IPL 2024 is going on and this is not about Cricket, but Political league.
All tea/coffee/breakfast/lunch/Snack/Dinner tables are filled with this conversation on “whom to vote”? “Which party is good?”
I would write from perspective of a Middle class fellow, one of the <1% tax payer, surrounded by middle class people, who hardly thinks about caste, not really religion extremists. My opinion is self made , with influences from newspaper articles/editorials. I firmly believe >90% content of social media is fake and not to be believed by face value. It’s full of propaganda. Even editorials now-a-days are full of propagandas or highly opiniated one way.
While all say Politics is dirty, which is true, but then all professions have it’s own dirt. Politics is all about toiling hard and in country like diverse/big/populated like India, it’s one of the toughest in world. And remember, 90% who curse, if enters this field, will do exactly the same thing. Afterall, in a capitalist world, everybody wants rewards/payback on their investment of time/money. Important is to define your limit: 10%, 20%, 100% or infinity.
So, personally, I am big fan of politicians, who have toil really hard, to make their mark, even those who get it is “virasat” (inheritance). Fan of Gandhiji (reason-will write a separate blog on this), Nehruji (Solely, because India didnot become a banana republic like many in Africa are today), Indiraji (Women power and first time modern India displayed spine to world), Vajpayeji-Advaniji duo (Golden Quadrilateral, Cultural awakening- brought development as serious topic in politics), Sonia Gandhi (lone foreign tigress in tiger kingdom) and finally Modi -Amit Shah duo (Sham, Dand, bhed to get tough decisions going).
Admired first and later turn into disappointment : Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerji, Chandrababu Naidu, Devendra Fadnavis. Although, all are still active and have opportunity to change my opinion again.
New kids in the town to be tried and tested are: Annamalai, Owaisi, Prashant Kishore, Sudhanshu Trivedi, Pandian (Odisha). They have impressed, but real test will be, their performance under sun (real time problem- ministry assignment).
Now with all interactions, one common Q: “How to decide” on “Whom to vote”? So, Two questions are there. On 1st, decide your own criteria. I did mine (https://omus.wordpress.com/2024/04/10/modiji-ka-report-card-2019-2024/). Criteria’s have to be as per election (Center, State, City, Panchayat). Put your criteria’s, weightage as per your taste, and score as per your objective assessment of performance. This is hardly 6 hrs job, if you are well read (un-biased way). I think 6 hrs in 5 years is not a big ask. So, prepare your own report card and score will answer “Whom to vote”?
Well, none politician/party can score in all buckets, same way, did we score 100/100 on all subjects in school, which was actually 1000 times easier job than country running? So, it’s ok. But then define your pass marks in buckets which are most critical. Now job is easy and 2nd question will get answered.
Few examples: Center needs a strong, stable leadership. We live in a Volatile, violent world, especially kind of neighbors, we have. State leadership has nothing to do with foreign affairs, but should be really hands on -good execution skills. Panchayat/City leadership is about day-today infra. How is it being maintained? Keep changing it, keep them on toes, all the times.
So, in May 2024, suppose I will vote in Odisha. I will voting differently in Center and state. In both, I will be voting for “development”. I am not really sold on caste/religion/Minimum wage agendas. I am sold on (good or bad?) statistics coming in roads, railways, airports, % execution on manifesto (current/past), security, economy. A wise, well read, could figure out, whom I will be voting in center and state.
BTW, recently (28th April’2024) in Sunday Times editorial, Chetan Bhagat, told that <10% voters actually vote on “development” basis (a minority in this case). No body is interested in stats, graphs, charts, numbers. No wonder, why rhetoric always shifts to emotions: religion/caste in campaigns. Looks like a compulsion.
Validation part:
An interesting snip from a conversation:
Me: “I have picked up development as criteria to vote”
Other guy (after number of other conversation): “Ok. sad that people will be voting on religion lines, in guide of development”.
I was thinking internally, I have got validation of decision.
IPL (Cricket)– Many cricket lovers hate, but still cannot ignore it. They tell (including me), it is all fixed, all entertainment, all rubbish/bully cricket-not a gentleman game. But still, they will see it (for entertainment), milk it (commentators/coach). At end of the day, everybody wants some entertainment, then why not in form of cricket. IPL is creating revenue, creating jobs, popularizing the sport, has become selection ground of many national teams. Virendra Sehwag, because of raining money in IPL had conviction to call Australia a poor country, when in comes to cricket.
Same way there is an audience for “Tarak Mehta…” , “Bhabhiji ghar…”, although none of it makes any sense. Reason: they are light hearted, no brainer entertainment, that can be seen with family. You hate by logic, but still love it as it touches a nerve, other’s donot.
Same way in IPL (Political league), many hate some party because of “perceived” religion/caste angle. But if it ensures socio economic growth, stability, safety, spine, then why not? If it touches the “nerve” you want , then why not.
I got my validation again via IPL (cricket). May be people can say I am in an echo chamber, then so be it. I guess, other side is also in an echo chamber, albeit, a different one.
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