I learnt a lesson in our democracy.
In our resurrection of a new Kerala after the deluge, we should give more importance to our real leaders in th village and local bodies who are intimately connected the neighbourhood.
A true story.
Ramcharan is one of the 2.5 million unskilled/semi-skilled workers from east and north east states now in Kerala making it their temporary homes and quite satisfied with their conditions, wages and acceptance in the society. Ramcharan is
from a remote Bihar village, illiterate, but knowledgeable in simple arithmetic, can handle elementary mobile apps well, pucca religious, thrifty and supports his family of wife, mother and three children in his village from what he earns here, now around 20000 a month. He has many dreams on his school going children whom he meets only during his annual vacation trips during Diwali. He has accepted me as a close friend because I can speak his colloquial Hindi well and he knows I am some sort of celebrity. He is aware that in India there are two classes, ruling and ruled and it is a rare experience for him to find a person from the ruling class, he has slotted me there, to be on chummy equal terms with a person from the ruled class. Unheard of !
It was 2014. Parliament election time. I asked him.
Ramcharan, are you not going home for chunav?
Kaun sa chunav, babuji?
Lok sabha chunav? The election to select our Prime Minister?
Pradhan Manthriji? Dilli ke? Usmem hamara kya hai? Voh tho dilli ki Gandhi madam aur Laluji karenge. What have I got to do?
I was stunned. The truth! Almost shot point blank on my great democratic concept! Somehow I got my equilibrium back in a few seconds.
I asked.
So you don’t vote. Ramcharan, it is not correct.
No no. Babuji, no. no. I go and vote. In the panchayath election. Look babuji, my family is there. I am here. They should have proper help and protection. My ward member should be a good man.
This was an eye opener for me. For the vast majority of Indian voters, whom we don’t care much in the high profile blaw-blaw of authoritarian political party set up mostly controlled by the dynastic or religious attractive vote-catching
machinery, the election is a process in which he has practically no role.
In our resurrection of a new Kerala after the deluge, we should give more importance to our real leaders in th village and local bodies who are intimately connected the neighbourhood.
A true story.
Ramcharan is one of the 2.5 million unskilled/semi-skilled workers from east and north east states now in Kerala making it their temporary homes and quite satisfied with their conditions, wages and acceptance in the society. Ramcharan is
from a remote Bihar village, illiterate, but knowledgeable in simple arithmetic, can handle elementary mobile apps well, pucca religious, thrifty and supports his family of wife, mother and three children in his village from what he earns here, now around 20000 a month. He has many dreams on his school going children whom he meets only during his annual vacation trips during Diwali. He has accepted me as a close friend because I can speak his colloquial Hindi well and he knows I am some sort of celebrity. He is aware that in India there are two classes, ruling and ruled and it is a rare experience for him to find a person from the ruling class, he has slotted me there, to be on chummy equal terms with a person from the ruled class. Unheard of !
It was 2014. Parliament election time. I asked him.
Ramcharan, are you not going home for chunav?
Kaun sa chunav, babuji?
Lok sabha chunav? The election to select our Prime Minister?
Pradhan Manthriji? Dilli ke? Usmem hamara kya hai? Voh tho dilli ki Gandhi madam aur Laluji karenge. What have I got to do?
I was stunned. The truth! Almost shot point blank on my great democratic concept! Somehow I got my equilibrium back in a few seconds.
I asked.
So you don’t vote. Ramcharan, it is not correct.
No no. Babuji, no. no. I go and vote. In the panchayath election. Look babuji, my family is there. I am here. They should have proper help and protection. My ward member should be a good man.
This was an eye opener for me. For the vast majority of Indian voters, whom we don’t care much in the high profile blaw-blaw of authoritarian political party set up mostly controlled by the dynastic or religious attractive vote-catching
machinery, the election is a process in which he has practically no role.
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