My Vote—to whom and why ?

B L Saraf
Folks,   state     election  is  coming . With it comes a  breeze   which, some believe in the fond hope ,  will  overcome   the stench   emitted   by  the  human  bodies    and animal  carcasses,   littered   over the state   due to  the  September  floods.  Will it enliven   sagging      spirits   of the sufferers and  salvage a bit of   life  for them    is  to be seen;  but certainly we  do  spot    migratory birds   and six year long hibernated   animals of the  political genre,   flexing    wings to sail through the   turbulent   electoral   winds.   Every one  – adolescent,   adult  or aged is girding  up  loins    to   jump  into the election fray, ready,  once again ,  to take me (the voter)  on a   ride to the world of fantasy.
We have come a long way  from  the 2014  Lok  Sabha  elections. The dismal performance of the  UPA  -11   and   the promise of  Achea Din  heralding in, drove  us to vote in a particular direction.  Political   idealism     may  have  helped us  to make a choice. Now, we are in for the Assembly elections. A realistic view of the politics and the  politicians operating   in  the  state  is called for .  My   ( Voter’s)   experience ,in this regard, is not a pleasant one. There are occasions when I    pretend   more knowledgeable   and well versed in the politics of the day    than I usually am, so   my    failure in judging  a  vilely candidate / politician  is inevitable.  In the blizzard of  poll   promises I get  deluged .     I am    at the cross -roads,     once again  fooled into    belief  that  I  matter  and  a   political   party can settle my  myriad problems . I have gone   through   this false notion for long.
On the altar   of the political   expediency,   my   vote – all along – has been   exploited  for the selfish  ends.  I belong to the tribe which stands highly politicised   and lives  in an atmosphere  where   politician revel  in  telling lies, big and small.  Yet,   given my predicament,  I have   taken   this   thing   as inevitable.  It is our great fortune that in our State   we have precious  things  : freedom of speech and  right to franchise   but is has been the misfortune   that we could not  practice either of them, meaningfully.
At  times   I   wonder how much is my vote worth.  Nothing  !      Because ,   voting  has changed nothing for the  voters  ,like me   , and will change nothing in future  also .  Had it changed    anything, as someone has put it rightly ,    “they would have abolished   voting    long before.”   Voting   brings, along  with,    misfortune  that I have to contend with a politician who   believes with certitude  that  he can fool     people   like me  all  the time.  Besides,  who    has been a part of the systematic organisation  of the hatreds,    is a master in crafting  delusions     and   building   a    bridge   where   no river exists. Moreover,  the politicial, generally,  operates in an obstinate and opaque manner.  In good times he is  evasive  and  in bad times   goes missing .    Ironically, still,     I   go on with the exercise of voting!   It  is my tragedy    that what I consider  a national duty to discharge      becomes  a curse for me.
Back home  I may have been a  child, politically,   not to understand things in their true form:   but  life in  the long period of exile  has made me to come   to  the political age, enough to        understand      that   the  “Migrant   Politics”   and the   “Politics”   played with the “Migrants”,  so far,   has  rendered   us disappointed,  disillusioned  and cynical.   Still ,  I am prepared to cast my lot with a politician   standing in the elections ; but  before that I want  just   two reasons why I  should vote for  him/her.  There ,  though,   is   a   “ statutory   warning .” He/her should not lecture me  on   nationalism , secularism ,  Kashmiriat ,  and  idea   of  India; nor play on my fears.   I have an umbilical cord with India   and am inseparable part of the great Indian    civilisation. I  draw sustenance   from   my  inherent    heritage    and  composite ethos .   I  loath  to  hear  a political chameleon   who has  no faith in the intrinsic  cultural values of the country and     wears nationalism on the sleeves  just    to suit   his  convenience.  I have carried the pleasant palanquin of nationalism   on  my  shoulders in the Valley and continue to do so even in the  trying times of exile, without any body’s exhortations  or   politician’s  canvassing .
I don’t need   saviours     nor “Hope” posters. I need  redeemers  of the promise  made   long before. My   problems   are  real  and  immediate  which need time bound  solutions.  They  are  existential  and of  aspirations.  Some part of me   stands devastated by the recent floods and the other part     cut off  the  roots  two decades  before ; danger of my withering  away looms large.   I   need   moorings and a climate to  stand tall    and  rooted  to my land. Can anyone in the fray   ensure it for me   (not promise )? More than that ,  can  he show   some sensitivity to my being a human   and spare me the    agony   of  getting  diminished and cheated, every time     he  does a  dishonourable  act   after   he is elected .   My   vote   is  for  him   .
(The author is former Principal District & Session Judge)

Follow our WhatsApp channel