In a democracy,every election is a test of citizens whether they like to remain citizens or want to be subjects. There is a huge difference between people being citizens and people being subjects. We will be facing Lok Sabha elections very soon. So, the great task before us is to show that we love the vibrant democracy and like to remain citizens of a mature democracy rather than becoming subjects of an ‘autocratic democracy’. If we want to choose to become members of a mature democracy, we need to evaluate the philosophies, ideologies, and programs of political parties and the incumbents taking part in the electoral process and seeking the mandate.
We the people need to consider the issues that would make our democracy an inclusive democracy and democracy which upholds the ethos described in the Preamble of the Constitution. Then we should not be driven away by the rhetoric and hollow promises made by political parties.
The challenges before the citizens during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections are huge. We need to ponder over whether we are considering the real issues of the country or the real issues are just for the report of ICDS survey. If we value our votes, we need to address the real issues our country is faced with. As per the recent survey of India’s premier institution, ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services), a majority of people who responded to the survey are of the opinion that unemployment and price rise are the major issues. And they also explicitly opined that we need a political and social environment that should be inclusive in nature. Respondents also said that religious sentimental issues shall not be the core issues in this election. So, while deciding our vote, we should consider the mood of the nation and vote for good governance and to march towards a mature democracy, not towards an ‘autocratic democracy’.
At this point of time, it is our responsibility not only to responsibly exercise our franchise but also to educate the people around us to vote in great numbers and vote on the basis of concrete issues and the issues that matter the society and the nation.
This election will decide whether we are going to remain citizens or choose to become subjects. If we strengthen ourselves to remain citizens, we will have all the human rights and the rights that citizens enjoy in a democracy; otherwise, if we choose to become subjects, we will be among the people depending on labharthi schemes – just have a bag of grains and some groceries to lead life anyhow. In the latter case, we will not be able to contribute to the well-being of the society and to make Bharat, our country, a developed, prosperous nation. To keep forward the nation, we need to be inclusive and we should be improving ourselves in all domains – social, economic and political. Let’s vote responsibly in this Lok Sabha election, selecting the right candidates to represent ourselves in the Parliament.