No vote for Demo ‘crazy’

The grand show of the planet has begun, the largest democracy going to polls. When many nations are fighting for survival it’s a wonder that such an exercise of such magnitude is happening in this part. Media’s all over the world will be praising this gigantic effort. Such pomp, glamour, heat, passion where else can we find?

Democracy or Demo ‘crazy’

But on retrospective is this true representation of the billion people of India? The final percentage of polling will be around 60-70 % that means 30-40 % of Indians didn’t have any say in the Govt formation. This 30 % is a huge number much bigger than the total population of many countries combined. There was money, liquor, power to influence voter decision. What about these percentages?  No body has any figures.

Add the fear and security dimension to this and the situation becomes really complex. Today news channel were abuzz with news of people killed during. Personally I don’t like violence, it is good in films but in reality it’s bad. The ideology should clash & not the bullets. But it is a harsh reality that we take ideas to our hands, trying to enforce ourselves on others by force. Personally I believe barriers break when people talk (Professionally, personally or in any field that matters).

Reject all
Today I was in a big confusion. Whom should I vote? There was no option between all the candidates in the arena. There was no option to reject them all. One candidate whom I would have supported openly was Shashi Tharoor but he was contesting in a different place. The election commission of India should have given me the power to reject all the choices. Most of the cases people are forced to select the lesser evil. Can’t we select some good people? Normal citizens won’t have much power in the selection of candidates for any political group. They are forced to select the devil or Satan. This is one of the factors which bring down the poll % in many areas. In some places people are forced to select between a dacoit or smuggler. (On a lighter note I think the more dangerous people should be selected in such cases for at least 5 years people will be safe in their homes)

Poll Reforms
Our great forefathers had thought about such a situation. They had kept an option called Rule 49-O. But this doesn’t give the secrecy of ballot (or EVM there is no ballot left). I got the following from Election Commission.
“It is clarified that under Rule 49-O, the voter has an option not to vote at the election after he has been identified at the polling station and his name has been registered in Registers of voters (Form -17A). The Presiding Officer shall thereupon make a note to that effect against the name of that voter and obtain his signature (thumb impression in the case of an illiterate). In such case, the voters who exercise the option of not voting at the election under Rule 49-O would only be deemed to have abstained themselves from voting and under the law, the candidate who secures highest number of valid votes polled, irrespective of his winning margin, is declared elected.”
I don’t think this should be exercised openly. Nobody should know whom I voted or whether I rejected all.

Minimum representation
In all places decisions are taken by majority and not by the margin of leader. To get selection the candidate should get at least the support of 51 % of the people. Now even if a person get the support of only 20 % or even less (80 % didn’t want him) can be declared winner. How can such democracy function for long? For the true representation this process of selecting the leader among the pack should be abolished and only those wop can get a minimum of 51 % of votes should be elected.

My Request
These are my suggestions for the EC of India
•    Option for secret “NO VOTE”
•    Power to Re-call any selected representative
People have the power to elect so they should have the power to recall any selected representative (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recall_election)
•    Ban criminals from politics for ever.
•    Minimum representation
•    A retirement age for politicians
•    A minimum educational qualification. (This is biggest job of the country & here you don’t require any qualification, any one without any credibility can run the show!!!!!!)

I said what I felt; you all can share your views.
You can spread your idea by voice, articles, e-mail but no muscles or bullets :D.
Write to newspapers, blogs, TV all the places where you can be heard.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/edit.php?gid=169944555149#/group.php?gid=169944555149
http://zoomview.blogspot.com/2009/04/democracy-or-demo-crazy-india-goes-to.html
http://www.orkut.co.in/Main#Community.aspx?cmm=86370261

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Online petition: Stop the Genocide in Darfur

To US President  George Bush and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon

As many as 400,000 people have been killed in Darfur. Another 2.5 million have been driven from their homes and into danger. The threat of rape, torture, murder and malnutrition pursue the women and children of Darfur wherever they flee. World leaders must unite now to end the genocide and establish a lasting peace in Darfur.

I therefore ask you to:

1. Make ending the crisis in Darfur one of your top priorities;

2. Push for the fastest possible deployment of the hybrid U.N.-A.U. peacekeeping force authorized by the U.N. Security Council in July 2007;

3. Pressure contributing nations to fully and immediately meet their pledges of troops, funding, equipment, and logistical support;

4. Work to ensure the Sudanese government’s full participation in a just and inclusive peace process, and to overcome any attempts to obstruct or delay the protection of civilians or the peace process;

5. Increase humanitarian aid and ensure access for its safe delivery.

Thank you for your leadership on this urgent matter.

http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/savedarfurcoalition

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Kashmir amarnath yatra: Vote politics, terror, communalism

Somebody said referring Jammu & Kashmir “Agar zameen pe jannat hai, to wo yahin hai, yahin hai, yahin hai ” (If there is heaven on earth, it is on this land, it is here, it is right here) but for the past 2 months this heaven was a blast furnace with emotions boiling high. The entire state machinery was on the threshold of breakdown.

The Amarnath Yatra is organised every year by the J &K Govt. during the month of sharavan (July and August); one has to trek a height of about 14,500 ft to reach Baba Amarnath Holy cave – http://www.amarnathyatra.org

At last the big fight over the amarnath land has shown some signs of cooling down. But what was this for. Who lost who won? Politicians and militants sitting in Kashmir, Delhi and Islamabad won but the poor and the common man lost their peace and livelihood. The thin trust between the two regions of the state Jammu and Kashmir was broken. However we try to mend it the crack will remain. An irreparable loss but nobody cares.

For years Pakistan based terrorists are targeting the pilgrims. The pilgrims had to face bombs, bullets, snow, and hard climate to reach the holy cave. Many got moksha (salvation) before they reached the cave thanks to our dear mercenaries (or fighters as few people would like to say). Still we are saying that India is a secular country where the majority can’t follow their religion (that doesn’t mean that minority community can practice their belief with out any problem in other parts of country).

J&K govt gave Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) 40 acres of land of providing basic amenities to the pilgrims and hell loose out in Kashmir valley. All the opportunistic, separatist, “secular” the so called common mans leaders sensed an opportunity to play the dangerous game of politics. The militants and other hard lines poured oil into the bonfire and it was a hell with strikes, marches, violent protests. At last the govt had to rollback its order. This move transferred the action from Kashmir to Jammu with Shri Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti (SASS) spearheading the agitation against the reversal. The economic blockade of Kashmir valley followed and this led to more protests in Kashmir. The once dead “Azad Kashmir” demand resurfaced. Separatists were even successful in conducting a march to the neighboring country. For them the grass is green there!!! But it’s the strength of the Indian democracy which saved them. They want freedom from democracy and want dictatorship. What an irony.

Kashmiri leaders made others believe that Indian govt is trying to make them minority in their land and they should protect themselves from this invasion. But from whom? (Even if this was the plan) from the fellow Indians? Indian constitution gave the rights to each and every Indian to settle down in any part of the country. When any Kashmiri (I shouldn’t use this word, well resident of Kashmir would be a better usage) can go and buy land in any other part of the country why not the same in Kashmir. It’s the foul, cruel politics played by the politicians across the border for the past 60 years and for which the entire world is paying. Yes the entire world is paying for it. Almost all the major terror organizations in the planet originated from Pak or have some connection to it. What was this for? For containing India and solving the mother of all the problems on this planet by hooks or crook

The compromise formula was arrived with the SASB getting rights to lands for the three months of pilgrimage. But the solution and peace is very fragile and can break very easily.

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