Your Precious Vote: An Opinion

chillibreeze writer — Gauri Kelkar

Psst. Psst. Hey! Listen. Didn’t mean to wake you up but I had a small question that I absolutely had to ask. You’re awake you say? Was sure you were sleeping. I know it’s a really long weekend and you should be able to relax. Plus, I don’t mean to step over toes or anything, but you had this glazed look in your eyes and your mouth was wide open, and I could have sworn I heard something emanating from it that sounded suspiciously like a snore.

Anyway, I think it’ll be better if I whisper. When people shout out loud, it’s always an instinctive reaction to close your ears, isn’t it? Now that I have pickled your brains enough with the gibberish, here’s my poser – did you show your middle finger on TV? Hey! Hold it! I’m not trying to offend you or anything, though why it should I have no idea. We’ve been showing our collective middle finger to our government for years and years now (snicker snicker). But I digress. What I meant is did you get a black mark on your middle fingers like the celebrities told you to? You know? It’s the latest, uber cool, chi chi, hi fashion accessory. Almost everybody who is anybody is sporting it or talking about sporting it. I’m talking about VOTING! Did you exercise your right as a citizen of a democracy? Vote to kick out the corrupt dude in power and vote for his lesser evil twin? Were you the change you wanted to see in the system?

Aah. Now you got it and by that sheepish expression, I’m assuming that you didn’t (sigh). I didn’t either. But it wasn’t because of lack of trying, let me tell you. My name wasn’t on the voters’ list. Did you also have that same problem? I’m guessing by that pregnant pause that you didn’t. You just didn’t do it, did you? Did the heat get to you? Or the idea of a holiday made you induced in you a lethargy – very justified I’m sure after a hard week at work – think that exercising the muscle of your thumb seem like too much work?

Whatever the reason, you know what this means right? No more whining, winging, complaining for the next five years. When the roads are cut open for yet another countless surgery just before the rains, when trees are laid to rest to build more buildings, when too many cars snarl irritatedly through bad roads and that flyover and sea link and what-have-you’s that were promised still have to see daylight. What’s more when a terrorist outfit decides top drop in on us unexpectedly, we cannot say a thing. No candlelight vigils (because that would be hypocritical), no more self-righteous rage (a bit redundant, don’t you think) and no more baying for your CM’s blood (after all, he’s probably there because of you).

I know, I know it’s sad. We now have no excuse for the leaders we get. You know what you’ve got yourself into, right? I mean, we may get a leader tottering on the other side of sanity or maybe someone who (gasp) may even have a criminal record! And t think your vote could have made a difference!

All things considered, you really are a brave soul, I must give you that. I mean, to know that you will go through FIVE years of governance by just about anybody who may run this country into the ground… it takes guts to be able to do that. So it’ll be goodbye roti, kapda, makan, and adios to that delicious dream of becoming a superpower in 2020.

But I understand the dilemma you must have faced. Who do you vote for? All our politicians are either criminals or ineffectual, fascists or into votebank politics, criminals or geriatrics. They really are a different species, substandard forms of humanity… who are going to mould the future of this country. Doesn’t it just make you shudder to think what new lows these guys will plunge us into? Moreover, don’t you think it would be better if you could control them a little…maybe vote and keep voting every election till you get it right? But that’s just my opinion. I guess you need to get back to doing what you were doing. And all the best for the next five years. Boy, are we going to need it!

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—About our writer:

A veteran of the employment market with two satisfying jobs already under her belt, Gaur Kelkar is now wading into unchartered territory on the intrepid journey of freelance writing. Many have made the voyage before her and she is determined to find her horizon as well.

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