Thursday, April 23, 2009

VOTE or shut up!!!


This 23rd day of April 2009 will always be remembered. Today for the very first time I voted!!!
It was not much of a task. I stood in the queue for 5 minutes in which time I chatted with a couple of my friends who also were first timers and then after finding my name in the electoral rolls (which took half a minute) I proceeded towards the EVM (Electronic Voting Machine).
A push of the button and you are done. I don’t know why but as I pressed that button I did feel a tinge of pride in me, I did feel that yes with this trivial seeming gesture I was making a small difference.


Indian Politics has always intrigued me. I have never been a student of Politics but following a couple of general elections and a few state elections on News channels have really made me a political buff.

Indian Politics is one big drama, with many plots, sub plots and everything is on show when elections are announced. The Election Commission an independent body conducts the elections and let me tell you that is no mean feat.

My vote; more than a vote to this party or that party is a vote of appreciation to the Election Commission and to all the other agencies who have for years staged a free and fair election. I chatted with a policeman who was manning my booth and I got to know that just yesterday he has returned from election duty from Gadchiroli, was posted in Nashik today and will be moving to Mumbai tomorrow. Tough is the only word that comes to my mind.

My vote is a vote to the change which I have seen around me in the last 5-10 years which has instilled some hope in me that the leaders are not all that hopeless. If Lalu Prasad Yadav accused and convicted of corruption and scam can make a success story out of the Indian Railways then why should I not harbour hope?

The recently concluded CYG games changed the face of Pune, no doubt there would have been kickbacks taken and given but nonetheless work was done. It is this that again gives me hope.

The power of the Indian voter came to the fore beyond doubt when in the last general elections the NDA govt was overthrown. The voter asked serious questions of the NDA, the “India Shining” campaign did not blind the voter and this is what tells me that the voting is not a mere ritual.

There are cynics everywhere and there will be always. India can change only if the hopefuls outnumber them and VOTE!!!!

To all the cynics out there I just have one line of advice, “VOTE or shut up!!!”

3 comments:

Ketaki... said...

Good Job.. with the Voting and the blog.. Thumbs up!!!

Nightflier said...

great job !!

Unknown said...

Its unfortunate that most of the times literate people stay away from voting...