I've gotten stuck in a vicious cycle of posting once in six months (or more actually) Hmmm, We'll try to get out of that one.
Ironic though, that I am posting now. Simply because I'm being pushed over the edge to express what I feel right now, and I'm doing it almost discretely, as if to express myself with noone watching or listening. Or reading.
We've just finished another marathon set of Elections in India. The results are out, and everyone, including those who have won, have been taken by surprise. To say the least, I wish things had been different. To begin with, well, there is now a party in power for the second term running, when their first time in office itself was of questionable existence. But the results of the elections are the combined opinion of a mandate and a respectful citizen of a democracy needs to respect that. So I will not crib.
Respect and democracy... These words seem to be at such odds today, it appears people participating in a democracy deserve no respect. I'm being cryptic, I know so I'm getting to it soon.
I hate neither the Congress nor the UPA. Back when Sitaram Kesari was the Congress president, and Sonia was getting into the party fold, I even had a crush on her (I like powerful women). When the results of the 2004 elections were announced, I was disappointed quite a lot then, because in the centre whom I felt had been one of India's best Prime Ministers had lost, and in the state whom I believed to be one of the best Chief Ministers the country had seen had also lost. But, still there was a sliver of optimism in that Manmohan had become PM, he seemed like a respectable man (he still most definitely is). I've been brought up in what is called a "BJP area" (funny how this is called a BJP area, there's only been two BJP MP's here in the last 60 years, the first shifted to the Congress 4 years into office, the second one who's JUST been voted into power, was in the Congress for 25 years.) But irrespective of what my community around me stood for; I was born in the year India's most decisive PM was assasinated, and was awakened to politics when India's youngest PM was assasinated; this and a host of other reasons have made me have the deepest respect for the democratic process, and a very well rounded admiration of the various players of our political leagues. I welcomed with much surprise the Vajpayee government (the second time around) because of the very fact that after 40 years we were going to have 5 years of governance from someone other than those who had glued themselves to the chair. Before that, I cheered with amusement when an ambling DeveGowda held his heart with power (Sir, 32 crores of population is going to be covered under the PDS. Is this the sin that I have committed? The charge is that this Prime Minister has not taken care of poverty alleviation programme. Touch your heart and then you vote against the Confidence Motion. Touch your heart and then take a decision. Well, this was when he lost power, but you get the point). And even before Gowda's drowsy meetings, I looked up to Rajiv Gandhi as someone that could be emulated. Such is the beauty of democracy, there is freedom for the voter to admire whomsoever he or she pleases.
In the last decade or so, across the world it's a become a matter of character who a person admires, identifies with or voted for. I myself have taken very happily to ridiculing people who vote republican in the USA (with which I have no connection whatsoever, so why should I say anything?! I'm kidding, really, people should vote for whomsoever they want) , but I've always convinced myself that voting is a right and a freedom. A choice, a personal choice, one that should not be critiqued or questioned. This is the greatness of democracy I thought. And yet around me things have rapidly changed. When Sonia Gandhi was announced to be the Prime Ministerial candidate for the Congress, years ago, people who voted for "the foreigner" were considered unpatriotic, anti-nationalist, and were said to be hung-over drunks from the raj.
A lot of things changed from then, Sonia is now acceptably Indian; has wielded more power than most dictators do; has also added, amongst other things, critiquing the work of a PM to the list of unpatriotic acts. Secularism has taken a new form, 90% reservation may soon be a reality, Afzal may never be hanged, Kasab may even walk free, under the delightfully liberal policies of the UPA.
A lot of people cheer the losses of the Left, and as this young lady notes that isn't exactly a good thing. And while the winner-of-the-second-term-in-running threatens to be completely unabashedly moderate on terror, but extremist on it's opposition, the opposition itself isn't anything remotely admirable. The two most infamous and inexcusable domestic events of the last year have made me disgusted at the workings of the NDA. For one, I believe that neither the Ram Sene nor Varun Gandhi seem to work on the directives of the BJP. But they do work inside the jurisdiction of the BJP leadership. Instead of rising to the levels of Nationalism, the BJP slid to what will forever be perceived as communalism. Instead of sending a message to the fundamentalists with strict action, they let both offenders off with almost nothing.
And now again, after the elections this happens. Firstly, violence in any form against anyone is disgusting. River water, kidnappings, election victories, election losses, even as a retort to violence itself, violence is not a solution. My condolences to the affected parties.
But secondly, and now I get to what made me blog this time around. The content of that report is the presented in the most unobjective manner possible by a journalist. Infact, it is quite judgemental, quite clearly, the reporter seems to have convicted whomsoever (s)he perceives as the guilty. But you know what, it's a free country! So while I don't like it, I cannot oppose judgemental journalism. So this rampant judgemental behaviour our media indulges in, has started dividing those who follow it. And this has been this election's greatest tragedy. The disgusting people who acted in insanity in the most recent incidents proclaim they will rape any woman who comes out, and because of this, a very close friend of mine proclaims with much authority "those who voted for the BJP in Karnataka should be ashamed of themselves". Really?
Whom I voted for is immaterial to this thought, simply because it is my fundamental right to choose whom I vote for. That I voted for a party that has been ineffective in dealing with insurgent fundamentalists, instead of voting for one that excuses people who attack, instill terror in my countrymen, somehow compels me to be ashamed of myself? Honestly speaking, I don't disrespect or detest people who vote because they get 1300 rupees for their vote, or because the candidate is their caste, creed, height, weight or any other particulars of identification. In a country like India, every person has his or her own understanding of priorities and what is important for them. Is it so wrong to expect the same when I think we've had to choose between fresh cow dung and dried cow dung in these elections (Don't ask me who is what)?
Decades after the British have left, divide and rule is still the success formula in India. My friend, I request you to be gracious in victory as I am in defeat. What was your candidate and your party before the elections, is now OUR government. Please, don't push me away, by ridiculing my fundamental right to franchise. Instead, let us join hands to take the country to further greatness and pinnacles of democracy. And depending on the workings of this government, maybe one of us will switch "sides" next time around.
P.S. After reading speculations of the composition of the next cabinet to be mostly young guns, including Scindia Jr., Pilot Jr., Deora Jr., I am optmistic of what this government might do. I'll wait and watch.
