Why vote? Whom to Vote - MP / PM / Party / Ideology ?

Hey all, today I came across this article by Guru Prasad about whom to vote? MP or PM? in Loksabha election. I agree to most of the arguments given by him but that is just one side of it and very short sighting.
So before countering his views and expressing mine, I would like to get down to basics about why we have democracy and what are the founding principles behind.

Democracy - government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the peopleand exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. (via definition)

Vote
- formal expression of opinion or choice, either positive or negative, made by an individual or body of individuals.

Vote is mean and formation of government is end result. So I will not deny the fact that your vote will be indication of whom you want to come to the power but at the same time you should also consider that your decision should not be affected by the knowledge about whom others are electing. So voter is likely to have dilemma about whom to vote, Candidate or his Party or who is likely to form government or ideology that candidate is representing. Lets go one-by-one about pros and cons of each.

Candidate:
If you are voting for candidate because you think he is good then we have following scenarios.
Pros:
1. If he is from party which you prefer then it is helping your overall vision.
2. You believe in him about the promises which he will be delivering then you are contributing positive for his win.
3. If his party comes to power there are higher chances of getting attention to his views in the implementation of any policies.

Cons:
1. If his party is different than your preference then you are in opposite direction of your overall vision.
2. If his ideology(perceived by you) is drastically different than his party then it is unlikely that he will have say to any decisions taken by his party.
3. You might be voting for a person whose party is unlikely to win the elections.

Party:
If you are going to vote by party then here are the scenarios.
Pros:
1. You are helping your party to win and increasing the chances of forming the government.

Cons:
1. If your party candidate is not good then you are basically electing wrong person to represent you in the parliament on any issues.
2. This will encourage parties to continue the wrong doings as their other positive points are still valued by people and they are elected.

The one who is winning:
Pros:
1. You will have slight satisfaction that you voted for winning candidate.

Cons:
1. You not really casting your vote but the popular vote.
2. You may be in soup as the one who is winning is not the one who you are preferring and can make countries overall condition worse.

Ideology:
Pros:
1. You stand by an ideology that person is representing and will have long term impact in positive change in overall system as per your ideology.
2. If he wins then it is likely that he represents the ideology and will stand by it whether in power or opposition to express his views.

Cons:
1. Your candidate may not be winning so your vote will perceived to be 'wasted' (I do not agree that it is wasted.)
2. You might be cutting down on vote of other candidate which might help worst candidate getting elected. (Like story of two cats with cheese and monkey)


In my opinion all the above cannot be isolated separately. But remember Vote is your opinion about how the member of parliament should be. He may not have funds to do work in your constituency but his views and his acts are responsible in any decision that parliament is going to take. So it is necessary that you vote for the person who you think can best and capable to represent you and your views in parliament.
Your candidate may or may not win but your vote indicates that you believe in him and your views are matching with his and he is capable of expressing his views in spite of his overall party pressure.
If you are not voting for who is representing you then you are not really part of democracy. It is 'by some other people' for the people. If you continue to express your views through your vote then in long run we will have change in the system to have more candidates matching with people's views.

Even for that matter, voting on NOTA is helpful as it indicates that none of the candidate is matching your view. You don't vote for winning but vote for expressing yourself.
Jai Hind.

Sach is Life

Yesterday, HE announced his retirement from test cricket and with in a minute whole cricket loving community flooded with emotions flowing right from their hearts. As Harsha Bhogle rightly put it, "you knew it was coming, it was inevitable, then why Sachin do you still produce this numbness?" that sum it all. I think people of my generation learnt a word cricket with name of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. We can't separate both as we learn to walk we never think that walking is mere putting one foot forward after another similarly cricket means to watch Sachin. We grew up watching both together and may be the numbness is due to a feeling like someone taking life out of cricket. I am writing this article not to iterate his cricketing skills but to put my point of view about, why billions like me equates him to GOD of cricket and our love to him. But of course without mentioning cricket we can't say about Sachin and vice-a-versa.

How many of you have been tired of your job and doing it just because you need money and doing without passion? What would you have done if everyday your job is to perform and prove every time in all possible situations under pressure? We get tired too easily and failed to withstand with pressure after sometime. Here is the first difference that distinguish HIM from other human beings. For all his 24 years of career, every time, every match that HE had played, HE had pressure to perform and meet the expectations of billions. Yet HE comes out practice, play with same passion with same zeal and dedication which HE had when HE started HIS career. It is not easy to imagine what would have taken for HIM to play for so long to perform under pressure every time. HE taught us to be passionate and dedicated to what we do and not to succumb under pressure.

Be honest to yourself and tell me don't get carried away with little praise or success. When usually people are praised or if they achieve some success, they unknowingly get carried away with that some gets arrogant some suddenly starts feeling they are more important than others and same is reflected in behavior in how they treat others. Here is the second reason HE is different than usual human beings. In spite of achieving incomparable success, HE is still down to earth and humble. You would hardly remember HIM boosting HIMSELF or being arrogant to anyone. It might looks like a easy task but when you see people around you who get changed and change their behavior then you would understand how genuine HE is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VGljr9G6MA HE has been always polite towards everyone. Very few can do that.

If someone abuse you or throw bad words at you, how would you react? Probably 8 out 10 people hits back at other person with same intensity and lose their cool. There goes your third distinguishing quality of HIM from other human beings. In 24 yrs long career you would hardly find a incidence where HE has sledged back at opponent. He is always in control of emotions and knows exactly how to channel it in appropriate way. Here is an example,

After initial days, how often we go back and keep looking for our mistakes? May be till 5 years in professional career but soon after we lose out on hunger for perfection. Another quality to separate HIM from others. Still after 24 years of glorious career, HE still go back and study HIS own dismissals and works hard to get over that mistake. It's HIS attitude towards game make him Immortal. Here is how Harsha puts it,

HE has that ability to bounce back. How can one forget the post 2007 world cup loss, it was HIM who shown resurrection to Indian team. It is really commendable to go as long as 24 years in sport profession with this kind of attitude.

Another quality of HIS is, to inspire others and nurture the talent. No one will have doubt that HE is the single most personality in any sport who have inspired most number of people to take up that sport.

And after all that, the sheer talent that HE has is just amazing. I have seen people who does not have interest in cricket or know very little but still feeling amazed by looking at Sachin's game. It is sheer joy to watch HIM play that backfoot punch or late upper cut or hook to mid wicket or delicate square cut or six straight down the ground or magical sweep... I guess, I will have to list down all the shots in cricket dictionary because HE plays all of them so well. HE has played enough cricket that it is hard to pick up HIS one inning and tell it was the best of HIM. HE has played according to situation and what was the team need. I can go on an on talking about HIM as his legacy, HIS shoes are too big to be described anyone. There will be new talent coming in, records will be broken in future but there is one thing which one cannot match of Sachin is to be a SACHIN.

To the GOD who has changed the game of cricket and gave everything that HE can to the game HE loved.
RESPECT.

Whisper

::::: Whisper :::::

A lonely night...

and a calm moonlight...

an empty road ...

and no one in sight..

a waiting bench...

and creepy fence...

a creaking gate...

and a broken lens...

old man walks...

with dimming lamp...

black cat follows...

and sound goes damp...

a thunder hits..

and lighting strikes...

breeze go wild...

as roaring bikes...

a sudden silence...

and breath go deep...

someone whispers...

please go to sleep....

-- Harshal Patil (Meghraj)

Nothing ...

You wake up in the morning...see bright blue sky patched with snow white clouds...golden shades spread across..on green tree-leaves, on floor...birds chirping....your arms slowly stretching upwards and neck slightly tilted towards one side...you open your jaw and say..."ahhmmmmm..."....and if you have absolutely nothing in your mind at that moment, then thats it....a perfect morning...I am having such mornings from last couple of days...I wake up in the morning and my mind is cleared without any thoughts, any workload...any kind of tensions....it feels great.

Nothing is the Ultimate Simplicity. You have something you have to take care of it. You have nothing, then no worry...peace in life. No work, no tensions, no commitments...absolute nothing. If you ask people about what makes their day beautiful then most people will answer a sound sleep. Wondered, why do we need sleep..why is it so important? You all know the answer..it is the time when your brain takes rest from all day tiring activities. That is the time; it flushes out all thoughts and you try to have NOTHING inside...blah blah....I won't keep on describing every little detail...you must have understood the point that I am trying to make.

I will just close here and leave you with nothing out of this article to realize that having nothing is beautiful.... so enjoy it. :-)

Its too big to be small...

World is very huge thing made up of very small small particles. Isn't it? But we always look at big picture only. We never see the tiny colour grains on canvas. If you get to see those, then observe them. Observe them closely. They are a picture in themselves. These days our domains are so expanded that we don't even care about small things that we posses. Having grown up as an adult, our expectation level increases. The world has not changed, its you who has changed. I don't say that one should stop dreaming. Dreams are part of life, progress. But while pursuing our new dreams sometimes we tend to forget our old dreams. Just try to remember your childhood dreams. You will cherish some of them.

Yesterday, I was reading one article. It was pointing out how no one can be "Happy" forever. My answer to it was, " Our Life comes in moments, but we spend it in time." Am I right? We always collect our past, worry about future and lose our present. Many have said about this. Everyone knows it. But no one follows it. We have to understand. Understand that life is really worth of moments and we have trillions of them. We don't have to spend it in time. We should get hold of our moments, live them..live the life as it comes and as it goes....live the moment. Go out and look how small small creatures are living their lives...see the beauty in tiny droplets...hear the music in sound of wind...feel the magic of every second...As that second passes, there are so many changes have happened through out the world.


God has gifted us all. Remember it. You try crying forcefully...you can not. It is too difficult to cry just like that. But try smiling just like that...it is easy...so simple...so nice...God has made it that way...When we try simpler things over difficult then why should we feel blue...just smile...

I condemn

"100 Killed...300 Injured...in Mumbai terror attack on Wednesday 26, 2008" Is this a first time this kind of news is heard /viewed??? No! In fact, in recent past of less than a year several such news are the headlines in the media. Then why no one is acting? Is our country so helpless to prevent such attacks from happening? Ain't we and our government supposed to learn anything from these REGULAR incidents?? ...o.k...Agreed..We should learn lessons from these. But what should we do? The attacks are so (un ?)predictable.. The ministers just say, we condemn these attacks and this will not happen again...and again...and again....and now ONCE AGAIN.... They seriously just say condemn and do something for few days of digging up the stories....and all well...everyone starts forgetting those memories....After some days, it happens again...and same cycle repeats.

Do they really sit down and think about how our intelligence and security forces are failing to detect these attacks?? Is it so easy to cross border with several KGs of RDX and dozens of AK-47 carrying in bags?? From where these kind of stuff is brought in? And obviously, without the locals help,  such kind of planned attacks are impossible. So who are these anti-national elements living with us? After the attack you get all the links and you gun down them. 

What is the solution then? in the broader sense, we all have to stop acting like a self-centered individuals and sense the meaning of WE constitutes the society. Obviously, the day-to-day rush don't allow us to look what is happening next to us, many times we board the train or bus and just take a sigh of relief...I got the place. Any suspicious movements are simply ignored in such busy and fast moving life. These terrorist ain't going to create weapons and explosive right at the place of attack. They have to travel with these things from one place to another...that's the time we have to keep our eyes open. Now, you will argue, how will I know man next to me is carrying gun or explosive along with him? Yes, you will not unless you know him. So...? So just have habit of sharing few words with your fellow passengers. At least chance of identifying or sensing if something is wrong will increase. The lack of social behavior among us is the key weakness. If we are aware of what is happening in our surroundings then chances will be reduced to greater extent. 

O.K....this is very small and inefficient solution. What our security system is doing then? Ain't they supposed to keep watch on these?? Yes, they have to. But what will system do if the parts of system which together constitutes it are corrupt. When with the help of so called POLICE, it is possible to smuggle the drugs and other things. Why will not they bring RDX and Guns from the same route? Getting persons inside the country may be easy with forging passports and morphing visa etc. But, they also need weapons. And how such things are allowed to cross our borders so easily?? Power of money...just make security section corrupt and take inside few things and after it becomes routine bring in anything you want. If these police people know the suspected areas and people then why don't they catch them and put into the jail? Make some very strict laws and punish these bloody terrorists. Why can't we make strict laws against terrorism? Because we fear that our police will misuse them to trap innocents. If your door is broken then what is the point in building huge walls around your house? We have to fix these loop holes. Lets stop the corruption, at least in police and security related areas and then ask these m*****-f**king bastards to come and terrorize us. Bring out good teachers, educate poor and slum areas, it will decrease crime rates and local helps to these cowards. 

I condemn Terrorism...I condemn Corruption....I condemn religion/caste based division to break our social integrity. Let's become equal and fight. Create a new India...

You Complete Me !

“Kill you? I don’t want to kill you! What would I do without you? Go back to ripping off mob dealers? No, no, you... you complete me. “
..yes...Joker's dialog from Dark Knight sometimes makes you wonder. What is Good without Bad and what is Bad without Good? When one say things are going Good that actually means they are not going Bad. It is all relative. Once you set your perspective and draw the fine, invisible line of comparison, you start to position other things above or below that line. And then you start grading them as Good or Bad. But what is it actually? It is mere comparison with your own perspective. If you stop drawing that line then this whole won't make any sense.

When you see beautiful scenery, flowers etc., you feel Good...why? Because somewhere inside your mind your brain compares the current scene with other stored images and grade it as superior. What if you haven't seen any bad picture yet? Think of a new born baby, who has not seen anything yet. Whatever is the first thing that baby is going to see will not get into Good or bad....it just stays at is. The moment it sees different thing it starts comparing and categorizing them. So imagine the world without comparisons... Imagine there is nothing Bad as per your current perspective. We always want to live in the world which is all good in our perspective....imagine that...The moment you imagine all things which are Bad as per your current perspective are vanished...you forget them....the same moment your line of perception has changed. New set of Bad category comes into picture, because the all you know is the good things with respect to old perception line..some are more Good and some are not so Good...So your not so Good things become Bad. Because Good is compliment to Bad....They complete each other.

Now you will start saying, what "bakwaas" I am doing. Who the hell care about if anything is Good or anything is Bad. I don't care whether they are complementary or distinct....but the whole point of my above discussion is not proving the comparison, as it is going to be there always. My point is, if you feel something is going Bad...then it is just because your line of perception is little higher at that time. And when things go bad you get depressed. So just look at the bigger picture...drag your line of perception little lower and you will see the things are not actually that bad...it is just like new born baby..you have to see lot more new things....If there is Bad means you have already seen Good compared to the Bad...and when you experience Good...the joy comes because you have faced the Bad part of it in the past...It is just a line...where it lies thats all matter.