Ramesh’s blog This is Me!!

Voting at 40

Today, - 16 Apr 2009 - was a day of great significance to me personally. I voted for the very first time. Well the truth is I didn't have a Voter's ID card until a week ago. I must admit I was amongst those literate (even if not well read) Indians who never even bothered to get a Voters ID card made by in all these years. But I am not ashamed because it is not necessarily reflective of me but of an attitude ' the Chaltha Hai attitude ' that is so much a part of our Indian ness. But the fact that there are several other much more qualified people who shared (until now) that status with me does not lead me to derive any comfort out of it either.

Without a doubt what happened in Mumbai on the 26 Nov 2008 was a slap in the face of the largest democracy in the world and I think our ability or the disability to put a cap on the bloodbath that followed for the next few days surely lead us all to introspect and ask ourselves one common question ' "Do we have the right government and are they doing a good job?" With a change in people's mindsets and a growing urge to be more participative, especially after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, there could not have been a better time to give airtime to ads which stimulate the feeling that one should vote and create an awareness of each Indian's responsibility to carve out a better future for their children.

Never before has the Indian Media (Television, the Newspapers etc.) been urging the Indians to go to the Polls and make the much needed difference. In the past few months we have seen more advertisements to drive home the subtle yet important message of the responsibility that each citizen has to shape a better future for them and theirs. Companies like TATA with their "Jaago Re" and UTV with their "Ungli Utha Vote Kar" campaigns were aimed at motivating Indians to vote in the coming elections starting April 16.

Well for me personally, finding my voting centre was an exercise in itself. Having set off to the Polling centre -I had mistaken was mine- finding the right place was like going on a wild goose chase for nearly an hour and a half - from this street corner to the next and further on to the next turning just 500 meters away until I finally found the right person. He had the 47 page list of the voters in his "Illaka" area. God! I had to go through all of the 47 pages to find my name was the last one on the last page before I got a handwritten slip ' which I had to present at the polling centre along with my ID card to be permitted to vote. I cannot deny that whilst I was being made to run around from pillar to post this morning I nearly told myself "Enough of this nonsense … after all one vote won't make so much difference … why not just go home?"

But I realised that if I if had given up then, I could not possibly be more irresponsible. I am glad I pursued and persevered and finally got that line drawn on my left index finger. While I waited for my turn I realised how much had been achieved in our great country towards electronic vote counting and the machines that made the act so much simpler and less prone to violence, rigging et al. Its not that I didn't know about these gizmos but I guess its only when you stand in a queue with hundreds of others in one of the million voting centres in this huge country, the sheer complexity of counting nearly a billion votes hits you in the face. That's when those News articles of how India successfully used their Electronic Voting Machines in 2004 come back to you while at the point in time (and perhaps even now) the Technological leader and yet another large democracy ' the US ' struggled with accurate counting.

Its easy to stand at a distance an criticise. After today I guess I have earned the right to question those guys who often criticise and bad mouth our political set up and government infrastructure ' Have you done your bit?…. Have you voted?

As for me, I am considering taking to Politics some years from now. Do I hear any suggestions for a symbol for my party from my fellow Ilanders?

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Is It Possible?

I have been wondering ever since the run up to the elections in the US and the subsequent victory if Obama was allowed to be nominated as their candidate and win (when Hillary may just have had a better chance). My reasoning is this .

Parts of the US like Florida which are predominantly Black dominated have of late been hit by too many typhoons, hurricanes, storms call it what you may (all thanks to Global warming) and the American government has not been seen to do much to elevate them from their misery. And then came the big recession ' the worst from the late 30s or so they say. Under those circumstances to have a white lady sitting pretty in the most powerful seat  while the blacks would have had to endure not only the bloody storms but also loss of houses and jobs would surely have provoked mass scale violence and turmoil.

Is it possible that the democrats possibly told Hillary to back off and set this coloured man (as if white is not a colour) up to face the brunt and possibly even relate with the blacks better in times of a crisis to fend off any problems? Something tells me so and my reading this article written by a white American lady only reinforced my beliefs and doubts. The article touched upon the difficult task that lay ahead of Obama. It went on to end with this message "Obama may fail and fail he may only because he is human BUT when he does fail they would attribute it to the fact he is Black".

Then I have also wondered with the ongoing problem in Afghanistan and with the Taliban issue and many American soldiers getting their heads blown off, the US had to find replacements ' more guinea pigs to go into the dirty battle they started. The recent announcement to enlist anyone into the army if they have a Green card is a direct fall out I think of too many American casualties. The easiest way to become an US citizen claims the news article I read.

Is it possible that the newly converted citizens are all going to die or get blown to bits in Afghanistan for Uncle Sam? For some reason I am reminded of what General Patton once said "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country". In the light of that famous statement is it not evident that is exactly what is going on.

"Slumdog Millionaire" went on to win the Oscars. Did it really deserve an Oscar ? Why is it that movies such as these that portray India in poor light win the empathy / sympathy of the white man and move him to throw away an Oscar at us like one would a dog biscuit at a hungry dog?

Is it possible that the Americans are hoodwinking us into believing that we did a fantastic job with just another film - when I know for a fact there have been better films produced in India because they now want to so badly and desperately align with us? Considering that they realize that between a strong China, a reemerging Russia and nations all around plagued by all sorts of fundamental and radical groups, this is the only piece of land they can safely set foot on, it is not to difficult to comprehend that mindset is it?

In an unprecedented move, the Yankees have allowed us to buy the latest Boeing P8-I aircraft which are likely to be inducted into the US Navy as well.  There have been more joint exercises with the Indian armed forces in the recent past than ever before. One thing is for certain… given the geopolitical scenario the world over and the economic growth we are all set for the Americans need us more now than ever before. The question is should we suck up to them and bend backwards to everything they say or can we stand up straight and show some spine and muscle?  ……

Now is that possible?

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