How should one Vote II?
Encouraged by some very interesting debate in the comments on the How Should One Vote post, I decided to share a few more questions that were raised. I do hope more discussion continues as it is helping me clarify my thoughts and encouraging healthy political debate.
Once again this post has nothing to do with my political views on parties or candidates. It was created based on comments I have read on this blog as well as others.
Taking a Risk
A lot of comments on the previous post talked about taking a risk on an independent. Everyone is aware that this election might be one of the closest we have had in years. Frankly, at this point the level of fragmentation in the political system is mind boggling.
Less than a year ago Lalu Prasad Yadav spoke in parliament in favor of the Congress government during the vote of no confidence. Today we know that the RJD is pitting candidates against the Congress. The BJD has broken its alliance with the BJP, there is a third front and a fourth front and the NCP flirts with everyone in the public domain. Not to mention the fact that the Prime Minister has said that a post poll alliance with the left is possible.
Who aligns with whom is turning out to be like the end of an Agatha Christie novel, we wont know till the last page. With such a scenario where does the independent candidate figure?
In an election where the government for the next 5 years could be determined by the support of a single member of parliament, does it make sense to vote for an independent? Or is it too high risk a proposition? What if after the elections one less Congress/UPA MP or one less BJP/NDA MP leads to Mayawati becoming Prime Minister? Or the Samajwadi Party with their rubbish manifesto coming in to power? Would you be able to stomach the fact that your vote for an independent made that happen? Or is my assessment of the risk incorrect, and one member of parliament will not decide the future government?
This is a critical issue because, while it is important to vote for the candidate that will do good work in our constituency, we must realize that a general election is bigger than just our own individual constituency. The new central government will determine the next 5 years of India's domestic and foreign policy.
Politics makes for strange bedfellows. So the questions I am pondering with is- Do you take a risk when the stakes are so high? Should you simply vote for a party and not the independent to avoid a disastrous scenario? Or are the risks not as high as I perceive them to be, so voting for an independent wont change who forms the government? I am not sure what the right answer is.
Change and Leadership
President Obama's campaign gave a whole new meaning to the word "change." Post 26/11 India adopted the word in its new form and demanded change in the political system. Change in India is being seen either in the form of youth or in the form of independent candidates who bring a fresh perspective.
A point on change, raised in a blog comment, was that if enough people band together, change can be achieved. It might be a slow process, but it will be the starting point to a brighter future.
A counter argument was that while the above point may be true, any great movement of change was taken forward by a great leader. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King were not only initiators of change but were also the people that led the change movement. In the absence of a great leader, no change will ever happen.
Yet another counter argument was that leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King inspired people like Nelson Mandela and President Obama who in turn either created further change, or in President Obama's case, created the hope and promise of change.
It is too premature to compare India's instruments of change (the youth or the independent candidates) to Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. King so I wont even dare.
But the questions that arose from those arguments are critical.
1) Do you believe the young or independent candidate be a leader of the change you desire?
2) If they cannot lead the change, are they at least inspirational enough to enthuse future generations to create the change?
There is no right or wrong answer to these questions in my view. It all boils down to what each individuals perception of that particular candidate is.
So before you blindly vote for change think about these two questions, because change for the sake of change may not always work.
Lesser of the two evils
A comment was posted that India is in such a situation that we are unfortunately forced to vote (in most constituencies) for the lesser of two evils.
There are two ways to approach this argument.
Approach 1- There is nothing I can do, this is the scenario in my country and so let me make my decision by the process of elimination rather than selection.
Approach 2- I am not going to vote for the lesser of two evils. I will vote for the candidate I WANT to (assuming such a candidate exists) rather than one that I am FORCED to. The candidate may be inexperienced and may not even win, but I will vote for them none the less.
Frankly, I am not comfortable with the fact that my vote will be by elimination rather than selection. That just doesn't work for me. I was in the US in 2004 when John Kerry and George W. Bush were running against each other. A lot of people felt that while both candidates were roughly the same (meaning average), yet, George Bush made the post 9/11 America feel safer than Kerry did. So they voted for Bush because he was the lesser of two evils. We all know how that turned out.
The choice between the two approaches is not that easy. Here is an example of a quandary a friend presented to me. The two evils according to my friend are two candidates from different political parties. In addition, the non-evil person is an independent.
My friend is not comfortable with voting for the lesser evil? And my friend wants to vote for the independent. But my friend believes that in a general election, one should vote for the party and not the candidate? So he is forced to vote for one of the two evils thereby being caught in a vicious cycle.
I had no good answer for my friend on what he should do.
I hope to read more of your thoughts and comments, they certainly answer a lot of questions and also pose some new interesting ones.
We cant take a risk at this point with an independent. It is just not worth it. Mayawati or the Left having a strong influence will be the end of the growth our country has faced since 2003. May be next time. Though I do applaud the fact that independents are standing.
ReplyDeleteSo what you're basically saying is that we shouldn't vote for a candidate for fear of someone else winning? Personally i dont see how we can bring about change if we go on like that. We are the first people to bitch out our politicians and complain about how things never get done. IF we wait till next election there will be another Mayawati another 3rd front and we wont end up voting for the person we believe is the right candidate. We are only short changing ourselves, and the only way to bring about a change is by voting for the person who we believe is right for the job. I am not advocating that one should vote for an independant or a particular party, but i do believe that if we dont vote for the person whom we believe in, then we have no right to complain about the state of affairs in this country, cause it would be us who put the people there.
ReplyDeletei say vote for party unless u find independent truly exceptional
ReplyDeleteIt is limiting to think that change only occurs from within the political system. These first time independents who are running - what is their track record for change to the social fabric of India (that is after all the thing they are aiming to change). What is their plan for action if they become part of the political establishment? This is a parliamentary system that relies on the power of parties.
ReplyDeleteThe very people you mention (MLK, Gandhi) they influenced change from outside the political system of the day.
So I am not pining my hopes on independent candidates, and neither am I giving up hope that change won't occur. Because there are thousands of changemakers in India today - they are small and not all will succeed, but in time you WILL hear their stories. (read "How to change the world" - David Bornstein)
G. D. Somani School at 6pm Friday 23rd all the candidates are having a session possibly their last before the election - would be a good place to go, hear and decide for yourself.
ReplyDeleteAs far as independants go, maybe they wont make a difference this election but i can't help but wonder....if by voting for them it might make a difference in the future. Today we have independants standing not only from Mumbai but we have Capt. Gopinath and various others standing in different parts of the country. If maybe 7-10 independants do get elected, maybe it will inspire hope to more independants next time round and so on and we could be moving towards a major shift in the political scenario going forward.
ReplyDeleteI for one havent decided whom i am going to vote for yet. I'm leaning towards an independant because as far as i can see we have given every party a chance and it seems to me that the issues of accountability, corruption and rubbish agenda's keep resurfacing irrespective of the party. I would probably want to see what an independant would be able to do cause i feel i have nothing to lose and everything to gain
the vicious cycle is voting for the better of the two evils, election after election, time after time, leading parties to feel complacent about their vote banks. i dont want congress to feel complacent that they will win simply because they are the apparently "non communal" vote. i dont want bjp to win simply bec people believe that harsh steps are required. i dont want a third front to win simply bec the others are useless and lets try something new. i want them to win because they have performed. I know in this day and age that is an idealistic hope - i mean really, why should our elected reps have to perform? cant they just win on an age-old, non-updated ideology?
ReplyDeleteI know independents will not immediately bring about an earth-shattering change in our current political scenario. but its the start of a bigger process. and only we can facilitate that change, to shatter the illusions of people who feel that nothing can happen, and to reduce the complacency of others who feel - 'where will they go? there is no one else they can vote for!'
An independent, is the start of a new way of thinking - for the future.
hey...why did this come to a stop..it was interesting..why do people forget that the so called ''COMMUNALISM'' that exists in India..the caste based voting that takes place..the religious splits fermented..the regionalism that has crept in..the mutiple parties with only a single GOAL...POWER at any cost...the divide and rule policy the are all Congress creations..they were and truly are the inheritors of the British colonial rule..these are what should make us ashamed...are we a democracy or is our longing for the kings of the past that in reality we are a pseudo monarchy...albeit without ''blue blood''..pls wake up..its time we needed and got a very strong and competent rule..
ReplyDeletewhoever that may come from..
unfortunately the Congress which is best placed..will never deliver..the policies it has followed..the syncophancy that exists and its feudalistic inehrent nature will not allow it..can u imagine a rule by any other than the Gandhi family ??
the BJP..well i reserve my comments..but on Advani..or Modi..yes.anyday would vote for them..why are we ashamed to call ourselves Hindus..?? does being a hindu mean being non secular ?? does it mean that we will not tolerate other religious beliefs..? hasnt this been proved in the past ?? before the CONGRESS ruled this country..and i use the word RULE..not govern in its real sense..!
would u prefer Mayawati or the SP with their goondi / goonda raj..?
decide for urselves..