If Not Now, When?
April 06, 2014, 21:00 IST
New Delhi : The largest and most populous democracy in the world is going into elections tomorrow; the most talked-about elections in a few decades. All the major media houses in the country have conducted various opinion polls to predict who will form the government. The major players in the contest are Indian National Congress (INC), Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
In almost all the surveys it is clear that INC, which ruled the country for the last decade (and for almost 60 years before that), is going to hit a record bottom in votes. People are angry at them for encouraging corruption and will show their anger when they hit the button on the Electronic Voting Machine. BJP is positive that it will reap the benefits, and will finally be able to come into power. Nobody has mentioned anything about AAP.
The common men and women of India formed AAP about an year ago when INC and BJP denied them an effective anti-corruption law. Instead they challenged the common people to fight the elections and pass the law. They never imagined that the challenge would be accepted. In the recent Delhi State elections AAP secured 28 seats out of 70. It was a landmark victory by such a new party and this proved to the world that nothing is impossible if the common man fights for their right. It was strange to see that the same AAP was nowhere mentioned in the surveys.
Our correspondent asked a senior BJP leader about this. "AAP who? They were never an alternate and will never be" was the response. Another INC leader made fun of Aam Aadmi Party and said, "What can these Mango people do?" Aam, in Hindi also refers to Mango, a fruit, besides literally meaning 'common'. Looked like AAP was not favored among the political class. But is it the same among the common man of India? The Delhi elections indicate otherwise.
When we sought answers from the citizens we got many responses like "Is baar chalegi Jhadu" meaning 'This time we will sweep corruption with a broom'. Broom is the election symbol of AAP. Our correspondent asked people from all walks of life who they will vote for. Though there were a few nods for INC and BJP, most of the people said they were going to vote for AAP. Are the surveys incorrect? Doctored? Has corruption entered the media too?
We would like to list two responses which moved us the most. When we asked a rickshaw-wallah why he wants to vote for AAP he responded, "If not me, who?" A businessman, when asked why he wants to vote for such a new party at this important point in Indian politics, answered " It's important because we made it so. If not now, when?"
We can finally sense change. We finally have hope.
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Inspired by real events. Entry for the Week 4 topic of therealljidol. Feedback appreciated.
New Delhi : The largest and most populous democracy in the world is going into elections tomorrow; the most talked-about elections in a few decades. All the major media houses in the country have conducted various opinion polls to predict who will form the government. The major players in the contest are Indian National Congress (INC), Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
In almost all the surveys it is clear that INC, which ruled the country for the last decade (and for almost 60 years before that), is going to hit a record bottom in votes. People are angry at them for encouraging corruption and will show their anger when they hit the button on the Electronic Voting Machine. BJP is positive that it will reap the benefits, and will finally be able to come into power. Nobody has mentioned anything about AAP.
The common men and women of India formed AAP about an year ago when INC and BJP denied them an effective anti-corruption law. Instead they challenged the common people to fight the elections and pass the law. They never imagined that the challenge would be accepted. In the recent Delhi State elections AAP secured 28 seats out of 70. It was a landmark victory by such a new party and this proved to the world that nothing is impossible if the common man fights for their right. It was strange to see that the same AAP was nowhere mentioned in the surveys.
Our correspondent asked a senior BJP leader about this. "AAP who? They were never an alternate and will never be" was the response. Another INC leader made fun of Aam Aadmi Party and said, "What can these Mango people do?" Aam, in Hindi also refers to Mango, a fruit, besides literally meaning 'common'. Looked like AAP was not favored among the political class. But is it the same among the common man of India? The Delhi elections indicate otherwise.
When we sought answers from the citizens we got many responses like "Is baar chalegi Jhadu" meaning 'This time we will sweep corruption with a broom'. Broom is the election symbol of AAP. Our correspondent asked people from all walks of life who they will vote for. Though there were a few nods for INC and BJP, most of the people said they were going to vote for AAP. Are the surveys incorrect? Doctored? Has corruption entered the media too?
We would like to list two responses which moved us the most. When we asked a rickshaw-wallah why he wants to vote for AAP he responded, "If not me, who?" A businessman, when asked why he wants to vote for such a new party at this important point in Indian politics, answered " It's important because we made it so. If not now, when?"
We can finally sense change. We finally have hope.
------------------------------------------
Inspired by real events. Entry for the Week 4 topic of therealljidol. Feedback appreciated.