Make the Right to Vote A Wallpaper, Not a Screensaver...

Recession’s hitting big time. You don’t need that statement from me to make you know this. A few days back. I was on my way to Mani Square. Apparently the owners have been incurring losses, and apparently (yet again!) food court was going real cheap. Food was available at unheard prices (*smirk*!). All food items, well almost, at 24 bucks. The situation can be gauged. Pretty evidently!

However I knew of the economic crisis that the world is going through. I really and honestly didn’t have a wee of an idea that its hit the Goddamn brains of my fellow country-men with due respect to most who probably will protest against this statement.

I was on the bus. Sitting just adjacent to the door. Behind me a couple of guys were chatting. I hadn’t noticed their faces, and would evidently have not bothered to do so if not for this following piece of dialogue!

(Let’s call them Guy 1 and Guy 2 …)

Guy 1: The plan’s come to nought. Yesterday we planned to spend the entire day at Mani square, and see the time now. It’s so late in the evening.

Guy 2: Chill man!

Guy 1: Arre yaar toh what were you doing in the afternoon?

Guy 2: Had a couple of pegs of rum with dad in the morning! Then got all sleepy…

Guy 1: Hey uncle has a store house of drinks or what at home? (Laughter from both sides..)

(Well if you think this was all, well forget it. This isn’t really a bit to be worth writing on a blog, ain’t it? Read on…)

( On the way, a hoarding of a political party urging people to vote for them stared at us as the bus went still at a traffic signal!)

Guy 2: Hey you’ll be voting this time?

Guy 1: Na re. I’ll be outta station. Office work.

Guy 2: But recessions hit us bad yaar. What say?

Guy 1: Yeah. India’s been affected very little. And most of it is an exaggeration.

Guy 2: No man! Many chain stores have already been shut down in the US and Canada.

Guy 1: Who said? Those are small business ones. The big ones are still expanding… (Raising a big smirk from me..sad they couldn’t see my reaction, I was sitting in front of them ! )

Guy 2: (Changing topic…) Mamata’s really rallying this time.( For those who are ignorant of ‘Mamata’, its Mamata Banerjee, MLA from South Kolkata).

Guy 1: Yeah. But What’s she standing for this time?

Guy 2: Even I dunno yaar! She was supposed to be fighting for the CM’s chair.

Guy 1: Yeah. So she must be rallying for her party not for herself!

Guy 2: Yeah. Last time she challenged Buddha! (Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, West Bengal CM)

Guy 1: Challenged Buddha for what?

Guy 2: Arre you don’t know?!?! There’s a separate vote for the CM ‘s chair. The two of them fought it out and he won! Must be the South Kolkata Constituency. It’s an important one.

Guy 1: But CM is Vidhan Sabha. This is for the centre, I guess.

Guy 2: That’s why I told you. She’s not standing this time!

Guy 1: No. She’s standing this time. She must be looking to get the CM’s chair after winning a seat in the parliament.

Guy 2: Yeah!

Guy 1: But wait ! Hold on! She was a Railway Minister some time back. How could she be if she was a member of the Vidhan Sabha?

Guy 2: That’s true too!?!?

Guy 1: Okk. I got it! She was a MP ! Member of Parliament! Vidhan Sabha..Sabha..Parliament..MP..you see…

Guy 2 : Yeah, you’re right. Let’s see if she can topple the CM next time when they fight for the CM’S chair. Maybe she’ll get help from this rallying for these elections.

Me : (Turning around… I really couldn’t bear this torture any longer! ) When you go back home, call up your brother or sister or whoever you have, ask him or her to lend you a basic civics book, read it up and THEN DISCUSS…and If you cant then you better go and ROT AT HOME DRINKING RUM WITH YOUR DAD!(with that I went down the steps of the bus…)

I know the last bit got a bit rude probably, but I couldn’t help it!

Man! This was Emotional Atyachar at its best! How can a couple of 25-26 (or whatever..that age group) guys working well to do in xyz bank and abc consultancy with experience of going abroad (I could make it out from their chat!)not have this basic knowledge about elections? It’s not just being unaware of elections, it’s about being blissfully and proudly unaware of one’s own country! I mean, ok. Somehow you don’t know this. It’s your duty to know this. And on top of this when you don’t know this, you don’t have the Goddamn right discuss in such a free-mongrel manner and reveal the whole potful of ignorance inside you and thus drag the infamy of the youth being not so aware of the election procedure to the top of Mount Everest! All around there’s so much of campaigning going on. I’m NOT asking to dig into a party propaganda and be a hard liner. But come on, YOU SHOULD KNOW THIS BASIC THING! This is not the general trend of the youth! And I hope IT BETTER NOT BE !

And guys DO VOTE. (of course you should be above 18 and have EPIC card! :P )

Make this right a wallpaper, not a screensaver!