The Poll Predicament
The largest democracy in the World goes to vote in the next few weeks. Some call it the stage; Some call it the battlefield. For some it's a right. For some more, it's an exercise. For the politically naive
(I come close to being one), the election fever is akin to the World Cup fever that breaks out a couple of months prior to the event and disappears without a trace later on - much like the majority of politicians who surface in flesh and blood just before polls and later remain confined to television and social media.
-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
Arjuna, a first time voter, sat in the darkness of his room - visibly agitated. The room had become a research center in the last few weeks. The fervor of exercising your franchise for the first time (FFF, as he called it) can do these things to you. Spread across his table were statistics of development and progress. Hanging on the walls were comparisons between previous governments and the incumbent. His bed was littered with manifestos of different candidates. His phone and laptop were streaming social media activity from multiple political leaders and organisations. The cacophony in his mind was a hundred times worse than the clutter in his room. His first vote was a few hours away - and Arjuna was none the wiser about who he had to cast it in favor of. Closing his eyes, he sent a silent prayer to his Maker, urging him for divine guidance.
And as though answering his appeal, there was a soft knock on his door. The latch turned. As the door opened and He entered, there was a surreal stream of light that illuminated the room. Arjuna held his hands in front of his face, to protect his eyes from being blinded by the Light. As his eyes slowly accustomed themselves to the Light, Arjuna was able to recognize the person. It was Krishna, his grandfather. A grand old man of more than seventy years. Arjuna had always viewed him only as his grandfather. Yet today, Krishna seemed to embody the enlightenment of electoral politics.
Arjuna went down on his knees and clasped his hands "Oh Ajja Krishna, thanks for stepping in like a beacon of Hope in the eleventh hour. My first vote is a few hours away. Everybody seems to be a friend and everyone seems to be an enemy. All of them claim development. Yet none of them has completely delivered it. I want to cast my vote - yet the NOTA seems to be an option as well. I want to make a difference to this country...yet I'm scared if I'll do it in the right way!"
Ajja Krishna smiled the all knowing smile of a voter who had exercised his franchise every time since he had attained majority - which was roughly fifty years ago. He had seen governments form and collapse; Leaders rise and fall (and defect); With equanimity, he placed his hands on Arjuna's head:
"Dear Arjuna, "You have the Right to Vote, But not to the fruits of your Vote".Your vote might put your candidate and your party in power. Or it might not. What is important to for you is to cast your vote. That way, you are doing your duty as the citizen of this country. Leave the rest to Me."
Arjuna looked at Krishna. There was a divine aura around him that evening. An aura that seemed to contain answers to all his raging doubts and fears. He pressed on.
" I see a lot of statistics on development and progress. Some say we achieved a lot in 60 years. The rest say, we achieved a lot more in five years. Who is right? Who is wrong? I can't even trust the data anymore!"
"Arjuna, Progress and Development are the order of the Universe. The Universe forgets the old and moves on to the new. As some wise man said, 'No force on earth can stop an idea whose time has come'. Could people stop the Renaissance? Or the Industrial Revolution? Or in today's times, could anyone halt the march of Internet and Social media? Some politicians can give Progress a push. The rest stop at a mere nudge. With or without them, the march will continue. The human mind and will is relentless."
This put things in new light for Arjuna. Schemes and policies seemed to be old wine in new bottles. Change was dramatic in some decades. Less dramatic in other decades. What seemed to have changed was how informed the masses were. That again, was the power of technology.
"What about caste, and religion? Do I have to vote based on that? It seems the easiest thing to do!" Arjuna continued.
Krishna smiled. "I don't know what religion you are talking about. The only religion that should matter is the one that guides you to serve the community and the country. And these are the twin religions of Jnana and Karma - Knowledge and Action. Acquire as much Knowledge as you can. And once you do, pass it to the community through Action. Choose a Leader who believes in these twin Religions. Jnana and Karma, my boy. Your generation has plenty of sources to evaluate who is the better Leader in these aspects"
"That seems to be the biggest problem, Krishna. There seems to be so much information from so many sources. Print, visual and social media. Debates and opinion polls. Mainstream media that is no longer neutral. Social media that has always been biased. Statistics that can give different perspectives depending on whether you want to look at the glass as half full or half empty. I'm scared. My opinion, may not be mine anymore."
" The Truth is all pervasive. In whatever garb people choose to hide it, Truth is going to reveal itself at the right moment to its true seeker. It takes a lot of commitment to discern Truth from falsehood. And once you do, it takes a lot of courage and conviction to defend it from the constant attack of lies - and these days Post Truth. I agree emotional appeal these days has more mileage than fact and it is difficult to pierce this darkness to find Truth. Well, that responsibility lies with Youth like you. Make sure the bugle of Truth rises above the cacophony of Post Truth. But ultimately, Truth is but found on the ground. What you see around you, in real, in flesh and blood, is the reality you need to go by."
The two of them sat in deep silence. Arjuna, true to his generation, was evaluating each of Krishna's statements with a pinch of salt. Ultimately, Krishna was from a different generation. A generation that thought differently about Country, Religion, Technology and even Life. Krishna could feel the confusion in Arjuna's mind. With a tinge of nostalgia, he remembered the first time he voted. Yes, the responsibility had weighed on him that day too. Yet, he could appreciate that the challenges of making the right choice, the pressures for conformity and acceptance and the risk of being branded naive and ignorant, were too high for Arjuna's generation. Krishna let Arjuna make peace with his own thoughts.
Finally, Arjuna looked at him and asked him a final question:
"Ajja Krishna...I've listened to you all this while. How do I decide who is the right candidate? I'm lost in the the mounds of information and unable to decipher the deluge of data that is available today. Who is good for this country, Krishna?"
Krishna sat in momentary silence that seemed to encompass an eternity. He then got up. And the next moment he transformed. Arjuna watched in disbelief, as Krishna transformed from his grandfather to a politician clad in a kurta, then to a soldier in his uniform, then to a doctor in his coat. Next appeared a farmer carrying his produce and a policeman with his lathi. A Teacher with his books and an author with his Pen. An Engineer with a laptop and a businessman with his briefcase. He then transformed to Arjuna himself. Arjuna had never seen this side of Krishna. He was in shock. Yet he was overcome by devotion. A devotion that was calming and intimidating at the same time. Arjuna folded his hands and said "Krishna, I see you embody every citizen of this proud country. Across professions. Across backgrounds. I'm in shock and awe at your knowledge and wisdom. Please take your normal form and bless me". He proceeded to prostrate before Ajja Krishna. Krishna slowly returned to his normal self.
"Arjuna, you asked me who is good for this country. It is You. You alone are good for this country. Nobody can script Your future - if You are not ready to perform Your duties. In whatever profession, in whatever capacity, to whatever extent. Serve Your country. Let Honesty, Integrity and Humility be Your guiding Lights. Let Knowledge and Action be Your Weapons. Let an economically and spiritually developed country be Your Goal"
The words echoed in Arjuna's mind long after Krishna left the room. He looked at the charts on the walls and the literature on his bed. Their presence did not intimidate him anymore. He knew what he would be doing next morning.......
- 2nd April 2019
The write-up clearly is inspired by the Gita and ofcourse the Elections. The attempt here is to provide food for thought as we approach a phenomenon that only gets bigger each time. This is an article purely for entertainment purposes - yet if there is a message that is driven home, nothing like it!
"Dear Arjuna, "You have the Right to Vote, But not to the fruits of your Vote".Your vote might put your candidate and your party in power. Or it might not. What is important to for you is to cast your vote. That way, you are doing your duty as the citizen of this country. Leave the rest to Me."
Arjuna looked at Krishna. There was a divine aura around him that evening. An aura that seemed to contain answers to all his raging doubts and fears. He pressed on.
" I see a lot of statistics on development and progress. Some say we achieved a lot in 60 years. The rest say, we achieved a lot more in five years. Who is right? Who is wrong? I can't even trust the data anymore!"
"Arjuna, Progress and Development are the order of the Universe. The Universe forgets the old and moves on to the new. As some wise man said, 'No force on earth can stop an idea whose time has come'. Could people stop the Renaissance? Or the Industrial Revolution? Or in today's times, could anyone halt the march of Internet and Social media? Some politicians can give Progress a push. The rest stop at a mere nudge. With or without them, the march will continue. The human mind and will is relentless."
This put things in new light for Arjuna. Schemes and policies seemed to be old wine in new bottles. Change was dramatic in some decades. Less dramatic in other decades. What seemed to have changed was how informed the masses were. That again, was the power of technology.
"What about caste, and religion? Do I have to vote based on that? It seems the easiest thing to do!" Arjuna continued.
Krishna smiled. "I don't know what religion you are talking about. The only religion that should matter is the one that guides you to serve the community and the country. And these are the twin religions of Jnana and Karma - Knowledge and Action. Acquire as much Knowledge as you can. And once you do, pass it to the community through Action. Choose a Leader who believes in these twin Religions. Jnana and Karma, my boy. Your generation has plenty of sources to evaluate who is the better Leader in these aspects"
"That seems to be the biggest problem, Krishna. There seems to be so much information from so many sources. Print, visual and social media. Debates and opinion polls. Mainstream media that is no longer neutral. Social media that has always been biased. Statistics that can give different perspectives depending on whether you want to look at the glass as half full or half empty. I'm scared. My opinion, may not be mine anymore."
" The Truth is all pervasive. In whatever garb people choose to hide it, Truth is going to reveal itself at the right moment to its true seeker. It takes a lot of commitment to discern Truth from falsehood. And once you do, it takes a lot of courage and conviction to defend it from the constant attack of lies - and these days Post Truth. I agree emotional appeal these days has more mileage than fact and it is difficult to pierce this darkness to find Truth. Well, that responsibility lies with Youth like you. Make sure the bugle of Truth rises above the cacophony of Post Truth. But ultimately, Truth is but found on the ground. What you see around you, in real, in flesh and blood, is the reality you need to go by."
The two of them sat in deep silence. Arjuna, true to his generation, was evaluating each of Krishna's statements with a pinch of salt. Ultimately, Krishna was from a different generation. A generation that thought differently about Country, Religion, Technology and even Life. Krishna could feel the confusion in Arjuna's mind. With a tinge of nostalgia, he remembered the first time he voted. Yes, the responsibility had weighed on him that day too. Yet, he could appreciate that the challenges of making the right choice, the pressures for conformity and acceptance and the risk of being branded naive and ignorant, were too high for Arjuna's generation. Krishna let Arjuna make peace with his own thoughts.
Finally, Arjuna looked at him and asked him a final question:
"Ajja Krishna...I've listened to you all this while. How do I decide who is the right candidate? I'm lost in the the mounds of information and unable to decipher the deluge of data that is available today. Who is good for this country, Krishna?"
Krishna sat in momentary silence that seemed to encompass an eternity. He then got up. And the next moment he transformed. Arjuna watched in disbelief, as Krishna transformed from his grandfather to a politician clad in a kurta, then to a soldier in his uniform, then to a doctor in his coat. Next appeared a farmer carrying his produce and a policeman with his lathi. A Teacher with his books and an author with his Pen. An Engineer with a laptop and a businessman with his briefcase. He then transformed to Arjuna himself. Arjuna had never seen this side of Krishna. He was in shock. Yet he was overcome by devotion. A devotion that was calming and intimidating at the same time. Arjuna folded his hands and said "Krishna, I see you embody every citizen of this proud country. Across professions. Across backgrounds. I'm in shock and awe at your knowledge and wisdom. Please take your normal form and bless me". He proceeded to prostrate before Ajja Krishna. Krishna slowly returned to his normal self.
"Arjuna, you asked me who is good for this country. It is You. You alone are good for this country. Nobody can script Your future - if You are not ready to perform Your duties. In whatever profession, in whatever capacity, to whatever extent. Serve Your country. Let Honesty, Integrity and Humility be Your guiding Lights. Let Knowledge and Action be Your Weapons. Let an economically and spiritually developed country be Your Goal"
The words echoed in Arjuna's mind long after Krishna left the room. He looked at the charts on the walls and the literature on his bed. Their presence did not intimidate him anymore. He knew what he would be doing next morning.......
- 2nd April 2019
The write-up clearly is inspired by the Gita and ofcourse the Elections. The attempt here is to provide food for thought as we approach a phenomenon that only gets bigger each time. This is an article purely for entertainment purposes - yet if there is a message that is driven home, nothing like it!
