Sunday, April 13, 2014

I am Sorry I can't Vote!

Election campaigning are at its full swing.  Reminds me of my hometown Bhopal where my friends use to be very opinionated around this time for whom they would vote & of course with their facts & figures clear. Discussions at home over dinner or with friends over coffee were quite usual.
The Rickshaws that use to pass ten times a day with bursting speakers, funny picture portfolios of the candidate & more hilariously rhyming slogans in a typical voice.  “Khaaiye Samosa Aur Kachori..Yaad rakhiye Suresh Pachori”

Small town has its own charm, a rave that runs during election days. Since the time i have got my senses i have seen my family prioratizing to vote first thing in the morning of that day. Those 'deshbhakti' songs playing in the area adds to the effect. It use to make me feel as if I am participating in Sports day & want my ‘Sapphire house’ to win. Election result day was like a Parents -Teacher meet. 

I remember the first time I voted. I was excited as hell! I agree I had to run around to get my voters id made. But I specially took an off from my college in Mumbai. Travelled to Bhopal to Vote. In my ward at that particular time I was the only young girl. The volunteers were equally excited to guide me. I went inside in that corner & I took my own time to check out all the buttons & symbols. To my shock there were many symbols I had never seen in my life. (Exactly how the so called politically & socially active youth today who know nothing beyond  A Modi  AGandhi  & Now A Kejriwal)
I was so proud to show that mark on my figure that my Dad even called the local MLA to inform that my daughter came all the way to vote for you.  May be I was over enthusiastic.

I pity life of people staying in bigger cities. How they miss the charm of being ‘Socially Active’.
Their frustration to travel for hours, cope up with an expensive lifestyle, to crave for peace & yet to pretend intellectual. Oh I so don’t blame them. But let me also tell you, involving yourself in National Politics is no more considered intellectual. It’s assumed to be an obvious part of your life like A Shahrukh Khan & Salman Khan are. And trust me it’s equally entertaining. The Blame games, comedy, fight & love.

It’s the first time that I can’t vote since I have got that authority to vote cz I have no changed Surname documents & I can’t travel to Bhopal on that day, I really feel guilty. But I feel guiltier for my friends here. 70% of my friends in Bombay who are highly educated, apparently of my age or more have no voters id card & nor have they ever tried to register themselves.  They don’t know the name of the MLA of their area, but they definitely know the filmstars who have filed nominations in these elections.

There was a time when all these things use to irritate me. But I guess not anymore. I have seen these friends clubbing, watching repeated episodes on television & going picnics on weekends.  I certainly hereby realize you are no one who can bring in any change in anyone.  I don’t want someone to label me as a person who blabbers & goes. High time they realize their priorities on their own. And there is no harm if they have realized that chilling over a weekend is more important. But all I demand is they should be upfront about it rather than writing status messages for the same.

So done with hearing I want to vote for Modi because he has changed Gujrat.
I want to vote for Kejriwal  because I want to give a new person a chance
I want to vote for Rahul Gandhi because he is young.

Their are friends who have pointed me "Oh my God you havent been to the Sunburn"
Babes i wana tell you "Oh my God you have never voted! 

Seriously!
Grow up. There is so much more beyond that.





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