THE POLITICAL FLIGHT

Time for the deposits, propagandas, seat sharings, so on and so forth where the political drama will transpire into one of greater interests and anticipation among the voters, the public, or in other words, the general audience. When such a scenario is similar to being expressed as ‘Who tops the charts?’ as though it’s an entertainment program creating a furore as ‘Jai Ho’ in ‘Slumdog’.

But, everyone wonders who is going to be the winning horse! Or the dark horse rather! Chances are that the dark horses will lead the race this time though not ending up touching the finish line first eventually. However, intense political campaigns and propagandas will see the big players off successfully at the end. Tune in for those debates that claim to be unbiased and unsupporting of any particular candidate, whereas, infact they are.

Who are the big players? Who are the small timers? And who are the dark horses? As far as Taminadu scenario goes, people have gone through power cuts, the rains and storms etc. In short, people have run into rough weather. Though, there are only two political majors in Tamilnadu, others seem to have caught up with their shares-creating much of a sectarian divide among the electorate and the repercussions are that a coalition on either front or the third front is inevitable. Even if a single party emerges to be the winner, a ‘hung parliament’ is of the highest probability.

The scenario is not similar to that of the late 60s and the 70s where the winning parties were long way ahead of the half way mark. Each party has cashed in on the sectarian divide since the start of this decade. While PMK, VCK, DMDK, MDMK are trying to catch up with every issue possible, such as, the Lankan Tamils, power cuts, free television bursts and explosions etc. the DMK will be doing everything to hold fort. There has been a lack of clarity and ambiguity over the strategies of the opponent parties namely, the AIADMK and the BJP. Their stand seems to differ chronologically on each and every issue. viz, the lankan tamils, the coalition and the alliances. Talking about the plight of Lankan Tamils would remind one about the stand and the response that Congress has had over them for years and the anti-incumbency factor along with it will make many voters to even forego their democratic right. Or be rather not willing to do so. A 40 seat loss to any party would mean a huge loss and that is a tool or a power that the electorate possesses that remains unutilized. It’s similar to following Gandhianism, if one does so.

But, an even bettter option would be to ‘punch the button’ on an independent candidate who would lose his deposit. That way, he’ll get his deposit money back, independent candidates will be elected and it will also indicate where the real power is. This election will be a pretty good time for the citizens to demonstrate democracy.

But, for an even better option to be known is that one need not vote, but at the same time can avoid bogus votes by voting the non-voting option. i.e., 49’O’. The election commission has given a nod ahead for the propagation of the same and such a campaign has been initiated as well in a place or two. Mr. Gnani, a leading writer in tamil, has been writing about the same till the elections in the magazine where he writes regularly. Queries and frequently asked questions will be answered by the writer.

So with all these options and not being hoodwinked or coaxed through hoops, lets get together for the demonstration of democracy after having been much betrayed and deceived by the ones we trusted and voted for. If they have not lived upto at least half of their promises in their manifesto with even the opposition not doing the job of a genuine opposition and if always have been looking to topple and capsize the government, if the coalition and alliances are not upon on their principles, then we have got every right to demonstrate democracy to the fullest in much of a legal way that is not deceitful.

Relative or Absolute-Where am I?

“Oh My! I’ve been poor,” This realization dawned on me when the sun dawned five hours before I woke up at eleven in the morning. This thought could have come as a continuation from a dream and could have been converted as a waking thought. A thought that would wake me up as a reminder of how I’ve been and what I should be doing in the next, available few hours before dusk.

Having ‘not-so-great-work’ to be done in the morning, my only option was to switch the Television on and witness the ‘Market Crash’, ‘Recession’, ‘Job losses’, ‘Pink slips’ and ‘labor strikes and protests’ against various companies by its own employees. But, all these everyday ‘newsmakers’ mattered the least to me. What would all these matter to a jobless of a specific field i.e. to a writer? ‘Recession’ or ‘Revival’- an unpublished writer is always jobless and he wakes up at eleven in the morning or, worse, late in the afternoon.

There are two types of poverty: (1) Relative poverty and (2) Absolute poverty. I could hardly distinguish which one of the two I was in, in the stats list. Relative poverty is one where poverty is relative. In other words, one is poorer than the other. An individual or a family is poorer than the others. One is poor when compared to a person of higher income. This type of poverty exists predominantly in the west. But, On the other hand, Absolute poverty is one where poverty is Absolute. In other words, there is complete poverty that an individual suffers. Absolute poverty is one that predominantly prevails in countries like India, the third world and other developing Nations - Earning less than a dollar a day and not being able to make even three meals a day. Individually, being jobless, I suffer absolute poverty. But being backed up by a rescue team called ‘family’, I make myself comfortably and complacently placed and poised in the relative poverty Stats List. There are enough definitions of these concepts by economists divided amongst themselves as Socialist Economists, Communist Economists and Capitalist economists, one claiming the other wrong.

Avoiding a stray away from the topic, I’d say that Relative Poverty has a different version to it which I’m in - Something I would call the ‘Modern Day Poverty’. Coiners can choose better word for this not looking for my prior consent. ‘Modern Day Poverty’- The poverty of lower ‘Talktimes’ and lower ‘Internet Surf Times’. Though these have become accessible in terms of price, they still are evasive at times to certain people monetarily. It’s also because this has become one of the basic necessities-Food, Clothing, Shelter and Communication. A lack in the ability to communicate has also become a form of ‘Poverty’. But, I do wonder, if this could be called ‘Poverty’, or if this is an issue related to ‘Consumerism’ in the ‘Communication Market’.

However, inability or the lack of it, in availing a service or a resource that has become essential, inevitable and inherent, is of course, poverty in any form, any day and in any way. This is a rather self-realizing conclusion that I make to myself. There is so much to look for and look out for these days, that I forget, “Oh My! I’ve been poor!”

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