The results of the mini general results ruffled quite a few feathers. The results not being what most of the pollsters expected them to be signifies the coming of age of the Indian electorate. That the Indian electorate cannot be taken for granted is a thought that the recent results reinforced further.
What surprised most were the UP results. The massive mandate for SP, the severe drubbing of the Congress and the inability of the BJP to maintain the leading position it had in the first two hours of counting were certainly not what the general electorate expected. The defeat of one of the honest politicians and the sitting Chief Minister General Khanduri accompanied by the majority of his cabinet colleagues also came as a shock to many. The results of Punjab also defied expectations and that Goa has finally been able to elect a stable dispensation is a welcome but fairy unexpected development.
That mere smiles and promising words can get crowds but not votes is also a lesson that many would have learnt from the results of this electoral battle.
The country has had enough of the rhetoric, both of the bureaucratic as well as the political kind. That it now needs a proper governance machinery is a thought clamoring for attention and acceptance. In recent times, the nation also had more than its share of financial scams and sexploits, indulged in both by the bureaucrats and politicos and it now appears that the people have decided not to take things lying down by clearly showing their preference for better governance. Yet what choice do they have, being stuck between the devil and the deep sea and do things really improve even after the voter has shown his choice fairly clearly?
Failed governance, yes India is now a powerful example of failed governance cutting across levels and sectors. Else how does one explain bad roads, inadequate water and electricity, acute poverty and beggary, truckloads of crime and corruption, right here in Delhi, the capital city of this nation of over a billion. The state of affairs in the rest of the nation, especially the hinterlands would not be difficult to visualize. India not for Indians but for the rich and the powerful is what aptly describes this nation of ours that in historical times was referred to as a golden pigeon. Yet there is a faint glimmer of hope.
Insha – Allah, we may rise again.
Sir,
ReplyDeleteAs you say, the interest of the country is supreme I donot think we have reached a stage wherein we can say which ever party comes to power, the direction of governance will remain. If we all understand what it means to be indian, we will probably not be much bothered of which party wins. It all depends on us, the people of India. However, unfortunately, I donot see it any nearer where we become one. The core which makes us does not permit us to be one. The values we inherit, howsoever glorified they may be, are never evaluated from neutral perspective by us. We, indeed are no more than our own history and therefore, to judge our own history is the task we must take head on. Or else, we will never be able to judge it.
We are our own Gods and therefore, to expect a bright tommorow will be blessed by un-known/seen will be just following history instead of making one. Our 35-45 years of productive life spent will be un/Godly depending on what difference we made to the lives of the commoners from where we rose in ranks to be uncommoners.
thanks n regards.