Elections are a pinnacle of democracy in India. India is the largest democracy in the world, and as its citizens it is of utmost importance that we abide by the constitution and treat the elections with the importance they deserve. The elections decide the future of not only our country, but also its people.
I asked voters, new and experienced, a series of questions about the elections. Here are some of their thoughts.
“Yes, (every vote) definitely counts. With each vote added on, the person who you want to be in power is chosen. Like each drop of water forms the sea.” said Dr. Malleswari when asked if she feels her vote counts.
Thinking back to how she felt when she was first voting, she said,
“I felt empowered that I had a chance to choose the person who could run the country. It made me feel like a proper citizen and that I had something to offer back”
Parikshit, a first time voter agreed.
"(I felt) very empowered and it felt nice to use my right as an Indian to choose my leader.”
“Even one vote can make a difference, and can decide who wins. Which is why it is imperative for every citizen to vote, as our country is a space for every single one.” said Mrs. Shashi Rekha. “I completely agree, India being one of the biggest democracies in the world is a strong example of this.” said Dr. Lakshmi, when asked if she thought that elections are an important principle of democracy.
It is important for people to vote for development, and for good governance. One must keep in mind multiple things when deciding who to vote for.
Dr. Malleswari shares her advice for first-time voters,
“Think properly about the weight that your choice has and consider the developments and wrong doings that happened during a party’s governance before making a choice.”
It is not only about empowerment, it is also a responsibility of each citizen. Voting is as important of a duty as it is a right because only when the right people come to power will our country flourish. “Take this opportunity to know about your country and how the democratic system works,” advised Dr. Lakshmi.
Despite the importance of elections, we do have corruption in the country. “Corruption is still rampant, some people vote for money and accept bribes. There is, no doubt, room for improvement to understand the idea of elections and the power they have.” This change among the people will also come from the leaders running for governance having India’s best interests at heart. If people start looking at positions in the government as positions of service and not of power, corruption can be reduced. We can reduce corruption by ensuring widespread use of tamper-free EVM’S. “Before it used to be on ballot paper now it is EVMs which has significantly helped.” said Mrs. Shashi Rekha.
We can reduce corruption in our elections by having a transparent public funding system which has been implemented to some extent in our country. This helps parties to not be overly dependent on private donations. Having a strict cap on expenditure is also important. As we develop as a nation, we can incorporate online voting systems with strong encryption and digital identification. “There is lots of room for improvement. There are still ways to cheat.” said Mr. Mithun Mohan.
“It is essential to find solutions to bridge the gap between governing authorities and general people. Maybe digital votes from citizens in different areas of development such as development indexes like revenue or profits.”
Effective leadership is the key to effective governance. As Mr. Mohan emphasises,
“Elections are a way to judge the leadership. Transparent and fair elections are critical for ensuring that.”
Elections, when done well, can be something our citizens can be proud of. It shows our unity and integrity and how far we have come since our independence. Elections in India show a new tide in our history, tolerating and even embracing our differences and focusing on our development not based on our internal biases or divides of society, but as responsible citizens of India.
Written by Anoushka Kukreja
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