November 8, 2016 – San Francisco: We were getting ready for a big party to celebrate the winning of Hillary Clinton as the first female president of the United States (Well, I was mostly there for the booze). Most of the exit polls showed that this was an inevitable conclusion. There was even a Trump piñata for the big finale. And then the results came in, and many were dejected and forlorn and crying like it was the end of the world as we know it.
May 23, 2019 – Bangalore: The US still exists. Russia hasn’t taken over it yet. The economy seems better. Immigration is much tougher, but then the rampant fraud that was going on that prevented many genuine people from immigrating was also curtailed to an extent. There has been an attempt to modify the immigration criteria, which honestly seems very broken. The country is bullying other countries to acknowledge their presence in world politics, which is sort of a good thing for them. Overall, the country chugs on.
Before you read the next part, you should know about me. I claim to be a centrist moderate, more left-leaning at this moment but tend to occasionally sway towards the right, Indian citizen. Regarding my political affiliation, I support PM Modi at this junction, but I am waiting to jump ship the moment the right opportunity comes (aka Sidhu and Shotgun Sinha) in the form of a good leader. Regarding our PM, I like his international presence and his emphasis on the economy. I don’t like his tendency towards the far right, occasionally bringing religion and defence into politics and hardcore Hindu agenda. But, some of the cabinet ministers (Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, et al) make up for whatever shortcomings he has.
Now for the actual post – the result of the elections are out. NDA and particularly BJP got a thumping majority. I am sure the Chowkidars are happy. And the far-left is miserable. And tomorrow, life will go on for the next 5 years. In the meantime, we as citizens should understand that voting is not our only duty. How we conduct ourselves also matters on how much we progress as a country.
- Let us not hate our political opponents and people with opposite political affiliation. You have talked, debated and voted for your party. But please don’t bring it to every aspect of life.
- Let us call out on discrimination, be it cyberbullying, minority harassment, gender discrimination, or any other shape or form. Political affiliation does not make something right for one person and wrong for another.
- Many educated candidates lost – but education is not the only qualification needed to run a country. E.g. 4 years of engineering education is never enough to prepare you to work on the field. Work experience is what helps you do that. Some people take the conventional route of formal education, some jump into the field, and of course, some come on the recommendation of their parents.
- Let us not call the other side stupid or braindead or anti-nationalistic. Everyone has a reason to vote and support. Respect the opinion even if it doesn’t match yours. The choice might be of a lesser evil between two, or a greater good.
- Social media is a bubble. Things always look bleaker or brighter than it actually is. Let us get out of it into the real world. What are the problems that our maids, drivers, work people face? Are they being addressed? Do they manage to keep up with inflation? Why do they vote for the flung right despite us feeling that it is not the right choice? The US shut down the rural, white voters, and they hit them hard. Do you really want to be in the dark?
- If you have voted for someone, make them accountable. Remind them of promises not kept. Criticize them for policies which are not right. Any democracy cannot be successful without successful opposition. In the absence of a strong one, we have to take up the mantle. No one is above criticism, especially not people you have voted for to take care of this country. Also, don’t use political affiliations as criteria for criticism. Remember-policy, not political party.
Finally, if you have the stomach for it, it’s a good time to enter politics. I am sure there are many people who are looking for a viable, moderate, centrist alternative. Online petitions show intent, carry a message but rarely accomplish anything. Also, carrying flags and marching with slogans also carry a negative message, particularly to the young, urban group that we belong to. Maybe, some concrete action? People voted for the Gujarat model in 2014. Perhaps, it’s time to try a new one?
P.S: Note to the EC – was NaMo TV valid? I hope this (or the next Govt. makes the central bodies truly independent of political affiliation).
One response to “A song of saffron, white and green, with a tinge of blue and khaki.”
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