VOTE FOR BETTER FUTURE
Like each drop fills the ocean, similarly every vote
counts towards building the nation. First, we have to believe ”my vote makes a
difference” before we see the difference
it makes. To be able to see the change, we ought to take as much a pain as we
take in choosing our TV, Laptop, Car, School for our children, our job,
bridegroom for our daughter and the list is endless. Then why this callous
attitude, when it comes to selecting our parliamentarians. The statistics show
one fourth of members of parliament are tainted i.e. 162 of Lok sabha MPs face
criminal charges, isn’t it alarming ? But then who is to be blamed. Let us look
in to ourselves , when it was time to
make a choice, we didn’t register ours. We were either too busy in petty
mundane issues or were lazy enough not to rise to the occasion. Hence those of the countrymen, who felt their
brethren should be up there in the House of parliament chose them.
Recent polls of Punjab,
Uttarakhand and Uttar paradesh showed
only 60 percent of population turning up to the polling booths. Now these 40
percent uncast votes can actually change
the fate of governance. If my vote is my right , then in the interest of country it should be made mandatory to
exercise this right of voting. After all every citizen should contribute in the
mandate deciding our policy makers. If the
nations like Israel, Austria can have compulsory military tenure of
every citizen as “National service” to nation, then in India at least voting can be made
compulsory. One of the step towards this can be a immediate law to this effect
enforced in letter and spirit. Also Election Commission of India should explore
possibilities of e-voting in addition to
existing procedure. The entire process can be made hacker proof ,invoking
multilayer secured protocols just akin to banking sector portals which have
secured transactions. Given the opportunity to vote online, we would see a
drastic up surge in the voting percentage and max number of people would then
participate in it’s true sense in
electing the worlds largest democracy. Indian polity would then see a paradigm
shift. In today’s arena e-voting is not asking
for moons and stars. It’s hard to believe that in this internet world
where every activity can be done online except voting. Somewhere down the line
there appears a lack of will or vision, which is best known to the Election Commission
or political class directing it. The facet of Indian polity depends on our attitude towards “the power in voting”. Do we really want to see a change ?
or continue under the same umbrella ,it’s up to us to decide. Let’s cast our
votes with sense of pride and mark a difference. And remember you don’t vote
, you don’t matter..
Like each drop fills the ocean, similarly every vote
counts towards building the nation. First, we have to believe ”my vote makes a
difference” before we see the difference
it makes. To be able to see the change, we ought to take as much a pain as we
take in choosing our TV, Laptop, Car, School for our children, our job,
bridegroom for our daughter and the list is endless. Then why this callous
attitude, when it comes to selecting our parliamentarians. The statistics show
one fourth of members of parliament are tainted i.e. 162 of Lok sabha MPs face
criminal charges, isn’t it alarming ? But then who is to be blamed. Let us look
in to ourselves , when it was time to
make a choice, we didn’t register ours. We were either too busy in petty
mundane issues or were lazy enough not to rise to the occasion. Hence those of the countrymen, who felt their
brethren should be up there in the House of parliament chose them. 
Recent polls of Punjab,
Uttarakhand and Uttar paradesh showed
only 60 percent of population turning up to the polling booths. Now these 40
percent uncast votes can actually change
the fate of governance. If my vote is my right , then in the interest of country it should be made mandatory to
exercise this right of voting. After all every citizen should contribute in the
mandate deciding our policy makers. If the
nations like Israel, Austria can have compulsory military tenure of
every citizen as “National service” to nation, then in India at least voting can be made
compulsory. One of the step towards this can be a immediate law to this effect
enforced in letter and spirit. Also Election Commission of India should explore
possibilities of e-voting in addition to
existing procedure. The entire process can be made hacker proof ,invoking
multilayer secured protocols just akin to banking sector portals which have
secured transactions. Given the opportunity to vote online, we would see a
drastic up surge in the voting percentage and max number of people would then
participate in it’s true sense in
electing the worlds largest democracy. Indian polity would then see a paradigm
shift. In today’s arena e-voting is not asking
for moons and stars. It’s hard to believe that in this internet world
where every activity can be done online except voting. Somewhere down the line
there appears a lack of will or vision, which is best known to the Election Commission
or political class directing it. The facet of Indian polity depends on our attitude towards “the power in voting”. Do we really want to see a change ?
or continue under the same umbrella ,it’s up to us to decide. Let’s cast our
votes with sense of pride and mark a difference. And remember you don’t vote
, you don’t matter..
Online voting is a feasible concept no doubt. The moot question however may not be convienience. I feel it's a safe bet that most people would not bother to vote even if voting is made a do-it-from-the convienience of-your-couch affair. Most people (of the class that is internet savvy) don't MERELY want to DO something socially responsible. The real incentive is in BEING SEEN to be acting socially responsible. Their friends and neighbours must see them as having acted responsibly. From this point of view online voting may even dis-incentivise voting. After all that black mark on the finger is something to flaunt for many of us as a witness to our sense of having acted socially responsibly.
ReplyDeleteA feature in the online voting portal where voters have the option of registering the e-mail addresses of their friends so that a message can be sent to these addresses when the voter casts her/his vote may be an incentive.
But then after all what proportion of the Indian populace can be expected to use online voting - a reality check is called for here.
Most of us realise that our single vote by itself means absolutely nothing. . . and most of us aren't really convinced that it is many single votes like ours that make a difference.
The trick may therefore be to whip up an ethos similar to the one which makes us scream at an IPL match knowing fully well that our single voice is well-drowned out in the crowd's uproar. IT'S AN ETHOS OF BEING A PART OF A GROUP SENTIMENT. But as a prelude to that - we need to feel that we Indians are ONE GROUP!!
- Jai
The best argument against democracy
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