Another election, another dismal turnout. What can be said about the world’s largest democracy when almost half the population refuses to even participate in the democratic process? Is it not insulting the sacrifices of countless many who sacrificed themselves to earn this freedom, something we have just learned to take for granted?
The oft-repeated refrain is what difference does one vote make. When that one vote gets translated to half the population, does it still not matter? Does it still not matter when the difference in winning and losing of a candidate is merely a few hundred votes?
Another refrain is that whoever comes, our lives will not change. They are all equally bad, useless, and uncaring, working only for the vested interests of a selected few. Well, our lives will certainly not change if we continue to show abject apathy to the election process. And maybe, the vested interest lies in doing work for those selected few who actually did participate in the elections. So, in a sense, why should they care to work for you when you didn’t even participate in the election process.
This time, there were a lot of glitches regarding the voters not finding their names in the list. If we see realistically, the total number of such cases may be a few thousand. Compare this with the number of eligible voters, estimated to be about 1.5 crores, or 1,50,00,000. If 75,00,000 voters did not even attempt to vote, then what is the significance of a few thousand such cases? Moreover, did these people make any attempt to ensure that their vote existed? Did they check the list when it was announced countless times to cross-check? Did they make an attempt to reach out to authorities to ensure their details were updated? It is easy to find faults and shortcomings, but difficult to accept our own responsibilities when such errors happen. Do we not update our passports, our driving license, etc from time to time? Do we not cross-check all details a thousand times when filling out forms for admissions? But when it comes to electoral rolls, it seems all responsibility lies with the government and the election commission.
It is extremely disheartening to see the so-called educated and affluent members of the society not turning up to vote, reflected by the poor turnout in such colonies. On the other hand, people of lower socio-economic status, those living in slums, vote in far greater numbers. It seems they still have faith in democracy. Hence, when an elected representative takes decisions that benefit them should not surprise us, because when we don’t believe in a system, then why should that system work for us. If we believe that nothing will change with our vote, then that’s what we deserve, the status quo, where we and our future generations continue to struggle for the same things our parents and grandparents did.
Everyday in the news the headline is that “democracy is in danger”. Yes, it is in danger, but not because of any government or authority, but because of apathetic citizens like us, who take our freedom for granted, made complaining and criticizing our absolute right and favorite pastime, while offering flimsiest of excuses to shirk our responsibilities when asked to participate in the democratic process.
