“War on Mumbai”, “Taj in flames” and the most recent “Mumbai Fights Back” headlines are dominating the media. Amidst the horrific tragedy coverage, they managed to give unnecessary footage to the outrageously trivial issues like Achuthanandan’s dog remark, the lipstick-candle march retort and of course RGV’s visit costing our honorable chief minister his post! Oh did I forget the famous rather the infamous “bade bade sheheron mein aisi choto choti batein tho hoti hi rehti hain!” remark.
Have you ever wondered why our politicians are insensitive and irresponsible? Why is our bureaucracy so vulnerable? Why are our security forces so insouciant? It’s we who are solely responsible. It’s time to stop the blame game and spend some time in retrospection. It’s a cliché but democracy is a government made of the people, by the people and for the people. Here it’s definitely made of the people but I am very doubtful if it is for the people and by the people.
It is a system of governance which allows extensive representation and inclusiveness of as many people and views as possible to feed into the functioning of a fair and just society. But do we to vote? Even if we did, do we bother to check the credibility of the candidate we vote for? Are we justified in blaming the politicians? We are the ones who placed such huge responsibilities on unsuitable shoulders. It’s we who were asleep and are angry at being woken up so catastrophically.
But where are the suitable candidates? None of the suitable candidates are in politics, whom do we vote for? Do you know iff a voter has dislike to all of the candidates competing there, then he can show his dislike to all of them by registering for 49'O.According to Rule 49-O of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, if an elector whose roll number has been entered in the register of electoral rolls in Form 17A, decides not to vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry by the Presiding Officer and the signature and thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark.Now, if the number of 49'O count is larger than that of the winning candidates total vote count, then a re-election is called there. The political parties would be forced to select a suitable candidate. Now if winning election becomes a challenge, suitable candidates would automatically get attracted to politics. Slowly and steadily the entire political system would get revamped and would no longer be ‘dirty’ politics. But this is possible only if we decide to change.
Instead of organizing candle marches and anti-politician discussions, it’s time to spread awareness and take ownership of the mistakes we knowingly committed. Let us not let democracy crumble under the pressure of terrorism. Our freedom fighters fought valiantly for the freedom we enjoy today. The same kind of feverish patriotism is the need of the day.
Six months from now, we have elections, let’s elect a suitable candidate and make sure our democracy wins! Let’s not limit ourselves to candle marches and signature campaigns. Friends, let’s rise above the situation and make this happen!!!
Have you ever wondered why our politicians are insensitive and irresponsible? Why is our bureaucracy so vulnerable? Why are our security forces so insouciant? It’s we who are solely responsible. It’s time to stop the blame game and spend some time in retrospection. It’s a cliché but democracy is a government made of the people, by the people and for the people. Here it’s definitely made of the people but I am very doubtful if it is for the people and by the people.
It is a system of governance which allows extensive representation and inclusiveness of as many people and views as possible to feed into the functioning of a fair and just society. But do we to vote? Even if we did, do we bother to check the credibility of the candidate we vote for? Are we justified in blaming the politicians? We are the ones who placed such huge responsibilities on unsuitable shoulders. It’s we who were asleep and are angry at being woken up so catastrophically.
But where are the suitable candidates? None of the suitable candidates are in politics, whom do we vote for? Do you know iff a voter has dislike to all of the candidates competing there, then he can show his dislike to all of them by registering for 49'O.According to Rule 49-O of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, if an elector whose roll number has been entered in the register of electoral rolls in Form 17A, decides not to vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry by the Presiding Officer and the signature and thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark.Now, if the number of 49'O count is larger than that of the winning candidates total vote count, then a re-election is called there. The political parties would be forced to select a suitable candidate. Now if winning election becomes a challenge, suitable candidates would automatically get attracted to politics. Slowly and steadily the entire political system would get revamped and would no longer be ‘dirty’ politics. But this is possible only if we decide to change.
Instead of organizing candle marches and anti-politician discussions, it’s time to spread awareness and take ownership of the mistakes we knowingly committed. Let us not let democracy crumble under the pressure of terrorism. Our freedom fighters fought valiantly for the freedom we enjoy today. The same kind of feverish patriotism is the need of the day.
Six months from now, we have elections, let’s elect a suitable candidate and make sure our democracy wins! Let’s not limit ourselves to candle marches and signature campaigns. Friends, let’s rise above the situation and make this happen!!!
