Are We Ready For Election

Where are we heading to? Are we in safe hands? Who is good for us- the Congress, the BJP or the Third Front? In the last fifty- eight years of our democracy, we have reposed our trust in the hands of many governments. Some of them seemed dependable; some did not. But have we learnt from our mistakes? The Lok Sabha elections are just round the corner. All parties will come up with their manifestoes. The UPA will harp on the achievement of the Nuke deal, the BJP will malign it for being ‘soft on terror’, and the Third Front will promise to correct the faults of both the major parties. We all know that this will happen. So are we sure who is right for our country?

As an aware and educated youngster of India, I can at least ‘read’ the drawbacks of our politicians in the newspaper. But, do any of us do anything beyond that?

Terror has gripped us in its vicious hands. Inflation drove the economy berserk. As if it had not been enough, world markets crashed and foreign investors left the shores of India. Christians were beaten to death and raped in Orissa. Jammu and Kashmir became the victims of communal clashes. We are no longer facing a nuclear apartheid, but the cash-for-vote scandal maligned us on the world forum.

All these issues have rocked the headlines throughout the year. I deliberately recounted these terrible moments because I want you, dear reader, to think, analyze, understand, and then decide.

The politicians of this country have disappointed us. All of them are playing the dirty game of politics. They serve only their vested interests. We all need to ask ourselves, “As a progeny of my motherland, what can I do to prevent it from being slaughtered by the hands of these butchers?”

As individuals, we perhaps cannot join politics because it is not our cup of tea. We cannot do anything for the victims of the several terror attacks.

However, something that we all can do is to be aware and spread the awareness to people around us. We have to learn to be responsible citizens of our nation. Learn to protect yourself. Be patient when you are asked to stand in a queue for security checking. When a national calamity strikes, we should all do as much as we can, even if it is negligible. Aspire for a good life, but simultaneously, be considerate to the person at the other end.

We cannot just keep blaming our politicians either. Somewhere, even we are to be blamed because after all, it is our nation that is suffering.

The time has come when we all have to come together. In the upcoming elections, let us not vote for a party, personality, or a philosophy. Vote for that individual who represents you and please, do vote