Is the Indian voter disgusted?

WELL, IT is quite a shocking statement on the state of affairs that obtains in our country given that it is 60 years since we achieved independence. It seems the people, especially the younger lot, simply could not care less! At the same time, some diehard pessimists among the young and the old believe that nothing will change in the country whichever party comes to power. On the other hand, there are diehard optimists too who are quite eager to bring about a change in society but are helpless. For example, in this election, a majority of the younger lot wanted to exercise their franchise but was not able to do so because most of them did not find their names in the voters’ list.

Now, who is responsible for this consequence? This is not surprising. We see this bungling every five years – like the floods and famine we get to see every year. Even some senior citizens, who have been religiously voting for the past many years, could not find their names in the said list – that too, after standing under the blazing sun in long queues for hours! It is apparent that the government machinery entrusted with preparing the list did not discharge its duty responsibly. Is there a conspiracy underlying the bungling? It is for the Election Commission of India to find out.

Take the case of Mumbai, the worst victim of terror attacks in recent history. The way the politicians reacted following the 26/11 attack on Mumbai led some people to decide against voting this time. Disgusted is the word writ large on their faces. It seems they have lost all faith in the Indian political system. The anti-North wave too may be one of the reasons. Talking about Gujarat, now that its Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, is in the dock for his alleged role in the anti-Muslim riots, it is a good enough indication of the state of affairs in that state. Obviously, the minority communities are angry with Modi and are feeling let down.

The situation in other States which went to the polls yesterday is no better. The need of the hour is for our politicians to do some soul-searching. Now that the country is getting ready for the fourth phase of polling, the people connected with the election process need to pull up their socks. They must check and re-check the list to ensure that the voters are spared of hassles on the polling day.



Now, what ails the voter in this country? The answers are not difficult to find. Today, the common man is reeling under the weight of unemployment, poverty and inflation. In these days of slowdown, a majority of the Indian population are worried about earning at least to afford two square meals a day. It is needless to say that the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer. Then there are problems like religion and caste-ism. The common man is so preoccupied tackling his day-to-day problems that he does not have time to think about political parties or voting for them. Who wins or who loses is not something he will give a thought to, because he believes it is not going to change his life, anyway. Some people do try to take advantage of this situation but he could not care less. Thanks to the media, the man on the street is more enlightened today. He knows how to make use of his valuable vote since he is quite used to the hollow promises of the contestants and their parties. Though he feels cheated every five years, he is always hopeful that some day the winds of change will blow in his favour.