May 14, 2009

Indian Alliance bazaar

The last phase of Indian elections ended on 13th May but even before the last vote was registered, the political parties had sat down for negotiations. The trading and cross-trading of alliances has started. The so called "exit polls" have predicted a marginal edge for the Congress-led UPA. NDA is not really far behind. The "third front" is predicted to have much lesser seats than it would have hoped for. And yeah there is also a "fourth front" and the remaining others who are not part of any front for now. Parties say we are going to stick to our allies, we will form the government together. In the present political scenario it is really hard to digest. To say it honestly I don't trust any party when it say we will stick to our alliance. I don't trust when Nitish Kumar says I will be with the NDA only or when Left says we won't support a Congress led government or when DMK and Congress say that we are partners. I have been a student of the Indian politics not for long but in these fews years that I have spent trying to understand the "khichdi" on Indian politics, I have learnt one thing, in politics there are not permanent friends and enemies. In politics "never" is not a word which exists in the dictionary of the politicians. When the struggle for power is in the drivers seat, ideology takes a backseat. Like one of the political party leader said, all parties who will support our prime-ministrial candiate are welcome to join us to form a government. This is just one example of how people are going to negotiate now as the elections are over. The funniest comments are from so called opposition parties in states across who say that we will support any government who will over throw the democratically elected government in our states. Some say it aloud and some say in the comfort of four walls of their negotiations. I find it really funny as well as disheartning when any political party says so. How can you over-throw a democratically elected government just for your gains. The people have given a mandate that they don't want you in power. Get the hint and shut up!!! Don' make a mockery of the system.
Parties say we are fighting the elections based on our party ideology and we have manifesto which we will stick to. I want every government which has come to power to tell me how much have they all stuck to their so called "manifestos" and "common minimum programs". Haven't they all trudged to a different route just to please their allies and be in power. I am not pointing fingers at any party here. I believe it is the same across all party lines and the party who says we don't do it is just plain lying. As a educated citizen of this country, I will never believe such lies.
I am just waiting for 16th May. The poll results would be announced on one side and deals would be taking place on another.
As a voter, all this alliance bazaar is an insult to my mandate. I vote for a party whom I agree with. I try to make an informed choice based on what I believe is the right thing to do. And then the party would go an ally with someone whom I as a party would not like to be associated with. How does the party I voted for explain this? I am a huge fan of the Indian Democracy in principle, but day-by-day as the educated people are losing interest in politics I feel that parties are exploiting the system for their own gains. I think we the people of this country are also to be blamed. We need to stand-up against all this. We have to make our voice heard in the corridors of the parliament. They say that we need to make a blast to make a deaf person hear what you want to say. The same goes here. The politicians today have turned deaf to our voices and we the country of 1 Billion people have to wake up and make our voice heard. It's time to stand up!!! It's time to show the world that people can move mountains once they decide they want to!!! Wake Up and smell the change in the air. If we don't do anything now, then it might be too late to save this beautiful country we call home.

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