Maharashtra went to polls today, And after full filling my duty of casting my vote, I am sitting at home: courtesy Government of Maharashtra. I tried to get some essential items, but to my surprise whole of the city is on a holiday.
I cast my vote at 7.30 AM in the morning. It took me 5 min to cast my vote. I know it usually takes hours to actually search you name in the list. After that it takes few minutes to caste your vote.
Luckily, I noted my electoral roll number and it was much easier to find my name in the rolls.
State Government declared a paid holiday to all employees on election day. The reason is to get more people to caste vote. Is this a failure of democracy? Government forcing people to vote? Or it is a failure of our election commission for not providing proper electoral system or We failed the system.
I feel its everyone has a part in it. Successive Government failed to give good governance and that cause apathy towards the system. People started feeling that anyone gets elected it is not going to make any difference to his life. Neither the roads, electricity will improve not price rise decrease.
On part of election commission, I feel a up to date and good electoral roll is important for success of an election.
It is a hell to find out your name in your electoral rolls. Also it is not easy to get your address updated, or get your name in electoral rolls easily. Even if I try getting once name in electoral system, on election day you would not find your name in the list. Even after one gets his name in the electoral roll the number changes with every election. (This time I found it to my surprise that my electoral roll number changed by 20 numbers from General election to state elections, I guess it because of new members addition and deletion of old members).
I regard highly of our election commission not just because of the mammoth exercise that they undertake every general election and state election, but the way they moved from paper ballot to electronic voting machines and also the way they conduct elections in sensitive areas.
But still an organization is never perfect and it should look for areas of improvement, less they become obsolete and non functional.
Shouldn't election commission work on the aspect of electoral rolls for our elections. Shouldn't the rolls be made easier to update and easier to trace once name. To start with shouldn't the number be unique or at least easily traceable.
An Indian asks for his rights but forgets to perform his duties. I guess everyone wants their rights and wants someone else to perform his duties: Because he is busy.
When it comes for his rights he stand first in the queue
With all these three reason, I am enjoying my paid holiday by net surfing and blogging.....
