A – Anti-National…???

A – Anti-National…??? #AtoZChallenge #BlogchatterA2Z

The General Elections of India 2019 have arrived and wherever you go around people are discussing about it. The floodgates of atrocious amounts of spending have been opened. The political parties are working on war mode trying to convince every voter to vote for them. It is something that touches everyone’s lives whether he/she is a voter or not.
The main reason why I chose this theme because this is the first time in independent India’s history that a PM and his office hasn’t organized an open press conference in his entire term of five years. Now I believe that is completely against being democratic.
I wrote two articles one before the General elections of 2014 and one after Demonetization. Both were well received and those gave me the confidence that I should go ahead with the theme of IPL – Indian Parliamentary League and try to highlight some topics relevant to the elections.
Let’s begin with some stats:
General Elections 2014 saw a record voter turnout at about 66.3% with the leading party BJP getting around 31% of the vote share. If the maths is correct that is just under 21% of all the eligible voters i.e. 79% of the voters didn’t vote in favor of them. But sadly that is how democracy works.
The majority party forms the government and whatever policy and decision-making they do affects the life of each and every citizen of the country even if you aren’t of the voting age. The beauty of democracy does not lie in this – it lies in the fact that every citizen gets the right to question the government of the day.

There is a reason why elections happen every five years. For that same very reason, the parties in power should fight on their performance of the tenure and oppositions can either counter that or make newer promises. In any case, the citizens should ask the right questions on issues that affect their lives directly.
If the ‘hand’ has the blood from 1984 then the lotus is also stained by the pogrom of 2002. Nobody is spared – it is the common people that suffer and die. But if the people of the country voted them, again and again, that means they forgave them. Just ask yourself who is in power in Punjab today. Similarly, when the current PM got voted to power that means the population forgave him for his deeds. Simple.
Now move on and find the issues that are really important and directly concerning the people rather than just using your machinery of propaganda to win elections.
When you question anything they begin with reminding the deeds of the past. To the credit of the current govt. in power, they have been successful in setting the narrative and anyone who either questions the government or doesn’t agree with them is tagged ‘Anti-National’.
The most overused word from the past five years without even understanding the gravity of it. The British used it against freedom fighters, in fact, they brought a sedition law in place as a countermeasure and harass Indians. Today the sedition charges are being slapped upon as if distributing candies.
Let’s assume that 50% of the people are with you and don’t want to question but the rest 50% still have their rights – you can’t go ahead naming everyone as Anti National.
After the recent ghastly Pulwana attack and on the question of whether the country should play cricket with the neighboring enemy, the insanity went to unprecedented levels. The followers went on to even tag people like Sachin Tendulkar and Kapil Dev as anti-nationals. Can you believe that? They wouldn’t have contributed to the national cause in their whole how much people like Tendulkar have done in a day.
I never like to publicize but since the atmosphere is such that I know I might also be tagged as one. Hence would like to highlight what I do as my bit to contribute to the nation. I, along with my mother, run an NGO where we donate medicine, food, and water to the patients of Leprosy on a monthly basis. We have supported and facilitated the marriage of unprivileged girls in every possible way including complete financial support. This number runs in double figures. For the past couple of years, we have started planting trees as well. I can go on and on but that’s not the point.
All this work is done without even taking a single penny as a donation for my organization. The sad thing is that the pervading tone is such that if one doesn’t highlight then he risks being Anti-National.
Even most of the media houses that are responsible for raising these questions are being abused as presstitutes. The irony is that 90% of that media corroborates and bow down to the current dispensation itself.
My father always encouraged us to ask more and more questions since we were 3-4 years old. Remember how in our school days during every lecture the teacher will push us to ask more questions. Sarcastically, the ones daring and asking don’t know that when they grow up there is a high probability of them being declared Anti Nationals.
I believe it is setting a really negative dangerous trend for the future governments and democracy will become a joke. In fact, I was warned not to write on this theme considering the aggressive aura that is prevailing at this moment.
Hopefully, I will survive to see it through the month and the challenge and will finally be able to vote.
A hopeful National.
For all those who believe in voting,
For all those who believe in democracy,
For all those who believe in elections,
And
For all those who believe they have the right to question…
It’s not a goodbye,
But it’s a GOOD BYE.
See you tomorrow.
Manas ‘Sameer’ Mukul.
This is the first post for the #AtoZChallenge #BlogchatterA2Z. My theme in Politics Category is ‘IPL – Indian Parliamentary League’, where I would be covering some relevant issues with the General Elections 2019 through the course of 26 posts.
‘A – Anti-National’
Please do visit tomorrow for the next post with letter ‘B’
I am also taking part in the #AtoZChallenge #BlogchatterA2Z using another theme –‘Dubai – City of Gold‘. If you love travel head over to the Travel Theme and share your feedback.