This election vote intelligently; it's our only way to forge a change
This election vote intelligently; it's our only way to forge a change
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Same old story
But has anything really changed? Political parties are abandoning old alliances and forming new ones not based on a shared ideology, but merely on grounds of perceived success. There is supposed to be honour among thieves, but this year even the thieves are merrily ditching each other at the altar of expediency.
Old criminals are seeking re-election and new ones are eager to enter the fray, with the full backing of political parties, who pepper their utopian manifestos with meaningless promises of 'good governance.'
One would have imagined that, at the very least, the Mumbai attacks would have jolted our somnolent authorities to beef up the security apparatus. But that too has turned out to be wishful thinking. Even four months after 26/11, CST station the scene of deadly carnage has no doctor on hand, no ambulance or first aid box.
Leaders don't care
Plus ca change, plus la meme chose (the more things change, the more they remain the same). The point is that our politicians and bureaucrats care little for the people's demand for prompt and effective corrective measures.
Abraham Lincoln's vision of a democracy being for the people seems a figment of the great man's imagination. The only thing that matters to our politicians is grabbing and retaining power and positions of authority. If anything will shake them out of their indifference and contempt of the common man, it will be the fear of losing these perquisites.
Vote smart
And that is where we, the people, come in. We are the only ones who can force a change and we can do it by voting intelligently. Voting intelligently implies not being taken in by populist gimmicks like rice at Rs 3 a kg, a promise that will promptly be forgotten soon after the results are in. It means not voting for known criminals.
Above all, it means voting for a particular candidate based on his potential to work for the benefit of the common man and not merely because he happens to belong to the same caste. Is that too much to hope for?
Perhaps it is, but really, what other choice do we have?
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