May 18, 2009 11:50 AM
13603 Views
(Updated May 18, 2009 12:55 PM)
Elections 2009 had much more than it’s fair share of media frenzy and controversies. Starting right from the mercurial emergence of Varun Gandhi in true blue political fashion to the scathing personal attacks launched at each other by the two main prime ministerial candidates, from the crisscrossing of Prakash Karat and his leftist comrades all over the country trying to strike deals withall and sundry to the arrogant chest thumping of the Yadavs(Lalu and Mulayam) claiming that no government at the centre can be formed without their consent, and the other smaller parties giving daily statements as if they were making calculative moves in a game of chess.The past couple of months although absolutely eventful and quite intriguing to the political pundits providing them enough fodder to chew on for days and weeks, were disappointing for a voter and citizen like me where basic issues of development, security and prosperity seemed to have taken a back seat amidst all this political high drama.
Nevertheless I was quite eagerly awaiting the results of this massive democratic spectacle(which we never tire of boasting of as one of our biggest achievements).May, the 16th came as a huge surprise for the media people who had again predicted a khichhdi parliament where there would have to be hundreds of horses traded to give this nation some semblance of a government with political opportunists(countless in number) ruling the roost.But for me, it is more or less a happy ending and a hopeful beginning.Though I am not a big admirer or supporter of the Congress Party and it’s policies which have played a decisive part in ruining the state of our nation in the past half century, I still am quite satisfied with the outcome of the elections.2009 for me will always be a year when the Indian voter almost grew up, and voted with a clear purpose of showing the leaders who is the boss and whyHe should never be taken for granted.
Leaders like Vaiko(I am sick of his LTTE sympathy) and Raj Thackeray who thought they could win elections merely by beating up irrelevant regional emotions have been taught that the age of the naïve voter is very much in the past.
The Left led by Mr Karat and some other grey haired men has rightfully faced the wrath of the voter in response to their draconian policies which belong to(if at all) the ninteenth century and they have got their punishment for holding the Government ransom for more than a year over an issue(Indo-US nuke deal) which really should have been passed with minor corrections and very little noise, more so when there were more pressing problems of internal security and price rise yearning for everyone’s attention.
Most of the musclemen politicians(Bahubalis) of UP and Bihar who are a curse to our democracy, running their campaigns from inside the jails have been shown the door despite the fear and money power they wield in their respective constituencies.
Mayawati’s dream of becoming the Prime minister, solely on the basis of her background as a Dalit and all the mindless comparisons of her with Barack Obama can now be conveniently forgotten and put to rest.
Good work and people friendly policies have been duly rewarded as exhibited in Orissa, Bihar, Delhi and some other areas with the incumbent state governments sweeping the results.
Big names and reputations have meant very little with leaders like Paswan and Lalu biting the dust.
I am also delighted by the broadmindedness exhibited by the voters for instance in Thiruvananthpuram where they, realizing the worth of a person like Shashi Tharror turned a deaf ear to all the childish allegations being thrown at him and elected him with a thumping lead. Shashi Tharror for our foreign minister(with his background in the UN) will as perfect as Field Marshall Maneckshaw for defense minister(sad that it never happened).This sort of change is very much needed in our country where sometimes ministers of education are themselves woefully uneducated.
Thus despite the voter turnout being only in the vicinity of 50 percent(attributed to the hot summer and also the disillusionment of the society with our political leaders), it is great to see that whoever has voted has done it sensibly. Basing their choices on the simple theory of accountability we, the voters have definitely put our message across to the politicians.Had Varun Gandhi lost his seat in Pilhibit, this would have become a perfect election.
Anyways it doesn’t mean that the time to rejoice has arrived. The new government is expected to rope in some young qualified people in it’s ranks who hopefully will address the real issues facing(And there are lots and none of them has anything to do with what place of worship you and I go to) this country.I am keeping my fingers loosely crossed and my eyes wide open.
