Importance of voting in the current political landscape

At Paatshala, we are a group of young men and Women who believe that we should speak our mind on the issues that plague the nation. If we are to do it, shouldn't we also exhort the general public to vote and thereby exercise the democratic right given to us by our constitution so that we have the right to question our leaders in the future? Yes, we have to. It is the duty of every citizen to be aware of exercising this right. So, here goes the first post of this blog:

Over the last few days, there have been many closed room meetings ending in deadlocks. The line between friends and foes has evaporated to such an extent that one doubts whether it existed at all. Politics makes for the strangest bedfellows.

Kalyan Singh was welcomed to the SP fold. An 11 year ally in BJD was lost to the BJP. Corruption doesn’t seem to repulse the Left for all its rhetoric. Breakaway factions happily rejoin as if the umbilical cord was never cut. Greed for power amidst the regional parties is at an all time high and consequently the lust for the last pound of flesh. In all this confusion, the voter is also confused. What if post elections, the parry he votes for joins the party he hates most? What would a Jayalalitha or a Ramdoss or a Sharad Pawar do after the counting is over?

When ideology is flexible and when power is the only unifier, these are possibilities that are before us. So how do we vote? Do we vote for the party or for the candidate or vote based on issues? Should we read the election manifestos and believe whatever is said? Do we see the track record of implementation?

There is to put it mildly, no clear answer to all the above questions. We have a huge population of youth that is restless and wants change. Sadly, we are faced with the prospect of the same old faces and empty promises glaring at us. We crib every time the public transportation we use belches and strains, negotiates a bumper and struggles to rev up. We marvel at the infrastructure showcased at the Olympics by China. We like to hate politicians and frustrating over their incompetence is a national hobby. Do we pause to think, if we are eligible to do all this? We are if we vote.

In a scenario like the one we are witness to, where rapid allies-swapping is the norm, voting becomes all the more important. For a single vote might become very important for a candidate or a party. We had innovations like http://jaagore.com aiding us with the whole process. Online activism and rants against politicians don’t amount to any change unless we actively exercise this democratic right.

Whatever might be the alliances, the right and the left will never join hands, nor will the BJP and the congress. One doesn’t have to be a professional political analyst to figure that out. The third front and its prospective composition will remain a mystery while the stability of a non-congress and non-BJP Government will always be a question mark. There won’t be enough pies to cut! If one looks at stability, herein is the solution.

The trend of coalition politics has sadly disadvantaged parties with a national presence. Held hostage by regional allies, they are forced to compromise with long term plans in pursuit of short term fixes to woo potential vote banks. The rise of caste based regional parties like the PMK in Tamil Nadu has compounded this problem. To find a party that has a clear stand on national issues instead of changing color to suit the occasion is a Herculean task in this mess.

No political party is a saint when it comes to corruption. Hence there is always the ignominy of having to vote for a person with a criminal background happening to belong to the party of one’s choice. To make this choice easier is another piece of innovation – No Criminals.

Finally, when one considers the range of issues that cry out for attention, there is a clear urban-rural divide with terrorism and recession, the major urban considerations not as entrenched in the rural heartlands. BJP would be happy that we got the nuclear deal and the amendment to the UNPA. The congress would be happy to have seen the back of the Left. There are indeed very few national issues where these two parties diverge right down the middle. While one party wouldn’t hesitate to promise visions of hell, the other wouldn’t mind the executioners going scot-free. It all comes down to that. Choosing the lesser of the devils… The choice before us is between that of the worse and the worst. Soon, we’ll be making this very choice and that is exciting and alarming in equal measure.

Paatshala and this space will continue to voice views that we feel, resonate with the feelings of this country's vast potential, as Nandan Nilekani puts it - The youth of this nation.