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.

.

I agree with him. I will not vote! 😀

.

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

countdown to 21 June!

an exciting plan…a bunch of enthused friends…100+ excited mails…fixing of dates…fixing of venues…crosschecking availabilities and conveniences…and the countdown to June 21! 🙂

there were 15 of us in our PR&Ad class in college—5 guys and 11 gals…OK…wrong math…

there were 16 of us in our PR&Ad class in college—5 guys and 11 gals—and one year of togetherness: the joys, the suspension (!!), the unity, the rifts, the support, the quarrels, the fun-times, the bitching (fun again!), the backstabbing, the strong friendships, the new relations, the joys…well, life’s a full circle!

In a college predominant with north Indian students, ours had been the only class with an only-Keralites population! Though we were all 16 totally different people—in the true sense of the word ‘totally’—probably because of the ‘spirit-of-the-Malayali’, we had a strange unity which was lacking in all the other courses/classes taken together!! And so, even when we got suspended (for bunking our half term exams!), all 16 of us were in it together! (Actually, no…there was one guy who didn’t; but we managed to get him dismissed forever! The things people do in colleges!!)

It was a strange year…that one year at SCMS. Within a small group of just 15 (not wrong math…remember one went off forever?), we somehow managed to have the number of ‘issues’ and quarrels you’d actually expect from a group of 50! Within the class, most of us had problems with the other; but between us and the college management, we were one! Between one group of friends and the other, there were never-ending troubles; but between us and the rest of the students in that college, we were one! Even after college, rifts between individuals continued; but when it came to a meet-up after two loooong years, we were all game!

Of this 15, though only 13 were invited (along with their spouses/future-spouses) for The Meet (TM henceforth 😀 ). Of that 13, one was in Bahrain, one in Dubai, one in Chennai, one in Hyderabad, four in Kochi, and the remaining five in Bangalore. Since “majority wins” is a universally accepted slogan, we decided TM should happen at Bangalore…the dates 21 and 22 June were blocked in everyone’s calendar…and awww…the excitement that went into it…

Jaya started the mail-threads…telling everyone to gear up • Gulfu took charge of booking the venue • Leena and I contributed to the mails…doesn’t cost anything to motivate people, does it? • We fought with Manju—for saying she might not be able to come because of a company review (and gave her sound advices: there are a million other companies you can get into, but friends like us, there’s jus us!) • We implored Raju, who’d come from Dubai for a short stay with his folks, to extend his visa up to 25th • Biju, as always, was game—any day, any time, any place: just tell him and he’ll be there! • We told Poornima to make sure tickets from Bahrain are booked well in advance…and to even pre-pone her university viva if possible 😀 , so that she can make it to India! • We told Siji to make sure her 3-month old baby is all fine—and make it for TM • We told Rakhi to ditch her first film’s music launch (she’s a singer) and come over to Bangalore • We told Deepti to book flights from Hyderabad to and from Bangalore for at least one day (since her dad wasn’t too happy with the idea of sending her over for ‘a weekend’) • Breeze had her MBA exams going on…and was all teary-eyed (we’re sure) for missing out on the fun! • Merlin is always waiting for a chance to escape from the heat of Chennai…she doesn’t need any coaxing!

the thrilling plan…13 enthused friends…100+ excited mails…fixing 21 and 22 June…fixing venue—a jungle resort (!?)…crosschecking availabilities and conveniences…and the countdown to June 21…until it all boiled down to nothing!

It never happened…hehe…yes, you read it right, it never happened!!! We are still that same group of 16—well, 13 according to the new statistic—13 totally different individuals; though as a group we were all excited and united, guess within everyone (knowing each other as well as we do) there was a guarantee that it’d finally be all smoke and no fire! 😀

It’s always like this…when we do/plan something with all excitement, especially if it is well in advance, like a much-awaited film; a highly anticipated trip; a dress given at the tailor, which you are so looking forward to get back (this happens to me every single time, damn!); anything, anything at all that you are hopeful of—Murphy is sure to mark his attendance!!! But well, we are all still positive…we still hope…we still anticipate; and so I’m still hopeful we will have TM someday, won’t we, friends? Unless 13 is that bad a number!! 😉 (It’s good to always have a back-up excuse; let’s point fingers at 13!)

I dedicate this post to all members of the SCMS PR&A—2005-06 batch! 🙂