Assembly Elections

In India, we do not have the birds called Lemmings. They are metaphors for “blind following”, birds which are believed to jump off from cliffs and die, even though in truth, they don’t. I am constantly reminded of the metaphoric lemmings, whenever I think of elections in India. Even though, I am not sure about the future of this great nation, one thing I can be sure of is that I will be crucified for not being a lemming, for being different, for not being the blind they all want me to be. My parents will try to persuade me to go for voting. I will have to face lectures on morality and patriotism closely verging jingoism. It’s a practice here to force those who are reluctant to vote, using political, cultural and moral pressures, to the polling booths by the followers of the political parties. I am waiting for the knock on my door, my decision not to vote, now transforming into just ‘reluctance’, with fear.

I am afraid thinking about the treatments given to dissidents and ant-nationals and their families in this country. I am not an anti-national or dissident. I am an ordinary, faithful citizen of this country, who has pledged for serving this great nation until his end, but with a different perception. It is this perception that gives me this pain of being different. I wish I could be ‘blind’ as my fellow citizens. All I ask for is a set of basic human rights; my right to work without interruption, to be treated better, a better place to live in and roads to take a ride on, and also an excuse from blindly following stupid outdated promises. 

[I apologise if I hurt anyone's feelings. I will report each and every moment from my life tomorrow, updating facebook every two hours, so that you will know when the knock comes. May God help me. ]

My blog: http://anu-lal.blogspot.com/