Of electorates and more…
By Nabarun Goswami
Former US President Abraham Lincoln had aptly said, “Democracy is the government of the people, by the people, for the people” and his words of wisdom surely seemed to have found resonance in the State in the last month or so given the proximity of the Assembly elections which took place on February 23.
In a month of political festivities and drama, the residents of Meghalaya were treated like kings by each party and its candidates.
For once in five years, nothing seemed to matter more than the needs of the people and given the political prospects at stake, the citizens’ basic requirements were never before ascribed as more genuine.
Things had started to take shape for the better months ahead of the Assembly polls with construction/repair works of several lanes and roads across the city being initiated.
There is no denying the fact that there might have been technical and logistical reasons that led the sitting legislators to wait till the fag-end of their terms to carry forward the developmental process, but those taking keen interest in politics, term it as a strategy to leave an impression on the minds of the voters ahead of the crucial elections.
Later, with just over a month to go for the polls, amidst allegations and counter allegations hurled between rival candidates, the ‘cattle class’ (commoners as infamously termed by Union Minister Sashi Tharoor) turned out to be the most sought after.
The so-called aristocracy had all of a sudden developed a genuine interest in the mundane activities of the commoners.
From one’s children’s future to the right to employment, security and much more, a near solution to everything seemed to be on the anvil if the ‘right candidate’ was voted to power.
It was also a pleasant surprise for some residents to realize that at least till February 23, they would not require an appointment prior to meeting their future legislators or aspirant leaders from the respective areas.
Hordes of promises and assurances were being fed as every political aspirant approached the powerful voter with folded hands urging the latter to take the right decision by giving him/her an opportunity to ‘serve the masses.’
Even the bigwigs of various parties came all the way from the national capital to appease the torchbearers of democracy.
It is said that collective thinking is often short-lived and it is this fickle attitude of the public that our leaders perhaps have been taking advantage of.
The sequence of events over the last couple of months goes on to show the kind of rights and power people enjoy in a democratic country like India.
The bigger challenge that stares at the electorates though is to continually press upon the legislators to keep the public in high esteem even after the next government is elected.
In the words of another former US President, Theodore Roosevelt, “A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”
A welcome change
For once the people of the State defied the diktat of the proscribed HNLC, for once democracy triumphed over so-called extremism.
The over 88 per cent turnout in the February 23 Assembly elections despite the 36-hour bandh called by the banned militant outfit only goes to show that people’s will still reigns supreme irrespective of all the modern day odds.
Probably what matters the most is priority. While it was in one’s best interest to come out and vote in large numbers so as to sow the seeds of hope yet again to see things change for the better in the next five years, the same motivation may not find expression in reacting to similar bandhs called during the Republic and Independence Day celebrations, for staying indoors has become a pre-conceived order over the years on such occasions.
However, it is never too late to set a trend, especially those which visibly lead towards a better and more importantly free society unbounded by unnecessary restrictions.
Tone down the
decibel please
Raising the decibel seems to be the only way to get noticed and taken seriously in the country. From marriages to late night parties, we never fall short of raising the noise pollution levels.
While honking is considered a crime in certain European/Western nations, we consider it a fundamental right to blow that loud horn, expecting the traffic to subside magically as we inch our way forward.
No surprises then that the noise factor remained an important and integral part of the campaigns in the run-up to the February 23 polls.
The vociferous announcements made across the city streets in an attempt to gear up support had little regard for the unwell and students preparing for the examinations following the elections.
Customised songs made to impress supporters added to the woes of music loving Shillongites who failed to appreciate the pieces of art on display. Mudslinging and personal attacks at vocal public gatherings, though entertained the masses, did not go down too well either.
In fact, the politicos to a great extent made a mockery of themselves by indulging in such theatrics.
The end of campaigns on February 21 came as a welcome relief for the residents who were only happy to miss the higher decibel levels on air.