Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Did you vote?

This was the first question my father asked me in the morning when he and mom were already at the voting booth and I was still on the bed. This was my first time to vote. So, indeed, I was excited. I have always seen mom and papa whenever they used to go for voting and I used to hang along with them when I was a child. I used to cry for that little line of blue ink on my fingers. Then somehow papa used to convince me that it's not for small children! Today, when I went outside to cast the first vote of my life, all these pictures scrolled down through my eyes. The only thing I was unsure about the day was whom to vote for?!


'Politics is a dirty game. I won't vote', said a friend. Another one reasoned out as 'does it really matter if I go and vote?'. One of them said, 'We'll go for a movie and if time permits, we'll think about voting.' While another one quipped, 'I just don't want to stand in those lines and spoil my holiday.' Hmm. A long list of excuses, isn't it? We will have hundreds and thousands of excuses for not voting and only one for voting your franchise and that is simply, 'I want to vote!'

Whenever you criticize someone, be it politics or movies or anything, you should really have some or the information about it. Sitting on the critics' seat doesn't entitle you with a 'know-all' power. My only point is that when you criticize politics, you should actually go and vote. And if you don't go and vote, you should stop blaming politicians for once you're not the part in electing them, you don't have any right to comment on their abilities and disabilities. It's only when you go out and vote, you can actually go and complain, criticize and shout at politicians. Now whom do you vote is an altogether different issue. It's more about being a part of the process of electing your franchise, of changing your system. Mind you, it's easy to say that 'be the change if you want a change', but difficult to implement. Those who want a change will never actually stand up and think of the change. They will simply keep on pin-pointing others, blaming the whole political scenario and talk as if they are the last people to be affected by the hopelessness of the politics.

Today, I'm a proud voter. This game of politics will go on and on. It's all upon the people to think about where to start with if they want any change in their life. Even if a contesting candidate loses out, he actually doesn't have anything to lose. The popularity which he gets during promotion campaigns opens up many new avenues of success eagerly waiting for him. It's more about his individual image than his party or politics. And the voter doesn't understand this. He simple complains!

Happy voting!