in most parts of the nation, people with the school-kid mentality still do it. Only, there is no more grass to be uprooted…no more plastic to be cleared…no more papers to be burnt. And people surely needs bigger and stronger volunteers (people with exceptional will power preferred!), bigger spades, huge sacks and trucks to carry off the ‘cleaned up’ mess — wires; spent bomb shells; a hand here; a head there; some must-have-been body part elsewhere; debris of buildings and shops and vehicles — and a well-trained mind that can filter out emotions. But this time, parents don’t praise. They beg these volunteers to steer clear and stay indoors! 😀

People with the mentality of the college go-ers think humans are the only grub on earth — and set out with the mission of “cleaning” them off the planet! They make cake-bombs, light it up and have a blast! 😀 Yey! Party time! And then the Political Party-s start their merry-making. Oh yea…these volunteers do try their best not to get caught doing such stuff!

People with the high school mentality blog about it! So…

Blog the change you want to see… 🙂