Mumbai: Vote for Change

Saturday May 2, 2009 , New Delhi

For once it's not the politicians who've let us down, but the aam aadmi, the voter in Mumbai who has let down the system. The people laughing the most now are politicians like Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who dismissed angry protesters after 26/11 as 'lipstick wearing socialites' , saying these people are irrelevant as they don't bother to participate in the political process.

Sadly, nearly 6 months later, he seems to have been proved right.

Ironically, this came in the midst of a media blitz....from TV ads to the web, NGOs, Citizens' groups, there was a concerted movement to get people to 'shut up and vote'. The failure of this, not just in Mumbai but in Bangalore as well, is a collective failure of the urban voter.

Divya Salaskar, the articulate daughter of Vijay Salaskar, who died on 26/11 had this to say...."we can vote for reality shows, but not for our politicians."

Yes, there are those who blame it on the candidates and say the choice available didn't inspire them to vote...but it's clearly a lame excuse. Contrast this to pockets of rural India, where you see long queues at polling booths despite the sweltering heat...here long weekends aren't an option and the Vote- their one chance to feel truly empowered.

Voting is not just our right, but also a duty. For those who don't realise its value, all that's needed is a visit to our not so friendly neighbour, Pakistan. As its democracy is on the verge of disintegrating, its notoriously uninvolved elite, has woken up to the fact that a Vote, if a Taliban regime ever takes over, will be a luxury more coveted than the latest Birkin bag. Despite its failings, India's democracy is something we need to celebrate and participate in, not watch from the sidelines.

For once the heroes of the week were our film stars. From Aamir Khan who flew 48 hours on a transatlantic flight from Disneyland to vote, Shahrukh Khan who may have appreciated the respite from the IPL and the Bachchan clan, everyone who mattered in Bollywood voted. Sadly, their fans didn't follow. For all those who lament the absence of an Obama in Indian politics, take a cue from his line....'BE THE CHANGE'. If the urban voter forfeits his right to vote, he forfeits his right to complain.

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Posted by Ravindra on May 12, 2009

For the past few months, there has been an internet campaign and also on TV about the right to "NO VOTE". This appears to have caught on! Young collegians do not understand the implication of this. Deriding all politicians as crooks and saying I must have the right to NO VOTE is not going to lead us anywhere. People from the slums who might not have access to emails will make sure they go out and vote. You middle-class guys will triumphantly say that I exercised my right to NO VOTE. And finally you will get an MP selected by the slum dwellers! And for the next 5 years, you can keep complaining about the rise in slums, etc etc....

Posted by Ravindra on May 12, 2009

I can understand the concern about low voting. But on the day of the voting when Advaniji suggested that voting be made compuslory, I was aghast to see some senior media personnel laughing him off and dismissing it as "an attempt to appear statesmanlike"! Gosh, what do you guys really want?

Posted by Ralph D'souza on May 11, 2009

The low voter turn out is a lesson to the political parties and te media. Everybody say that one should vote. But the question I would like to put forward is "whom to vote ?" . The corrupt and usless political parties with their no good easy mone namkeing candidates ?. In order for me to vote I would like to see a certain minmum quality standard in the candidates, unfortunately none of them are up to that standard ( atleast in my constituency). So once again whom to Vote?

Posted by Subrahmanian S H on May 09, 2009

'BE THE CHANGE'. If the urban voter forfeits his right to vote, he forfeits his right to complain. That doesn't mean he should surrender top crorepatis or crorepatnis. Who's not a crorepat(n)i among the available? I have been and still am with the "make voter move out" movement. Andhra Pradesh is going to show thw way. In State assembly poll soon we'll be highly matured to have sway among voters.

Posted by bala on May 09, 2009

Some there rightly said - the process to get your name into the electoral rolls is rather difficult and painful. The system just does not respond quickly enough despite the seemingly well intentioned utterings of the election commission. For your name to show up in the next general election's rolls, we need to start the process now ! Thats part of the reason and 2nd, most of the candidates are equally pathetic or their parties are. Fact is all party workers at local levels are full of goondas and other forms lower life and only look human. Police(law enforcement) look the other way, when they should be helping out. Guys the list is endless... Vote for change - sorry whats that ?

Posted by amit on May 08, 2009

Certainly the voting has been failed again like every time when election comes up. we strongly blame our constitution & governments on the matter saying what have they done for our country except looting money of aam admi's whom are paying through their taxes, not bothered about country's security, infrastructure, frequent power cuts, no public facilities etc. etc. . But have any one of you found out the reason for less voting this time inspite of media hiking about creating public awareness amongst people to vote. The issue is that there is no capable candidate or a leader whom you can trust upon and leave your homes to vote for the particular candidate. you the media are aware about this fact, daily in 365 days you telecast the issues of politics more than 300 times in your news channel about various frauds & scandals made by those netas, somewhere or other everyone is trapped and has committed to crime by those political parties or else they fight against each other to acquire the seat. these all things are going on and continuing daily & year after years then even we face terrorism or war its just a matter of time and again the same picture of politics gets continued. Do you think under such worst situations people are going to come out from houses and vote and even they vote whom are they going to select their candidates. If this time not congress then BJP or some other parties, next time if BJP is failed then again congress . but both have common goals dragging the country in the potholes. Voting will only be successfully and upto 100% when some one will stand and riseup from and with in the aaam admi's. he will be judged for the work done in the past and his trust and commitment to fulfil the task will create a sense of belonging & awareness amongst people to elect him as a leader for our nation. but unfortunately we as a citizen even if someone amongst us enters into politics will be dumped away by those criminals who are now ruling our country.

Posted by Nikhil on May 06, 2009

The wannabe experts and know nothing socialites jazzed up the expectations of a high voter turnout. The media lapped them up. So, whose fault is that? Voting is voluntary. Poor vote turnout does not mean loosing the right to complain against the people who will run the country. Voter apathy is a collective failure of the political parties with glib leaders at the helm. Without political and electoral reforms the urban voter turnout will continue to be below par.

Posted by RKDatta on May 05, 2009

There was an attempt by celebrities to hijack Mumbai's soul.Mahesh Bhatt will have to learn a lession -Bollywood can not make Mumbai's Aam Adhmi think as per their wishes. Any number of talk shows by Electronic media,Rahul Bose.A Padamsee or Meera Sanyal will not change any thing.People know what they should be doing. I believe people should refuse to be manipulated by media using celebrities and he media puppets.Keep trying.

Posted by Prabhakaran on May 05, 2009

We lose the right to complain... that's nice... is there anyone who pays any heed to a complain ... It's a jungle raj survival of the crooked... The votes are being purchased in broad day light.. whom to vote for a corrupt party who couldn't develop the country in 50 long year or to a communal party which can even do massacres to remain in power or to the no where left who don't know what to do... Please everyone has the right to do what he wants

Posted by gk on May 05, 2009

i write from UK, a non bombayite. one bombayite told me that bombay the most tax of INdia and dont need to vote but she is favour of IPL at the expense of election.Election is our duty and if the elite cant exercise their right they should be ashamed. I think they are interested only in money and are arrogant because they are in the nerve centre of India.We talk of Obama but in his country people turn out to vote for change. The bombayites and bangalorian are just smug. I think that if their politicians are inept they should unite together to create a good politician. It is a shame that our country is reduced to think that democracy is cheap. Democracy is great only if we think of it as great. We take our democracy as granted. All of our people should have asked that IPL should have been postponed when election should take priority. We need film stars to tell us that voting is important. I do not blame them. but we need educated people to have gone there. Look at Kashmir. they were battered but they have stood up. Despite being battered both by external forces (Mumbai)and internally (Mangalore) if the respective intelligentia can not wake up what makes us to think? We as people are not interested in our country. We want to earn money be merry and act abhorred when it suits us.We do not want to stand up for our selves but want to complain like whiners. We are going to be losers. I sometimes pity the media who have talked so much about lest we forget re bombay and people like Shobha De who said that yes bombay is forgotton by politicians. Bombayites have forgotton bombay. Had they been awake all politicians would not have come up. If we cant do it as a politician atleast try to choose the best out of the worst. change the scenario.if you cant do it do not complain.

Posted by Ruchir Goyal on May 05, 2009

I dont see a reason for raising so much hue and cry over low voting percentages. 50% voting is not a bad percentage at all. Even in US, its the same. There are several factors behind this: 1) Most of the people are working in cities while they are registered as voters in their native places where they are not able to go due to work pressures. 2) Many young people are not even registered voters. Whatever measures Election Commission might have taken to streamline voter registeration but still this process is not smooth enough. The whole government setup is very disgusting. 3) Voting process itself is not smooth. There should be online voting. Many people are not available at their homes due to one reason or the other and they are not able to vote inspite of wanting to vote. 4) The electoral process extends for 1 month making it very boring. I dont know how US can do it in a single day for the whole country? 5) Media doesn;t rakes up issues in good and interesting manner. Media itself is mostly in politician bashing mode and more interested in raking up personal issues like who said what about whom and not any policy matters which effect the common man. Parties do have these issues in their manifestoes but media rarely discuss them. 6) Banning for Exit Polls and Opinion Polls also reduces the interest of elections among the electorate.

Posted by troodost on May 05, 2009

Sonia has a point. I have always argued - as Mahatma Gandhi kept saying- and me despite having being born abroad, that India Lives in villages (rural)... and India dies (stops living) in the cities (urban)- last are my words. This election yet is proving that is true in 21st Century. And the interesting thing is that it is unrbanites of India who complain about everything that is Indian but miserably fail to play a part to change...New middleclass are the new burden of Indian society and sometimes I feel...in spite of being a non-violent person...I feel disgusted but must say it openely... 'Unrbanite Indians you have damaged India so much and now, await the 'Naxalites' and Maoists' who will loudly say they have nothing to loose...lost is all yours...Oh urbanites...wake up...before its too late'

Posted by shamsher singh on May 05, 2009

I think urban people are not much concerned about the national proplems . Passiveness in such inmportant duty of selecting the Govt . is very dangerous for the country . thanks

Posted by Kartik on May 05, 2009

In spite of you putting it out so well, particularly with the example of Taliban in Pakistan, I am surprised there are people who are still having excuses and explanations. Thankfully in Hyderabad, the turnout was better than 2004. Better still, the highest turnout in Hyderabad was reported from the upmarket Jubilee Hills constituency! For those people who have been complaining that there is no good candidate, I hope they have at least done enough research on the candidates from their constituency. A lot of educated people in AP have voted for Lok Satta this election, and you will see a few surprises on May 16th (not yet at the Lok Sabha level, but definitely at the Assembly)! But LSP will definitely make a mark on May 16th and hopefully live up to our expectations in getting work done, and that will give a new ray of hope for all those people who don't find good candidates to vote for. Anyway, the bottom line is to do enough research on your local candidates, you don't have to generalize people based on their political party! I have personally been witness to a lot of good work being done by a Congress candidate in a particular constituency of Hyderabad.

Posted by shitij soin on May 05, 2009

Percentage of voting in Mumbai actually prooved to be an anticlimax. Mumbaikar has shown the glimpse of thought process of urban India that we can only talk / crib & find faults in the system sitting in our drawing room and just dont want to do any bit ourselves. Its a pitty. This shows that so called intelectuals of our urban India just can talk and do nothing & has chalta hai wala attitude. I honestly hope that Delhi will change this trend & will lead by example that it all does matter.

Posted by Asim Padhi on May 05, 2009

In all mumbai constituencies are people contesting who have been voted to power at least once in last 10 yrs...what have they done. No doubt there are some independents, but what will they do if elected. Why Mumbai....does other places like bangalore etc who were hit by bombings have got higher percentages...as far as rural public is concerned we have seen that the vore for money in Holi, Diwali etc.

Posted by Arun Kumar on May 05, 2009

Points raised by Sonia may be correct on the face of it. But has anybody tried to analyze the reasons behind the votter apathy? Certainly not! Now Advani is talking about fining the people for not voting!!! It is the joke of the century! For one, the present day politicians do not have ideals, principles or morals. irrespective of the party they are affiliated to. Secondly, once elected they are busy lining their pockets rather than serving the country who elected them! Before the election they go around with begging bowls to the voters, but once elected they become inaccessable! The electorate does not have the power to bring down the representative they elected when he does not do the job properly or keep up the promises given during the election time! The big guns, when they are not sure of winning from one particular constituency, they contest from more than one and if elected from all they vacate their seats from all excepting one, thereby rendering reelection imminent, at the cost to the public! The candidate or his party should be made to bear the expenses. When every other employ has a retirement age, it is only politician who does not have one!! With one and a half foot in the grave, like MK or TN, they still hanker for power!! A Government employ if he commits bigamy, he is liable to lose his job! But not so the great politicians of our country. It is a status symbol for them to have more than one wife and an army of concubines! For adding insult to injury, he is free to have his second wife's delivery in London at the cost to the exchequer!! Irrespective of the party, everybody asks for votes either on the basis of religion or caste, their by dividing the country. Even after sixty years of freedom, still we are having reservation on the basis of castes and religion and economic criteria is not taken into consideration at all. A person does not get to chose his religion or caste, then, why should he be penalised for something he has not done? Nett result, merit is thrown out of the window for cheap political gains!! Lastly the politicians does not make one proud of their country but to the contrarary ashamed. When it comes to increasing their emoluments, irrespective of their qualifications, all parties come together and takes snap decision. But when it comes to the working class, they have different pay commissions, who drag their feet, and their recommendations have to be ratified by the political class!! For the politician the salary is actually is his pension, as, he gets everything free and on top of it he make money in crores on the side. This is amply seen by their declaration (!) before the election commission. One can imagine what would be the undeclared assets!! With all this they do not attend Parliament session regularly, and if they do, they stall the proceedings for one reason or the other and in general behave like third rate hooligans!! They can take pride in the fact they have set the example for the country in throwing slippers (or shoes?)!!!

Posted by Shuvankar Mukherjee on May 05, 2009

You hide behind a curtain while you push your button, for the fear of unknown retribution. You don't have any none of these option. Every voter is self-centered and does not believe in national agenda. Had this election being conducted to select your favourite filmstar, singer or sportsperson, I am sure Mumbaikars' would have voted more. How many copies of our constitution is sold every year? Check it out, you would be surprised. How do you always presume,all literate (a.k.a. graduate) indians have read the constitution cover to cover and understood the contents. those of us, who know their rights and their duties have had their voices choked by political hulligans for last 59 years. Yes we won't vote, for our voices have never been heard, our concerns never expressed. Don't hate us, we don't want your sympathies either. Don't threaten us to take away our "ripley's believe it or not" rights. Just leave us to our own devices, just like the elected MPs would. May your elected MPs deliver this time :) , God Bless India. Jai Hind.

Posted by Shankar on May 05, 2009

Your points are valid, but on the other side it also shows the level of confidence this nation has towards all political parties.Voter feels that none of the political parties(BJP, Congress..) are capable enough defend them. We need a different regime than the usual elected government with restricted powers.

Posted by neeraj bakhshi on May 05, 2009

We get what we desrve , it is sad that in urban centers across the country the will to change , the will to make our country a better place is lacking all this is attibuted to the falling standards of value system in our society. The present generation and the next one will feel the pinch harder than anybody, as indians lets us wake up to our responsibility and caste our votes - its not that big an ask for u get only once to vote in five years.Mumbai you need to wake up stop talking on tv , media about the government has not done or failed and start thinking what have you done to make the government a beter one, remember your say matters.

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Sonia Singh

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