This article is influenced by the following piece of news, I read in TOI(Bangalore) edition. Click here to read the article. The Election Commission had recommended a total shutdown of Maharashtra on Oct.13(day of polling), so that people wouldn't have anything better to do and would come and vote. Maharashtra Govt. acted on this idea and has implemented a total shutdown on Oct. 13. All shops, malls, multiplexes, offices, commercial establishments, residential hotels, restaurants, theatres and industrial establishments will be closed on the day and only essential services will be available for use.
I found this whole exercise a very good one, though it may not lead public thronging to the booths, it may influence a sizeable amount of voters to come and vote, since they wouldn't have anything better to do. This will help all the owners of the commercial establishments to easily access their right to vote. Of course, a day of closure may lead to huge losses, but our country has come to a state, where people have to be coerced to cast a vote, even though it being one of their rights. If this idea can change Maharashtra’s poor performance in polls(voting percentage), we would have a Govt. which will be elected by nearly 70-75% of the people. Even though the Govt. may contain the same useless ministers, it would mean that 70-75% people consider them less useless then the others. This is better than 40-45% of the total population, considering a selected few(politicians) as useful.
The Election Commission must come up with such new ideas, for better polls in India. This method may or may not improve the political situation of the country, but will surely make a larger percentage responsible for it.
What are your views on this? Please Comment.
Note: 1. People of Maharashtra, please GO AND VOTE.
2. Blog post written by Windows Live Writer. Its starting to look better and better(though with some minor issues).
5 comments:
If it is total shut down, lots of people- daily wage workers, auto drivers etc lose their daily income.
@ ^
Of course...there are some problems. I dint say that it is fool proof. I do have some solutions.
eg: 1. Auto drivers, I feel will not be facing any loss, as some auto's will be booked by parties and some may be used by the public etc. either to visit their relatives or friend's houses(i.e after voting) or reaching the polling booth.
2. Daily wage workers may face some problems, I do agree. They may not if they would have managed their daily wages properly, but since they dont, I think the best idea would be to use them for the whole election purpose and assinging them duties which require mannual labour and not much education. They can be paid by the govt.(Govt. has lot of money).
Do you have any better ideas to make more people vote?
Heh!! dunno abt the rest, but if its a total shutdown, most of the S/W engineers here in Bangalore (excluding me) prefer having a lengthy sleep rather than voting. It all depends on the voter's mindset rather than govt enforcing something...
If i were an irresponsible citizen staying there then i would cuddle up on my couch and watch some 3 to 4 good movies on my big ass TV.
If people are to be brought to voting booths then approach them through some other innovative way like that jaagore campaign by TATA tea and another NGO.
that sure has brought many people 2 booths for voting.............
@Sandesh,
Nobody can say anything about S/W engineers. Except a few,, most of them have raised to a level of their own. Of course, they don't vote because they don't feel their vote matters, but I feel that they don't vote, since they can't be responsible. If they vote they are responsible for the situation of the country just as the elected leaders. Maharashtra is trying whether closing multiplexes, malls etc. would bring these people to vote. Of course daily wage earners wouldn't be sitting in a malls.
@Nandeesh,
You can keep watching movies, but do spend just half an hour to vote. Of course you can watch movies in your house, but there is a larger population which feels watching a movie in a theater is the best way, so at least if 2 out of 10 such people come and vote, it would be quite a success.
@all
The funny thing is in our country, the educated must be asked to vote, even though I think they have been learning from 5th that its their right to do so. Leave daily wage earner's , they usually come and vote not minding their wage(I have experienced it).
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