1947 August 15th - the day we got freedom from colonial powers, but not yet from narrow minded politics. I request my fellow brothers and sisters of India to spend a few minutes in reading this blog and just two - three hours on one day during April-May. I started this blog with a good intention to just speak my mind on India and what we could do. The very first i use it towards our parliamentary elections that will happen between April-May '09. Before i go further, let me clarify, i am apolitical and i am not associated with any political organisation.
Only a strong and stable governance can help us take our country to a better state. One may be from Andhra, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Goa or wherever in the current Indian borders, but at the very hearts we share similar culture, similar food, similar dress and have many other similarities. It pains when i see the 'unity in diversity' slogan; some shortsighted regional parties are whipping up passion on the name of caste, language etc. At a time, when multi-dimensional problems are looming to take us back to non-governance, especially with the regional parties are fuelling it a lot. History can repeat itself. Remember how the colonisation started? When we were all busy fighting internally, we were taken into chains. Do we have to let that happen again? I repeat when we were busy infighting, we lost our pride, our wealth and everything. India was THE richest nation and had topped the GDP table till 1475AD.
Today we have a few good leaders in both the national parties, leaders with passion to serve the nation. But their hands are tied; Coalition governments are powerless and are curtailed by regional parties that are highly disruptive to our progress. Coalition governance can take us nowhere, everyone wants a share for their personal progress, the common man is suffering. Growth is retarded and challenged. Let us throw away the prejudice from our minds for just a day and serve the nation just for a day, not even a day, just 2-3 hours. I am just asking 2-3 hours.
USA took almost 250 years to become a super-power since its independence(1776); India in its 60 years (just 60 years) has had a good run and is a decade away from reaching a better state.We have a lot more to offer to our own self and the world; we showed we are a responsible nation, we showed our determination in our space trips, missile programmes and in many other fields. But one thing is pulling us back - coalition and the weak governance.
We have a choice, that we did not have during the days of monarchy. The choice - "VOTE"; Yes, We can VOTE! So i ask, i request, i plead, two or three hours from the readers to stand in the queue that day and vote. Alongside, I also place a humble request that, you vote to one of the national parties not to a regional or linguistic or a party with regional aspiration. Remember growth has to be inclusive and not to a region. When you have two eyes to see, why place importance to just one? When you have 28 states and 7 UTs, why place one before the other? Let's be inclusive - Let us vote to a national party and demand - yes, DEMAND good governance to take us forward.
Every drop of water makes a ocean, every vote counts. Your vote can change India. We know one man who has recently spearheaded change - Obama - we as individuals could collectively bring a new direction to India by a very simple step - 'Voting'.
Be the change!
(Also, could you vote in the poll on the left side top of this blog, that if you would vote or not in the parlimentary elections?)
PS: Please forward this to fellow indians and be the cause for change too. One candle lits another, let us make our future bright!
9 comments:
The intention of the article is good and commendable. But woting to any legtimate and legal party is individuals wish and please don't advice to choose between just two parties. Lot of the parties which has regional appeal are actually legally registered as national parties and if people like their polocies they can vote for them and no one should interfere with that choice.
I agree with the individual's duty in a society to take part in voting - thats how one can ask for one's right - indian constitution says - rights and duties - it is through doing the duty that one gets the right - so voting is a duty that is mandatory - if we are not doing that we cannot have the right to demand good governance. one thought that I would recommend the election commision is to have one more button on its voting machine - " Neither of them is good " - and these votes are also counted for and if this exceeds the votes got by parties, then a president's rule should be imposed in that constituency - just my thought - its actually practicsed in some democracies.
I agree with what CITIZEN has said.I think a 'none of them' category should be present,and if that category is voted maximum then all the contenders who participated in that particular election should not be allowed to reapply.this will help in sorting out the good politicians.and all the participating candidates should be graduates atleast in educational qualifications.
Right now we need a stable government more than anything else. Please vote for stability and not some coalition where some parties are there just to extract their pound of flesh. Above everthing else, please just vote!
The no choice option is an idea of course. - I will write a blog on this.
Re. regional parties with national appeal is fine, I am only asking not to vote to parties that are divisive in nature. Above all, the request is to first go and vote! yes please go and vote.
Again pls fwd to as many as you can and create the awarness
I request the moderator to please avoid using the ARRahman composed national anthem song in the side bar. Firstly 'Jana Gana Mana' - was chosen as national anthem without any consent, regard and respect for the countries sentiments and just for the whims and fancies of politically motivated and self proclaiming nationalist who just wanted to go hand in hand with divisional forces and just undermine the greatness of our country. For the information - 'Jana Gana Mana' was the praise written in honour of King George 5 of England on his official visit to India when he was ruling India. Thats the reason only the british ruled places feature in the song. -please visit - "http://www.hamiltoninstitute.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=70&Itemid=30" - When India got its freedom and want to severe all its memories of colonial past - why have the song written in praise of the colonial past should still be continued as National Anthem? - second - when many eminent nationalist where using the 'Vande Maataram' as their sole mantra during the independence campaign- why suddenly that song was totally forgotten and a new song having colonial shade be chosen to be National Anthem? - Bankim Chandra Chatterji's poem was chosen to be the mantra of defence and even all freedom poets have used the same mantra in all their poems. then why suddenly is the song forgotten? - that mantra which made the British angry, afraid and leave the country was totally forgotten just because politicians wanted to favor the colonialist or some faction of the population or was it a decided that the colonial coloured song will be the national anthem by the whims and fancies of the then politicians.. what ever it is - Vandhe Maataram is the true song of Independence and True National Anthem of India. When people can change a country's flag, a city's name and others -why not change the national anthem? - and its a humble request for the moderator to please start a thread in this note.
By - Mera Bharat Mahan - a true believer of India's glory in past-present and future.
"MBM", I acknowledge your thinking and i have heard this viewpoint about the anthem. Today we are what we are. The anthem in its own right talks about our geography and hails us. As the anthem stands now, it does not verbally signify the colonial past.
More than symbols such as anthem, flags etc, what we need is change to address the sufferring our fellow human goes through. My aim is to bring a change through the elections that have been announced today. If we have a coalition at the important time of recession, we are virtually sealed off. This is the time, we all should ask, when tough times come - who is best to lead? Send the blog to as many as Indian friends you have. I will defly open a thread on anthem.
I definitely agree with you voting for National Parties, but they are the ones who are going in for coalitions...why not go to it alone ?
We do need a system of change - who should stand in the Political arena, what we have now CORRUPT,SELFISH,and MANIPULATORS.
We need to have an IPS - India Political Service, where the best from the country can be chosen...
The Brains of the country,IAS, IPS, IFS., etc report to...???
the Tata Tea ad..does bring out a point.
We should go all out and change the system...and in a Democracy like ours....basic education too needs to be a qualifier for a vote....
Where are the young ones today / I appeal to you for you are the future of our Country...Divisive forces( Politicians themselves) have broken this country for selfish reasons, Caste, Creed, Community, Language,even religion....where has the Nationalist Spirit gone ?
Be Indian, Vote Indian
Change has to come? I appeal to Rahul Gandhi, Omar Abdullah....get your act together the nation depends on people like you.... Watching the nuclear issue Our Parliament Proceedings was One Big Fiasco).
Our country has the potential..but we people you and me have to put this into motion...
A Democracy is defined as :
A Government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Looking at the way our Parliament functions...it is A Mockery of Democracy. Nothing but Demockracy.
Taking the poor , illiterate,man for a ride.
Countrymen change we need, and it has to come from the Grassroot level. Politicians should limit themselves to Good Governance Only...We need Good Men and Women.
Ratherlate in the day to think about voting which is dead and buried.But miraculously the Indian voter has realised that a conglomeration of parties will serve us no good and has elected a single party (it does not matter whether it is Congress or BJP) for a stable government. People of India can look forward for a stable government for the next five years.
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