Mumbai , the city that's given unlimited choices to its inhabitants has itself grown on very limited options. An island city has been pushed to the limits, it's seas have been filled up , it's land has been usurped by houses for its millions, it's air has been polluted by the mills , industries and honking vehicles on the streets and its soul mutilated by the people who are so-called saviours of the city.
People seemed really surprised that the voter turnout in the elections was so less. The debates were quite entertaining with arguments varying in range with sections claiming 3 % incraese from last time, some claiming inflated and false voter list, some talking about lack of social responsibility to some attributing it to lack of holidays this year. The fact of the matter is, people do not go to vote.And it is not because they don't want to but because there is no alternative or maybe the alternative isn't that exciting .
Mumbai had an option of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress with MNS , BJP adding some saffron to the curry which anyway had left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. Now, with the obvious lack of alternatives, if people chose to stay away, could you really blame them.
This isn't just Mumbai. It is the same for Odisha, Jharkhand, India, Hungary(for you my friend) and most countries in the world where uprisings, political coups have become the rule of the day. The disillusionment, anger is obvious but the question still is , what is the alternative? The capitalist world obviously has no place for socialism or communism . The countries which claim to be so are at best pseudo-you know what.
As i've never been really worried about any problem and always look for the answers, this one's a real bouncer. Who do you elect/ select as your leader? Where are the leaders, the inspiring? All you get to see now a days are self-obsessed ego driven megalomaniacs , who are so insecure that they take refuge in manipulation, petty politics, aggression and false image building. Sadly, nothing works. India is fighting to staiblise amongst all the scams, allegations and counter-allegations.The alternatives do not exist. No one, till date, understands who runs Pakistan. The US is running so many countries (really badly is not the point here), with no stratgey to run its own, the European countries are struggling with their economy which has been doing a roller coaster since almost 12-15 years and most of its leaders from Putin, to Sarkozi to name o few in news for everything except good governance. Russia is a poor caricature of itself after the downfall of the Soviet Union. Back home every state is fighting to create an image, every party is riddled with lack of a leadership, with Sonia being a somewhat odd atlas carrying the burden of legacy in Congress. The states which have done great brand building, buying out the media or owning it, run a mafia in its state selling off its resources , quietly, silencing every voice of dissent.
Just read today that there's a third front brewing up with Mr Naveen Patnaik, Ms Banerjee, Ms Elephant, err Mayawati, Ms Jayalalitha and Nitish Kumar which is anti congress and anti BJP.
Will the voters come out and vote for this strange group of spinsters, bachelor and widower , an alliance of the desperate, is the next question .
