e:diARy-2: pARticIPATorY wOeS!!

It is now a fashion in todays debate circles to discuss about the lack of people involvement and participation in nation building, lyk in Elections. The Eday, as many rightly suggested, has turned out to be one of the kind of a long overdue holiday, where you catch up with your family and friends. The public are not to be blamed as it’s the most logical step to do if there is not much to choose from the candidate list. The guilt for the falling voter turnout and lack of participatory role of junta in election lies majorly with the political parties and the candidates they field. As in every selective exercise, there should be an underlying tempt, that may fuel the junta to rocket out of their comfort zones to exercise their franchise. when politicians whose sophistication runs no more than a few glitzy films or a mindset of bygone era or a long roll of criminal records - whats there for people to choose. "nothing". but sadly in our EVMs there is no option for that "nothing". if there was this option, which you can press if you dont have faith in the neighbouring names, it would have been democratically great and a lot of fence sitters and an entire detached, election averse log would have marched in to the election dens. In a democracy, I believe in addition to the right of choosing "one" from the set, there should be an option for "none" from the fielded set. It can be a ready rejoinder for parties and candidates that how bad they are and how they are worhless of ones vote.this option may be the ultimate opium for the junta to vote, to prove they are not just dakkans out there. They can banish the egos of the staged candidates with a blatant “NO”. The political parties would also feel extremely embarrassed by a situation of this sorts and may well come out with decent candidates.

It may sound good to voice our displeasure, but think, apart from a few good ones, people would certainly be having no choices at their front. The most bizzare thing imaginable in such a case would be an assembly where a majority of seats occupied by a “none from above” group.  What happens then? Chaos. both disturbing and dangerous. I admit it might be a cynical's way of viewing things.

what is the other more optimistic alternative for bringing more people in E- business. its for political parties to show grit by staging candidates who can provide good governance to the nation. gear up political parties, get the best on the race, compel people to participate in the election. after all no party is bigger than the people they serve. so listen to peoples call. we need more shashi tharrors and the lot. an amartya sen from kolkatta, a narayanamoorthy from banglore.......the list goes on..