Even a single vote matters in a democracy

Does my vote matter? Does it have value at all? How does my single vote matter or make a difference among lakhs or crores of votes? Does my single vote change the fate of the nation or State? Will my single vote decide the future of the nation or State? Does my single vote bring all the civic amenities to the area where I reside in? Does my one vote bring the societal change that I imagine in my mind? Does my single vote bring the transformation of the world around me? Does it really have the power to do so? Does my single vote assure me of well-being and prosperity of me and my family in specific and the society as a whole? Does my one vote ensure the accountability and transparency in the public administration?

Are political parties or contestants who are testing their luck in the upcoming Assembly elections in the State lending an ear to my words? Or are they busy in their usual business of contesting, winning/losing and turning a deaf ear to my plight or the issues that concern me, my family, my neighbourhood and my community or area once the election heat in the State subsides?

All the aforementioned questions will keep boggling the mind of an urban dweller who is by and large remain apolitical or express dis-interest in politics or unaware of what politics is all about or how it makes its presence felt in every walk of his/her life or uninformed of democratic process or how much cherishing it would be if he/she realises the importance of democracy or how educating or enlightening it would be if he/she understands political processes or mechanisms like elections, coalition governments, majority, representation, policy making, implementation, governance, understanding the affairs of the House or Houses of representation, duties of representatives, making the Bills, enactment of the Acts and so forth.

One need not be a political analyst or student of law or political enthusiast or guy who aspires to become a politician or psephologist or an aspirant of Civil Services or a journalist or bureaucrat or social activist or law maker or whistle blower and so forth to keep oneself informed about all the political matters. In fact, it is the moral responsibility of a citizen to keep an eye on the political affairs that are happening around him/her.

Since the political processes or the political outcomes are in one way or the other related to or affects him/her directly or indirectly, an urban citizen can’t isolate from the politics nor remain completely apolitical. As a matter of fact, his/her apathy or apolitical nature does more harm than good to the society. It may breed an environment of dictatorship or lead to shoddy political affairs in the society. For which, he/she should hold moral responsibility.

Heart and soul

Elections form the heart and soul of democracy. It is through this mechanism that the fate or future of not just the politicians or citizens is decided but also of the society as a whole. Election, a festival of democracy, also reflects the collective spirit of citizens and provide a chance to them to write their own fate and future. It is worth mentioning here that the faith in democracy more sanctimonious and sacrosanct than the faith in God. There is no pious duty on the part of a citizen in democracy except for exercising his/her voting rights.

Feeble democracy

While it is understandable that most of the urban citizens opt of voting process owing to the widespread use of money and muscle power by the political parties which derails the very essence of democracy and act against the fundamental ideal of free and fair elections, nothing more is as dreadful as voting absenteeism or non-involvement in elections on the citizens’ part.

Voter apathy and non-involvement of citizens in political processes contribute to numerous ailments that ultimately draws down to feeble democracy and tumultuous political state. While man being a social animal and survives on interdependence and rejoices his/her life through social, economic and cultural interconnections, none in the modern age could sustain or live as “ Robinson Crusoe”. As politics are central for the human life, it is neither possible on the part of an individual to lead a non-political life nor be a social hikikomori.

Rugged streaks

of individualism

Wilful exclusion of an urban citizen from the social and political processes can be attributed to rugged individualism, thanks to neo-liberal education system and its excessive emphasis on personal goals, objectives and desires. Crude and ruthless rat race, in pursuance of academics, career, employment and wealth, is pushing an individual into the world of self-isolation and forcing him/her to lead a solitary lifestyle thereby feeling alienated from the society. All in all, it is the insensible and mindless narrative built around the human life by neo-liberal economists that has to be blamed for the self-inflicted political alienation of an urban citizen.

Does a single vote matter? Yes, the answer is. Voter apathy is as contagious and lethal as a virulent virus. The disinterest in political affairs spreads as rapidly as a wildfire. Obviously, it paints a picture in the minds of others as though their votes do not matter which ultimately ruins the priceless political gift that showered upon them in the form of vote, and thereby necrotizes the political system. So, it is important to realise that one vote is as important and valuable as the votes of many others and yes, it plays an instrumental role in deciding the future of an individual and his/her well-being.

The flavour of democracy lies in the range of choices or options it provides to a voter in choosing his/her representative, without which the polity is a dictatorship or totalitarian regime. Given the range of political parties in the country and in the State, the voter has a bunch of options to choose a right representative according to his/her tastes or party affiliations or ideological leanings. In this regard, election manifestoes of the political parties help voters to get an abstract idea about their ideological inclinations, social and economical outlook, schemes and programmes and so forth. Exercising one’s vote also denotes the self-respect of an individual in deciding the fate of political masters.

Cynical attitude or being indifferent towards politics, non-participation in the democratic process and abstaining from voting only make an individual miss the boat that sails him/her towards a future what he/she has envisioned.

(Writer is Director, Samudrala VK IAS Academy)