No Vote, No Opinion?

I did not vote!

Not because my name was not in the voter's list nor is it because I did not get the voter's ID card or because I had any other work. I was just not motivated enough!

I did read/hear/encounter people say that it is "our fundamental duty" and "vote is my right!". I have no debate on that. But I also see statements that say - "No vote, No opinion" (Even Jeffrey Archer is saying that)

I have quick questions to those who say "No vote, no opinion":

### We as citizens are supposed to abide by the law set by the constitution. How many of us follow the rules? No bribing, following traffic laws, following rules while constructing a house, paying tax without showing fake bills, no piracy etc....

### If you are really craving for chicken biriyani for dinner, but what is available for you is only "Pani Puri" or "curd rice", would you be happy having what is available? Same is the case with the contestants for Lok Sabha or Assembly in most constituencies. Please note that I am not saying all constituencies have got this issue. The tendency is to vote for who is less worse. But that is what we have been doing all the while, isn't it? Adjust to the chaos and be proud of how this democracy runs inspite of having ineligible and incapable people part of the Government just because we voted for the lesser evil.

### Let's assume that I want ABC party to win because I like their policies and they did really well in the past. But in my constituency, I have this contestant Mr. XYZ who is totally incompetent from ABC party and has criminal record or may be Mr. XYZ is not known to anyone at all. Who will you vote for?

### You support a XYZ-ABC alliance because you think EFG alliance is not in nation's interest. With that in mind, you vote for a candidate from ABC party. After the voting process is over, ABC leaves the alliance and joins EFG because ABC just want to get into power and EFG is more likely to be in power. Have you been fooled or not? What "thing" that you attain as part of exercising the "fundamental right" would you use to fight this problem?

### My wife's name was not on the voter's list. Do we mean to say that she does not get to voice her opinion? Kamal Hassan could not vote because his name was missing from the voter's list. He should not have an opinion about the machinery? Close to 45% of citizens from Pune and Mumbai could not vote because their names were missing. Do they not get to express their opinion?

### Citizens of India who are working abroad have no right to voice their opinion?

Don't get me wrong. I am not against voting. I think mandating voting is a good idea. But there is a lot that we need to do:

- Advocates of voting should follow other fundamental duties as well before talking about voting. Same is true with the contestants

- Community service be mandated for any person contesting elections so that there is visibility on what these contestants have done before citizens vote

- Any contestant with criminal records needs to be cleared by SC to fight elections, else barred from contesting

- Post poll alliances should be banned (this includes any alliance discussions after the poll and before the results)

- Each candidate should declare what they have done for the constituency they are fighting from

I have my own opinions about the machinery and I understand that others have their own. I will express mine at will and I will have my ears for other's.

Whether you agree with my opinion or not is a different question altogether.

... and whether I will agree with your opinions is based on if you make sense or not!

Democracy has turned into being just "by the people". When do we get to a state when it is "of the people" and "for the people"?