The biggest myth I feel is that India is a DEMOCRACY. In reality? Not really. If you are wondering what a Democracy is, basically it is a form of government in which the common people hold political power and can rule either directly or through elected representatives. US President, Abraham Lincoln defined Democracy as “a government of the people, by the people and for the people.” In practice the democracy in India is everything but that.
WHY TO VOTE:
In the electoral process caste, religion & at times monetary factors are the major tools used by politicians to secure vote banks. Political parties who came into power and form the government began to exercise power as dictator, monarchy in the shadow of democracy. In such scenarios power lies in a few hands and money plays a vital role.
Corruption has become deep-rooted problem in the system. Very often, we hear the top politicians talking of ‘waging war against corruption’, ‘fighting the evil of corruption’, ‘not to spare any corrupt person, howsoever high’, yet it is well known how our country is sinking deeper and deeper in corruption.
Another factor is Nepotism. Politics here is not a purpose, but a family business. If father is a Minister, then his darling son or daughter, nephews or nieces, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunties regard the constituency as their heirloom.
Due to above mentioned causes we face issues like criminalization of politics, indifference towards people’s needs; lack of accountability and so on, it is no secret that for our generation, politics as a career comes way down the career option list. Politics is losing its appeal amongst the youth. Did you know that more than 50 percent of population does not take part in political process of our State. Thus we have no right to blame anyone else but ourselves. If you find yourself or others complaining about how the country is up to no good, give yourself a reality check and ask when was the last time you or the people you know voted? We all feel the need that our system needs to be changed but we don’t want to take responsibility on our shoulders.
Changing dysfunctional behavior is difficult but not impossible. If we as a whole, have to move ahead and build the State of our dreams, we have to use politics as a medium to ensure that the Government remains sensitive and accountable to the people. Only we can change the pace and width of our Nation’s progress. If we want to see a better INDIA, it is time to take charge. We have to build a foundation now for a prosperous future.
So if you are reading this right now, pat yourself in the back for taking a step forward to a better tomorrow. We have great challenges and great opportunities, and with your RIGHT TO VOTE, we will meet them and make this year’s election the best one in our history!
HOW TO VOTE:
Due to the high number of fraud which takes place during elections the government requires you to have a unique voter ID to cast your vote. If you don’t have yours already then you can do it two ways.
- Apply for a Voters ID online – http://www.nvsp.in/ Click on the ‘Apply online for registration of new voter’ and fill the Form 6. (You can select your preferred language by clicking the ‘Select Language’ option on the right hand side of the website) and done!
- Apply For a Voters ID Offline – Get an application form from the Electoral Registration Officer or the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer of their constituency, this form is free of cost. You can also download the form from the Election Commission website. Fill and submit the Form 6 with the below mentioned documents.
Mandates for apply for a Voter ID:
The citizen must be 18 years or older.
Scanned Photograph
Age & Address Proof. (Document’s such as Pan Card, Driving Licence, Birth Certificate etc)
WHOM TO VOTE?
Voting is a personal decision, a privilege, a Basic Right. In India, people have largely tended to vote as a community. The fact is, India is an extremely diverse country. Every 100 miles, dialects change, languages change, traditions and cultures change, food habits change. So, to expect a nation to choose One leader is a near impossible task.
Even the most popular leaders of the past and present have had a huge number of detractors. If anything, in my opinion, the more popular a leader, the more polarizing effect they have on the Nation.
To come back to the Question on WHOM TO VOTE, in the current scenario, it is just about choosing the lesser evil. Most importantly though, don’t get sucked into the political propaganda of any party. Learn to fact check their claims if possible and take their poll promises with a big pile of salt.
Finally, whoever you choose, make sure you hold them responsible by questioning them the day to day issues. That at the end of the day is the whole point of what we call DEMOCRACY.
VOTING DATES:
The following are the Election Schedule for the respective States:
The 2019 Indian general election is scheduled to be held in 7 phases from 11 April 2019 to 19 May 2019 to constitute the 17th Lok Sabha.
Phase: 1
Date: 11th April
Constituencies: 91
State and Union Territories: 20 – Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep.
Phase: 2
Date: 18th April
Constituencies: 97
State and Union Territories: 13 – Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Puducherry.
Phase: 3
Date: 23rd April
Constituencies: 115
State and Union Territories: 14 – Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu.
Phase: 4
Date: 29th April
Constituencies: 71
State and Union Territories: 9 – Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal.
Phase: 5
Date: 6th May
Constituencies: 51
State and Union Territories: 7 – Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal.
Phase: 6
Date: 12th May
Constituencies: 59
State and Union Territories: 7 – Bihar, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi.
Phase: 7
Date: 19th May
Constituencies: 59
State and Union Territories: 8 – Bihar, Himachal, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh.
Results will be announced on 23rd May 2019.
