Vote & Voting

In the entire world, it will be hard to find a democratic, secular country like India considering its huge population and wide spectrum of community peoples (mainly in terms of religion and caste). Its an absolute honour to be a part of this largest democratic country in the world. But the real question is how far the democratic principles and its horizons are explored and fully utilized by the indian people even in its root level, the so-called 'voting'.

Vote, an invaluable right of each and every citizen, forms the foundation of this whole concept of democracy which allow the participation of people directly in the governance of the country. The whole world admire the democratic philosophies in view of its merits that it owe to the people. But its really very hard to digest the level of importance given to this incredible 'right' and so the voting system in our country. The average voting percentage of India is near 60%, which utterly reflect the ignorance of indian people even though they are part of largest democratic country. Why is that so? What are the reasons behind this? How people are handled in this important issue? What can be done with it? I wish to share my opinion on this whole scenario.

It is widely believed that the prime reason for the poor voting percentage in a country is mainly because of the low literacy rate of people. Nearly 40% (may be higher too) of our people are not getting proper education and their knowledge become very narrowed to their surroundings and they turn alien to the happenings around them. The proper awareness on the significance of voting is not given to these peoples by either government or fellow knowledgable persons. To the surprise, the voting percentage of the educated people is also not complete in the other side. We can forgive the ignorant people accounting for their lack of knowledge and vision. But what to say about these so called educated and knowledgeable non-voters? These people, for their advantage and reasoning, put the blame on others saying all are fraud and no one, no party is good to vote. But the real fact behind this is that they are too thoughtless about their fundamental duty and sometimes they simply skip their right at the cost of their laziness. These peoples also allow the culprits to vote on behalf of them and thus contribute to dirty politics indirectly. It is mainly because of these unresponsible citizens, we miss the oppurtunity to realize the dream of much needed change by giving the chances for some real good party and good politicians. If we could bring these non-voters to vote, it will surely lead to a striking healthy change in political system.

In India, we can see how voting is influenced by many number of factors. I wish to share few examples that continue to happen in our country. The first major factor that influences the voting at present is MONEY. Particularly in few states like Tamilnadu, few parties like DMK have started a whole new brand of money politics. It is disgusting to know the ignorance of people to get the money and vote. It is the only time when people turn politician by bribing money for doing their own duty of voting. You know what these people speak of their loyalty to the person who gave them the money to vote. They fail to realize that the same candidate will bribe the money from them to get back it once they come to rule. They fail to realize the money that they get for one day turn them victim for the next five years or so. They fail to realize that by doing that they are losing their moral eligibility to question the governance in any way. They fail to realize that this is nothing less than the killing of self respect by giving away their own incredible right. Severe measures has to be taken on this regard at the earliest possible in maximum ways to stop this outrageous activity that is being spread by the politicians to literally buy the people using their greediness and ignorance. What is even more important is that people should start introspect themselves and come out of this dangerous plot they got involved into.

Among the other few factors, we can clearly see how a family head influences his entire family members to support for the party that he belongs or he favors. What I mean here is... compulsion of husband to his wife, compulsion of father to his son or daughter to vote for his party and leaders. In some families, even though the young generation think on their own and move ahead by making their own choice of which party to support.. all the time they are not encouraged to do that completely with full freedom... they are insisted and compelled by their father or mother to take up their party and its leaders. Youth are pushed backwards and thus kept away from thinking out of the box. This should change and parents should let their next generation to select their own political principle and party and leader. On the other hand, our country ladies never fails to show their loyalty to their husbands by voting to the person that he instructs her to support. Even if she favored any other party before marriage(that time, mostly father's party!!!!!!), she keep herself out of her own wish and opinion. This attitude should change among women so that they can independently think and vote for their right choice.

With the upcoming assembly elections at many of the places, What can be done with all these constraints that prevent people from voting and to be very specific, healthy voting? I share some of my views.

First and foremost, the percentage of voting has to be increased. The awareness of importance of voting should be spread among the all sectors of people... non-voters are in all areas... right from the villages to the urban city areas. People who are concerned about this vital problem can turn themselves as volunteers and can talk to their family, friends, relatives and surroundings regarding the importance of voting. Volunteers can eradicate the ignorance of the people by reaching the people with the ill-facts of getting money for vote. I also feel that the importance of voting and vote should be included in our education system from the schooling level itself.

The legal actions against the politicians for giving money for votes is not enough at all. In my view, the election commission and our judiciary system should come up with legal actions against the citizens who sell their vote for money.. because this can also be considered as bribe. The election commission can form a committee with high profile judges and other eligible persons to probe this matter seriously and come up with solutions on it.

As of now, election commission can also form many groups which go around each and every villages and all places to spread the importance of voting and also to convey the consequences of selling votes for money through drama, songs, plays, discussions, awareness meeting etc. All volunteer groups and organizations can also involve in this kind of activities within their level of scope.

Media in all forms.. daily newspapers, magazines, television channels, cinemas can contribute in this matter considering the public interest. Popular personalities can come forward to promote the importance of healthy voting.

As individuals, as pointed earlier, we can talk to our family, friends, relatives and surroundings. In addition, we can use the emails, online forums, social networks like facebook, orkut to reach out to the larger people to spread the awareness of voting.

Let us think and vote! Let us achieve 100% healthy voting!!!

With love,
S.Philip Raja

2G Scam & Political fixtures

2G spectrum scam is undoubtedly the ultimate focus right now in all sectors of our country. Be it politics or law or media or people... all r talking about this. As far as media is concerned, biased projection of news and reports are clearly observed in regional daily newspapers, magazines and channels especially in tamilnadu. But it is highly appreciable that the national channels like NDTV, IBNLive, Headlines Today are neutral in this issue atleast upto this point of time. How about law and order? I am glad to see the way things shaping up and its really very encouraging from a common man view. Supreme court has acted sensibly and following its hard hitting comments, CBI also has finally started to probe the issue with raids and questioning of concerned persons involved in it. Not to mention, its a big shame on CBI for taking no actions towards the investigation of 2g issue for nearly one year even after a case was filed on it. Atleast by now, it is good to see them moving ahead in a right direction. But then, how far and up to what extend? That we need to wait and watch. (CBI promised to submit final report on 2G to apex court by February end)

Coming to the bottomline of this article, how 2G scam is handled in political grounds? let us have a glance of it. First, let me start with ruling congress party and so the central government. We are very unfortunate to have a prime minister who turned himself like a "Deaf and Dumb" when the whole nation is concerned about it. He didnt make a single statement even though he was personally questioned on this 2g scam. He didnt speak a single word. Now after the complete logjam of entire winter parl session, he announces that he is ready to appear before Public Account Committee (PAC) for questioning. "What are you upto Mr.P.M? What made you to keep your mouth shut for such a long time when the whole nation is expecting you to speak. You are the most ineligible person to be a leader of a nation! Dont be a slave to someone in the role of a leader". Shame on peoples who praise his dignity... he is such a disgrace to P.M position.

I can firmly say that Sonia and her congress party avoided the developments in the investigations of 2G scam right from the beginning merely for their political advantages. They were ready to hide this whole issue just for the sake to benefit from the coalition support that they enjoyed with DMK. Mr.Rahul Gandhi, who project himself as a new age politician is no exception to dirty politics. He went vanished with no trace of his news right from the day spectrum issue started. And you know what, today he has commented on the price hike of onions... Oh my god! Where was he when the whole parl session was washed out? Where was he when the opposition parties are strongly demanding for JPC? Representing him as the youth icon of congress party, he is bound to express his view and parties stand on this whole issue right from the start. but he is yet to make a word on 2g. "Why are you silent Mr.Rahul? Whats stopping you? Is that the dirty political basics?". Sonia herself is one of the suspect on 2G issue. Is that along with the alliance factor (dmk supporet) is the reason for your long drawn silence and refusal of JPC demand? Suprisingly, congress claims that they have acted against corruption by taking immediate actions in case of adarsh and shashi tharoor issue. When they are immediate enough to take actions in this cases, then "what stopped them from immediate actions against Raja when spectrum issue came out? nearly for one year there were no actions. Why is that so?". To make it simple, congress cleverly took the powerful masterstroke tool 'silence' to handle 2G scam. A kind request to congress, you have been accused for many issues... answer for it from your stand. dont play blaming back games... please stop blaming BJP... dont try to teach them to introspect. You need to introspect yourself lot more. its not about BJP... its about people. You rule the nation now. Think of people and act responsibly!

BJP really seem to have a double standard on corruption. When they claimed the immediate resignation of A.Raja after the release of CAG report, what are they waiting for in the case of Yeddyurappa's corruption in karnataka. This seriously makes a big letdown in BJP's position to question the government for its inaction in spectrum scam. But ruling government simply cannot blame back BJP and escape itself from JPC demand as the opposition party is not BJP alone. JPC is a demand of all parties which combinely form the opposition... communist parties, aiadmk and few more. Whats the answer of ruling government to communist party's demand for JPC? However, its shocking to see left communist parties are not showing keen involvement in their demand for JPC even though they still insist on it. Its hard to see press statements of senior communist leaders like Seetharam Yechury or Prakash Karat on JPC demand. Now and then they express that they still stand by JPC demand. But thats surely not enough to put pressure on ruling government and that too a government led by cunning congress.

Whats the stand of AIADMK? Its very interesting! purely a 100% political stand!! AIADMK is completely against DMK in this case and they want the investigations to go deep into karunanidhi family... when thats get done, they wont care for the further probe of this issue even a single percent. They only wish that DMK persons whoever related to the 2g corruption should be spotted and arrested, so that they can take political advantage out of it in upcoming assembly eletion. To make it simple, what they want in this issue is not that all guilty should be punished... its only that DMK guilty should be punished. AIADMK leaders are clearly showing a soft corner for congress in their recent interviews in view of the possibility to make alliance with them in case of any rift between DMK and congress as a consequence of 2G probe. What i mean here is even if AIADMK get the most reliable evidence and source to prove that congress party people are involved in 2G, they surely wont expose it to people right now. They will wait till the election! Now I hope you can understand whats my point is.

I have no words to say about DMK party and its leaders. I cannot find any words to express how dirty DMK leader Karunanidhi and his whole political family in this issue right from Radia tapes to till now. Karunanidhi is a poison. In my view, no other political party in this world could be as dirty as DMK.

To conclude, almost all these parties are only keen on their political interests and advantages one way or the other.. after all they do politics. Now what about us... we the people? We had to face all these bitter facts whether u r against it or not..... whether u like it or not. Its simply our fate and dont forget that we are the ones who are responsible for that too.

Atleast, let us make a change in the coming days.

Think and Vote!

Supreme Court- A new hope?

First and foremost, I convey that I am very very new to politics, judiciary and even the day to day current affairs. In recent days, I somehow got myself attracted to the current affairs happening in our country... thanks to 2g scam. Before going into how this issue is related to my present topic, I would like to say few words. I really feel bad now when I think of my political knowledge in the past. I almost don't care about what was happening around me... ofcourse, movie and sports news are exceptions. Very rarely I go thorugh the political and current affairs news in the newspaper or magazines or television or whatsoever in the name of media. I do realize now that its very important for every citizen and particularly young india to have a good knowledge on whats happening in the political grounds of our India. I must also confess that in past too, I looked into the current affairs in media but only when something big makes the news like 26/11 mumbai terror attack or tamilians war in srilanka. Then with the time, my interest falls gradually. But this time, I feel myself different. I have realized the vital importance of the awareness of current affairs and politics even though when we are not directly involved in it. I believe that in all the coming days, my new found interest in knowing the facts happening around me in all aspects remain intact.

As I said in the beginning, 2G scam is onething which I am following right from the CAG report claiming loss of Rs.1,76,000 crores for the country (if you have asked me what is CAG or JPC before one month, I might have wondered wht is that... only that much minimal is my knowledge outside movies before). Within this one month or so, following this scam, there is so much to learn from the kind of attitude our politicians have, political games they play, tricks n words they do and speak for their justification... and the list goes on and on. To make it simple, i learnt so much on our political system even in this short term. Not to mention, my learning continues day by day.... As many of us, I am very much frustated with the ruling government adamant stand on refusing the acceptance of JPC demand. I don't want to discuss the dirty role of ruling party in the complete washout of winter session of parliament. Frustation apart, I see a good point to feel happy and secured in this so-called huge 2g scam.

What I am refering as good factor to see for in this 2g issue is our Supreme Court. Again as a beginner, I don't have any idea on how supreme court worked earlier and how it handled the major crisis issues in the past. But from the time I am following the present 2g issue, I am very happy to see the way supreme court act despite the fact that the present issue is against the ruling party. Great to see the reputed organizations like CBI and even big persons (political position wise) like PM and others being questioned by supreme court for their inefficient actions and irresponsible approach. In my view, supreme court statements played a key role in urging the CBI to make investigations on A.Raja and his team who were major part of the issue. Even though it is widely said that raids carried on A.Raja is only for eye wash, I do strongly believe that the hard hitting statements on CBI slow and inadequate actions by supreme court is a prime reason. Thanks to the judges panel who are probing into this. It gives immense courage to common people like us that some justice can be drawn in front of the law. Having said that, I am very eager to know how supreme court judge panel going to handle this issue further. As millions of citizens, I am waiting for the right action and right justice.

Note: The reason for the question mark (supreme court- a new hope?) in the topic of this post is mainly because I am unaware of the past history. I am not aware whether supreme court acted genuinely and gave right justice on big issues like 2g. If I am wrong, I will be happy to be corrected. Please share your comments. Being a beginner in both writing and politics, your comments will be of great help to share my thoughts effectively in coming days. Thank you for sparing your time :-)