Difficult as it is to say this, one has to accept that the present governance situation in India seems to have reached its nadir. What with one scam after another, soaring prices (to name just a few problems) the only people who seem to be doing well are politicians irrespective of which cap they don.
Yes, the media may go overboard about some issues but can they be blamed for the price rise? (read this: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Pawar-blames-media-says-no-proposal-on-milk-price-rise/570153/). Some ministers have reportedly said the government lacks tools to control price rises (read this: http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-govt-cannot-control-food-prices-accepts-finmin-adviser/20110106.htm).
Corruption, legal violation cases by big wigs languish in our courts.
So where does the common man go? Is this the pits? Do we as honest tax payers deserve this? Should we pay taxes at all? Do we really have democratic processes that represent ‘majority’ opinion or are some influential voters’ blocks taking the rest for a ride? The central government, and every state, municipal corporation and gram panchayat government represent not more than 35% of votes polled. So are our electoral systems truly giving the majority opinion the right to govern? We need to introspect and rethink.
Being the eternal optimist I would like to point to the 2010 Bihar elections. Bihar, the first among the so called BIMARU states, yet its people made a dramatic choice in their 2010. Fed up with corruption, absence of law and order they voted for progress. (read this: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/development-has-won-in-bihar-nitish-kumar/135747-37-64.html
Surely if some people in India can use the ballot to make an emphatic verdict about their preferences, the rest of us can follow? Agreed that there is still a while for elections but we must be sure to make an informed choice based on past performance and not promised results when we vote. We must sort wheat from chaff and learn to take ‘claims’ of so called administrative successes with tons of salt.
This is what people power and power of the ballot is all about.
Don’t despair people. Raise your voice. Think. Act.
And the Sun will shine…
