If anyone had turned on their News Channels for the past three days, one would have wondered why is there such a hue and cry about EVM’s and ECI? I mean elections have been successfully conducted by the Election Commission all over India and now the opposition is hell bent on calling into question the legitimacy of the entire process. Why is that?
Before we dwell into that, let me recount a past experience of mine to understand the true nature of the opposition’s demand. I voted for the first time as a minor. Even though at that time I wasn’t mature enough to realise it, I later understood that what I did was, be a part of organised rigging. I will tell you how it came to pass. We stayed for rent at a place where one member of a TDP party stayed. During voting day in 1994, all the kids in the colony were bundled into a van while we were playing cricket and taken to a voting booth. We were all promised good treat at a bakery and some ice cream by this uncle, who is the member I mentioned earlier.
At the voting booth we were all given slips and we entered the booth and someone there takes the slip, guides us to the booth and gives us the ballot paper and asks us to stamp on the TDP symbol and put it in the box. So yes, the first time I got inked was, when I was still a minor and the second time immediately after that, as I could rub the ink of my finger and that uncle was mighty pleased about that. Although I didn’t understand the implications about that particular act of mine at that point of time in my life, as I was more interested in the veg puffs and coke after we were done, I truly understand that now, when there is a clamour for replacement of EVMs for the ballot and all the brouhaha about EVM’s being faulty.
I will not say that elections were always rigged as I don’t have any facts to prove that. But I was not once but twice on the same day a part of organised vote rigging, when there were ballot papers to cast your vote even though I was a minor aged 13 and I don’t think I would look 18 by any stretch of their wildest imagination. But ever since EVMs have been introduced all over the country the chances of rigging completely vanished. And let me tell you why.
There is complete transparency in the voting and there can’t be ballots stuffed with votes which arent even present and all the EVM’s are hack proof, which has been proven time and again and all the political parties have their own observer. There is a three to four tier process and all the representatives of the candidates are always aware of the happenings with respect to each EVM.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THE UPA WON IN 2004 AND 2009, WHEN EVMs WERE FIRST INTRODUCED.
There has now been a concerted effort by the Congress and its ecosystem and the other opposition parties to debunk the results in case they are not in their favour and calling for people to take up arms. Please remember before we fall into their trap that this is their call back to the old times when votes can be rigged and ballot boxes could be stuffed. For all their faults, the Election Commission of India has conducted the mammoth exercise of ensuring free and fair elections by introducing EVMs to ensure that minors like me don’t commit sins of murdering the democracy.
The advent of EVMs have ensured that minors won’t be taught that it is okay to murder the law and you can get away with it not once but twice. The guilt of that crime will always weigh upon my conscience even though I wasn’t aware of it at that time, as not being aware doesn’t justify the act. But I feel the guilt because I have a family, which has taught me to differentiate between the right and the wrong. When political leaders can lure gullible kids to commit a crime for a veg puff and a coke, what will happen to these kids if they don’t have a strong support system like I did.
They turn to crime because they got away with it and were supported by none other than these leaders we so admire. Remember the leader’s kids will all have a fancy life and live in air-conditioned bungalows but those who have been made to commit a crime for the benefit of a leader end up as criminals.
Therefore it is no wonder there is a huge uproar against the EVMs. The political parties just cannot stuff ballot boxes and claim rigged victories as a mandate of the people. They now know what the true mandate of the people is and they don’t want the truth to come out. And for their own nefarious gains they are willing to sacrifice the voice of the people, throttle democracy and kill, if necessary. This is their call against not only the Election Commission but against the future of our country.
They don’t have the guts to look the truth that is staring at them and therefore want to murder democracy, just like they have managed to do all these years, to sit on the seat of power. Let us not fall for their tricks. Let us show them that the India of today is going to let them burn on their own lies and propaganda. Let us show some faith in the festival of true democracy by trusting the Election Commission of India as they are one of the pillars, which has ensured that the voice of the common man is truly heard by introducing the EVMs.
I know there will still be doubters and naysayers even after so many years of their voice being suppressed, as it doesn’t matter to them, then I can only say all the best to them. But I believe in the saner majority of my country and I believe that we can differentiate between the truth and the lies and dont want to teach minors that it is okay to commit a crime and you will have state support for that.
