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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Starvation, inflation , power crises and us

Reading Indian newspapers last few days was like reading the script of new bond movie with news about bombs exploding everywhere and our policemen unearthing bombs one after another. The terrorists issuing more threats to famous personalities. It had all the masala of a classic hit film.
But another article caught my attention and made me think a lot. This was about the food crises in Haiti a Caribbean nation where the entire families are pushed towards hunger. (http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/30/stories/2008073055201100.htm).

Starvation, inflation , power crises and us

(src : The Hindu)
Their staple diet was mud! I can’t express my feelings when I read about how the families baked the mud and gave it to their children. And even it is not free some less fortunate people have to buy even these cakes!!!

We complain about the food in our cafeteria, about AC not working, about the yearly appraisal. Our list is very big. What about these poor souls, any body complaining?

In the last one year the global food prices have shot up. We are facing a crisis which the world has seen in the late 1950’s. But then the green revolution in many countries saved millions. But the situation now is entirely different. We don’t have enough land to cultivate to feed the millions.

Would you help them if given a chance? But how?
I will give a simple mantra – turn green, eat less. Consume less energy, save the energy, eat vegetarian food. Why veg? To produce I kg of meat on an average 8 kg of cereals is used. See the equation. We can pay for 1 kg of meat but it will surely affect the supply of 8 kg of cereals somewhere in the world. How this will help? This is pure economics. The demand –supply fight. (Pardon me those who can’t grasp this idea, I will explain more about this in next article). The less you demand the pressure on the supply will decrease & this might bring down the prices for those poor souls.

By doing this you might not be able to give a meal to the mothers of Haiti tomorrow but surely to few others in our own country. Many of you wont know that there are many communities in India (an even in the place where I live in the most educated state of India Kerala) many people live on mud cakes!!!

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