Why Vote?
By Harish Bijoor
“Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to
turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to
sit on their blisters.”
-Abraham Lincoln
This classic Abraham Lincoln
quote says it all. The language is the polite and civilized language of the 1860’s,
but you and I can well imagine what it would sound like, and how rude it would
all appear if translated into the lingo of my young daughter and your young son
today, circa 2013.
Lincoln packs a mean punch. And
this punch is the ultimate answer to the question: Why Vote?
I am going to attempt to add
seven more to that. But then, any piece written on the need to vote is seldom
read and flossed over cynically. Therefore, allow me to embellish some sets of
key thoughts with ‘desi-filmi’ titles that might just make you read this. And
more importantly, take heed and act on it, when voting day dawns.
1.
‘Sahib,
Biwi Aur Gangster Returns’: We get the leaders we deserve. When Sravanthi
Khan decides to take off to Ooty for a short two day trip on voting day with
her family of 5, clubbing the Saturday to voting day (which many are likely to
do), she does disservice to herself and her entire family. She gets the type of
leaders she deserves. She didn’t vote, but she still gets what she deserves. A
leader elected on the merit of her non-vote. A society really gets what it
deserves. You and I get leaders we deserve. When we do not vote, we write a
self-fulfilling prophesy of being governed by a leadership in place without the
consent of our vote.
2.
‘Dhamaal’:
The vote is a source of power. Use it. It just might be the only source of
power any of us have. We elect the people who make the laws. We elect the
mechanism of governance we get. Have a say in it. Do not give up this source of
power. It’s our only one.
3.
‘Kaminey’:
A vote is an opinion. Express it. A powerful opinion really. When you and I
vote, we really express both positive and negative. We express our anguish and
we equally express our hope for a better society and governance structure. In
the one choice we make when we vote, we pack a lot. We pack our hope and
anguish equally on issues that relate to education, health, society, safety,
governance, corruption, and a myriad other things that affect us. And this
chance comes once in 5 years. Normally. And what you and I have felt for these
5 years that have gone by gets bottled up in the one vote we cast. Is this not
a heavy one? And is this not reason enough to vote?
4.
‘Zindagi
Na Milega Dobara’: The vote gives you a right to participate and demand. A
lot of us are ready to talk the talk, but not necessarily walk the talk. When
we vote, we really walk the talk. We stop being what Lincoln would have politely
phrased to be bull-defecators! I
really don’t have the right to demand when I have not voted. I really don’t
have the right to criticize, when I have not voted. Do you want these rights at
all?
5.
‘Son
of Sardar’: We don’t vote for ourselves; we vote for our children really.
To those of us with children, when you and I vote, we vote for our children
even. We vote for our children who are not of voting age as yet. To an extent
every vote we cast represents the positive intent we express for our children.
It is therefore right that we vote, if at all not to disappoint and abrogate
the aspirations of our children.
6.
‘Bodyguard’:
Education is meant to be a safe-guard of democracy. Really? Those of us who
are educated and do not vote, somehow seem to make this statement seem all
wrong! What’s the point of being educated, if we don’t exercise our educated
franchise on that one day in 5 years? Have you realized that election outcomes
are really controlled by those who step out of their homes to vote? Why would
you or I abdicate this joy?
7.
‘Qurbaan’:
Your vote need not result in a winner. And lastly, there are people who
really think that you always want to vote for a winner in the election. Let’s
realize this is not a lottery. This is much more serious. Never mind that the
candidate you and I vote for has lost. We have made a point. And every vote in
the kitty of the losing candidate is a point made volubly.
Let’s not take off on that nice
Sunday outing before we cast that vote on Sunday the 5th of May
then!
Twitter.com @harishbijoor
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