Pappy Voted, Finally!

So finally, Pappu voted! I truly feel that it was a big psychological leap for me. I can’t really express how excited I felt after voting. At the same time, I am really ashamed to admit that it took me 27 years of my life and 9 years after reaching eligibility benchmark to exercise my democratic rights. Phew! Well, better late than never. Since last few days I was wondering about whom I am going to vote for. I tried checking the qualification and standard of candidates and finally decided to choose one based on his development plank.  

I won’t be able to claim that the candidate I voted for was the best one, but yes, I tried choosing the lesser evil. Got this wonderful blob of ink on my forefinger and to be honest it feels good! 😉

Delhi did witness a relatively better turnout of voters at 53% and majority of them were first time voters like me. So many ‘Pappus’ managed to break through their disillusionment and indifference towards politics. Thanks to media and campaign like ‘Jaago Re’ and ‘Making a difference’, many youths changed their mindsets and thought of contributing their bit. The ‘Jaago’ campaign proved to be a masterstroke from Tata Tea because of its commercial as well as social success.  

Another change witnessed was the notion of voting as the ‘IN’ thing. It really became fashionable to vote. Celebrities loved to flaunt their inked fingers and flash that plastic smile with ‘victory’ sign! Probably that drama did play its part in many adoring fans turning out at polling booths. Lastly, the funniest thing was many malls and shopping places offering 15-20% discount on groceries and readymade clothes to the people who have voted!

Well, that was not a bad idea actually. Many people availed this offer once they were done with their ballot thing. A win-win situation for both business and consumers! I wish, our politicians could offer any such discounts (though, do they have anything to offer? :P)!

Secular Party’s Manifesto

I don’t remember when did I last watch a political debate on TV? Probably 7-8 years! Before that I can vividly remember myself actively listening to all the participants in a live show. These participants used to belong to different ideologies and it never used to a pleasant and healthy exchange of ideology and philosophies. A fish market basically, all the candidates had this inherent desire of maligning others and proudly flaunting their own superiority. That time I was still an active citizen and I had my own favorite party and leaders. I had yet to feel indifferent to all the crap preached by them and I had yet to say the oft-repeated statement of youths ‘politics gandi cheez hai’! Well, I still don’t say ‘politics is no business of mine’ but yes, I have definitely turned indifferent and perhaps disinterested.

 

I have started to find all the leaders same and alarmingly all the parties more similar than ever before. Just look at the manifesto released by all the parties and you will understand what I mean. There are hardly few differences in the manifesto. Just manipulation of few words here and there and well, world’s most populous democracy finds itself at the mercy of ‘not-so-progressive ideologies. The best manifesto definitely belong to SP. It says there won’t be any computers or English medium schools and culture of malls, multiplexes will be abolished! Whoa!!

 

And then I read about SP’s party chief sending his two sons in a high-end convent school. I also tried to get the view of SP’s most visible face, a socialite and power broker. This person released the party manifesto and can always be seen hobnobbing with India’s biggest movie star and one of the corporate giants. He loves to attend ‘Filmfare’ awards function and cutting ribbons of new ‘Boutique’. His actions are definitely in ‘sync’ with party’s policies. But then he hates malls and multiplexes where he watches premiers of new movies with first family of bollywood. No doubt, he is very flexible in his approach. His PA can also be seen with quite a few ‘laptops’ but did not he believe in getting rid of computers? I told you, he is much diversified when it comes to situations and actions. I guess, I will continue with this part…