Middle India Needs to Come Together
by Rajesh Jain
Politicians and therefore the governments they form divide India into two distinct fragments. On one of them, governments and politicians lavish an amazing amount of attention, with the interest rising as the elections draw nearer. They feed this India to feed themselves. This is the India they are immersed in because it benefits them. This is an India they interfere with because it gives them their power. This is the India whose value lies in the votes that it offers. This is Meddle India - an India that the people in power love to meddle with, an India that cannot survive on its own, an India that is constantly on dole from one government scheme or another. This is an India that even after 60 years of our own government is kept poor because it keeps the politicians rich. This is an India that 60 years after the British left is still ruled.
Then, there is the other India. This is an India that our government and politicians broadly ignore. This is an India that doesn’t vote based on promises - because there are none. (In fact, this is an India that barely votes.) This is an India whose voice is not heard because it doesn’t talk. This is an India that can be found in the cities, but is lost because it has no leadership. This is an India that has dreams, but finds obstacles put at every step. This is the India we live in. This is Middle India - an India that can be the engine for growth but is denied power, an India that can be the workhorse for the world but is denied proper education, an India that can be the entrepreneurial capital of the world but is denied connectivity. This is an India that was born free, but is still held captive by a government that knows no better. This is an India that 60 years after the British left is still seeking not to be ruled but be led.
Every five years, there comes an opportunity for both Indias to speak up. Meddle India casts its vote based on transactional arrangements (free rice, free TV, and now free cash) because that has been the norm. Middle India either doesn’t cast its vote or is forced to choose the lesser of the evils at the ballot box, knowing fully well that it is an exercise in futility.
This April-May, we have yet another such opportunity. And this time, Middle India can make a difference. We are 400 million of us. We may not have one voice, but we have a common dream - of an India with more economic freedom, of an India with more personal freedom, of an India where education matters, of an India where good governance is the norm rather than the exception. This time, our continued silence will not help us. We need to come together and make a choice that takes us forward and makes our dreams come true.
Comments
13 Responses to “Middle India Needs to Come Together”
Rajesh ji too good.This a India where president of terrorists(former President of Pakistan ‘Musharf’) comes and threats the great nation,and meets the traitor but our leaders do not mind.
Rajesh ji too good.This an India where president of terrorists(former President of Pakistan ‘Musharf’) comes and threats the great nation,and meets the traitor but our leaders do not mind.
Meddle India is possible only when thre is a maximal govt. as advocated by the congress, Middle India rises when there is a minimalist govt. as proscribed by the BJP
SAAVDHAN !!! EN AVSARVAADI DALON SAUR NETAON SE
RJD,LJP aur SP ek saath.Udhar PMK aur AIADMK ek saath.Matlab samjha aapne..? Kyonki Congress ki halat patli hai, kai muddon par wah BJP dwara gheer chuki hai,jaise aantakvad,mahngayee aarthik mandi aadi aadi.Janta bhi Congress ke shasan se trasht hai.Ab en avsarvadi dalon ne satta ka maza to liya, lekin ye Congress ke paapon ke bhagidar nahi banana chahate.Esliye en dalon ne thik chunav najdik aate hi Congress se kinara kar liya.Secularism ? ke naam par ye teeno dal ek saath ho gaye hein.Ramvilas Paswan secularism ka ratta lagate TV par nazar aate heih.Ye dal kitne secular hein yah batane ki jarurat nahi.Esey fourth front bhi kaha ja raha hai.Enki koshish hai ki ek naye front ke naam par janta ke saamne jaya jaye taaki ye Congress se apne aapko alagh dikha saken .Waise bhi enhone third front ka option khula chod rakha hai.Wasi bhi avsarvadi dalon ke saare option khule hote hein,yah avsarvadita(opportunism) ka siddhant(principle) hai.Enki bas ek hi ran-niti(strategy) hai ki aam janta ki aankho mein kaise dhool jhoka jaye.Halanki chunav ke baad ye dal phir secularism? ke naam par aur satta se BJP ko door rakhne ke naam par congress ke saath ho
jayenge.Dabe swar mein hi sahi, Laloo Prasad Yadav es baat ka eshara bhi karte hein. Jin samasyaon ke liye Congress jimmedar hai usi Congress mein ye dal chunav ke baad phir se nazar aane wale hein.
Hamare desh mein secularism? word ek sabse majboot,asarkarak aur tez hathiyaar ki tarah kaam karta hai.Chahe aap jitne bhi paap karo, secularism ke bahane aapko vote to mil hi jayenge.Yadi aap par secularism ka stamp laga huwa hai, aapke saare paap maaf.
Jarurat hai aise avsarvadi aur pseudo secular dalon aur netaon se aam janta saavdhan rahe.
To,
Mr. Anshuman Goenka April 4, 2009
Friends of BJP
Mumbai,
Maharshtra.
Dear Mr. Goenka,
Subject: Casting Our Valued Vote.
As you are aware that in last 15-18 years we middle class professionals in India have made a significant change in our industrial work culture. We have contributed our best wisdom and commitment to flourish various sectors of industries like Information Technology, Banking & Finance, Telecom, Health Science, Retail, Construction and the list is quite long.
During this period a large number of professionals were migrated from different places of India and started working at various large, medium and small institutions. Looking for greener posture, a significant number of professionals change their places of work from one city to another. Sometimes companies are transferring their work force from one place to another and professionals are just following instructions to save their job and carrier prospects. These professionals are mainly residing with their family at company allotted accommodation or staying at a rented place.
The Problem is - at the time of General Election (State Level and or Central Level) these professionals are unable to cast their voting right as their names are not included in the local voters list prepared by the local government of that place periodically.
I would like to bring your attention that millions of eligible professional voters in India, are unable to cast their votes because they are working and staying far away from their original constituencies.
Specially in the metros and other cities of India, where the eligible voters population is quite high, but the number of votes comes to ballot is significantly low. This is due to a large number of migrated population, who are unable to use their voting right on the day of election and simply stay at home like another holiday for them.
Sir, I hope you will put some light on this vital issue and inform Election Commission to take some positive steps to fulfill the burning desire to vote of millions of migrated professional citizens within India.
Thanking you & Best Regards,
Aditya Bhattacharjee
Mumbai
Mobile 09892-212414
Email: aaditya.bhattacharjee@hotmail.com
[...] at close-range, I have also started thinking about what we can do better. More specifically, is there a role for “Friends of BJP” (or for that matter, a “Friends of Congress”) once the elections are [...]
Hi Rajesh - As pointed out by Aditya, lot of professionals are migrated to different parts of the country and outside the country especially for work; they should be able to vote as well.
This can be achived by absentee ballot; the method used are Postal voting, Proxy voting or Internet voting with some form of authentication. Technology can be used (eg. National Identity Card with Microchip) to make it work.
[...] about Why Middle India Matters, and what matters to Urban [...]
I agree. Urban Middle Class is the King Maker in Current Elections
Most educated people and middle class believe that their voting is immaterial to the outcome of the elections and the selection of candidates. This is as far from truth as white is from black!
Never before has any election result been so dependent on which way middle class and educated people vote. Urban middle class and educated people (I call them “New Voters” for simplicity) can ACTUALLY control the outcome of the current Lok Sabha elections. They are the worst nightmares for political parties because New Voters exercise their own independent discretion and are not beholden to any of the political parties’ ideologies. Current political map is fractured with every party nibbling at each others’ vote bank. It is more fractured than it was at the time of last elections. However, even if it was as good as the last time, New Voters can make the politicians do what they are meant to: serve them and not rule them. New Voter has come of age and must now exercise his/her vote. Consider key facts from the last elections:
1. As many as 46 parliamentary seats were won by a margin of less than 10,000 votes! 10,000 new voters in a constituency of 10 lakh votes could have decided who won and who lost! And 46 seats is more than what Samajwadi party won!
2. 135 seats were won by a margin of less than 30,000 votes! Consider that BJP won 138 seats in all!
3. Congress won 30 out of 145 seats won by a margin of less than 30,000 votes! It was in second place in 41 seats by a margin of less than 30,000 votes!
4. BJP won 37 out of 137 seats won by a margin of 30,000 votes! It was in second place in 27 seats by a margin of less than 30,000 votes!
5. Congress won 31 out of 145 seats by a margin of less than 10% against the number two! It was in second place in 49 seats by a margin of less than 30,000 votes!
6. BJP won 41 out of 145 seats by a margin of less than 10% against the number two! It was in second place in 24 seats by a margin of less than 30,000 votes!
Sit back and think what did it need to tilt the outcome! A few thousand New Voters in each district to go out there and vote instead of using the voter card as merely an identity/address proof.
As many as 30 of the places out of the 135 where election was won with less than 30,000 votes are those with high concentration of New Voters and which will be easily identifiable to most of those living outside these cities – South Mumbai, New Delhi, North Central Mumbai, South Central Mumbai, South Delhi, Delhi Sadar, Bangalore North, Thane, Ranchi, Mysore, Nashik, Aligarh, Jamnagar, Ludhiana, Allahbad, Patiala, Bhiwani, Jhansi, Saharanpur, Sholapur, Kanpur, Baroda, Aurangabad, Sonepat, Amravati, Mehsana, Kohlapur, Jammu, Warrangal, Jalgaon.
New Voters no more have the luxury to blame the politicians for the state of governance and politicians. They have the option to either control their destiny or resign to fate. But they cannot complain anymore. They hold the singular responsibility for letting the malaise continue, if they do not exercise their vote.
SO PLEASE DO GO AND EXERCISE YOUR VOTE! DO NOT LET OTHERS DECIDE YOUR FATE!
SEEWHAT YOU CAN DO THIS ELCTIONS
Most of the middle class could not participate in voting due to various reasons as mentioned by Aditya Bhattacharya ji. Further, political parties request participation and vote in their favor (Of course I do exercise my franchise in every election). At the same time once coming into power, the middle class is simply neglected by parties. For any government service, people viz. for getting ration card, gas, telephone connection etc. people have to make number of trips wasting their valuable time resulting loss of interest in that facility itself. Today private mobile connections can be seen more in number than BSNL land lines, Long ques for gas is a common scenario where middle class are the most sufferers. So pl. provide the basic needs without much harassment and with comfort ( probably online services would be better where credentials can be verified in available cases). Then you can demand middle class to vote and blame if they do not vote. Ofcourse, I am in favor of BJP and wish heartily that the party should come to power and at the same time request them to understand the concerens of middleclass.
I am feeling right now all old nuckeles now go too big ass hell their is no reason to excuse for second time defeat u people do ur ma bhene in public or not even convince single person of this country to vote for bjp why i voted to spend 3000 rupees for 3 votes to drive a car more than 500 km for what first time i voted but for what why u people show failure too us in my disrict why dont u stand a jat against jat u people dont have common sense when vasundhara loses in raj tell her for break and bring some one new for this election jhunjhunu u people take classes from sonia aur soo called new pm rahul gandhi i suugest u go for it sometime i think in delhi u r not able part too do politics U DO DEFENSIVE POLITICS AND CONGRESS DID ATTACKING POLITICS USE SAM DAND BHED ANYTHING FOR POWER NO MERCY FOR LOSERS A MEGA LOSERS SHAME ON U GUYS GO FOR SUCIDE 2ND TIME IF a boy was beaten by big boy then he prepares himself too fight him strongely but u dont understand this now all uppercaste have too lick shoes of muslims and backward class becoz u have lots of reason too tell people that parlimatriy attack was sponsered by congress leader sonia ganhi and godhra also but scratch eachother ass in headoffice abe bhar nikolo jara garib se milo gav gaoo milo suno jo kar sakete ho karao core or ground level ke workers bano koi salla ata tak nahi ki bjp ko vote daloo media sare din kahata congress ko vote karo tum sale kujate ho office mein CONGRESS NE 5000 CARORES MUSLIMS KO SACHOLARSHIPS DEYE TUM NE BANARAS HINDU VISVA KUCH DIYA NAHI WHY U R SLEEPING ALL THE TIME SADAVI KO TERRORIST BATAYA TUM NE KAYA KIYA PROOF KUCH NAHI KIYA PAR EK DAAG hindu bhi terrorist ho sakta hai katua nahi youngsters ko chances do aur advani ji leave this politics if dont have corage to win ok soory for bad language but i need some moral support i am too disappointed badly sometime i feel i have too burn sardars but why what they did wrong ok
Why only depend upon Middle India? Why not rebuild the party’s base down south?