Jaagore!!!

Indian election 2009 will be known for many firsts...

1. A new generation of Gandhi’s taking the centre stage but on opposite sides. On one hand Rahul Gandhi emerged as the successful heir to Gandhi throne, then on the other we saw the other Gandhi (Varun) spitting communal venom
   
2. Rise of a 4^th front – Though it seems there was a hole in their fuselage and they couldn’t take off
   
3. Largest number of seats were contested by a regional player (BSP contested 438 seats), way ahead of so called national parties – Congress (401 seats contested) and BJP (399 seats contested)
   
4. Shoe throwing becoming a new weapon in the hand of electorates to show their resentment and anger
   
5. Jaagore campaign headed by Janagraha and supported by many corporate across India.
   

Among all the above factors, I would like this election to be remembered for the Jaagore campaign – a campaign which started with very noble and holy thought, but ended up facing the nonchalant and cold attitude of “EDUCATED MIDDLE CLASS” of India.

The campaign aimed at getting out the elite of India to polling booth. We saw many personalities with mass appeal, appealing those who are considered to make informed and correct choice to participate in the democratic process.

The “Jaagore” team made all possible effort to spread the awareness and bring people to the polling booth on the polling day to make an “Informed” choice. And the result is here:

• Mumbai – 41.24% lowest since 1977 elections and this was after the 26/11 mayhem
  
• Bangalore – 45.49 one of the lowest in Karnataka, though Bangalore has been the centre point of Jaagore campaign.
  
• Delhi – close to 55% polls better than the last election and best performer in all seats of learned men in India
  
• Compare this with the polling percentage of over 90% in Kandhamal (Orissa) and about 75% in Nandigram (West Bengal)
  

So does this means Jaagore campaign was a failure? Is the “Educated Elite of India” not ready to come out of its shell and think of the society they live in? Probably yes!! The elite had always and will always get their work done. They don’t care who is ruling them, coz they know how to get things done. So why to bother and waste a holiday to go out and vote? The elite are not exposed to the real problems of average Indian; they have enjoyed the fruits of democracy without ever participating in the process. Actually how can you expect them to participate? You understand the value of something only when you work hard to attain it.

But this doesn’t mean that the “Jaagore” campaign was a failure. For sure it created the awareness about voting among the youth of India. There are many who were actually benefited from this campaign (Me included). I was able to get my name registered in the electoral rolls and cast my vote without having the voter’s ID card. This campaign needs to be carried forward in the same passion and vigour in the days to come, after all this was just a start.

I think there is an important role for Jaagore campaign in smaller cities and towns than the metros. The metros of India have mostly sent parliamentarians who were educated and were considered to have a clean image. The rut lies in hinterland where people mostly vote on the regional issues, caste, religion, or may be for some benefits in return. It’s this set of voters who need to be awakened to the importance of their votes. They need to be made aware of how they can decide their future with their votes.

The Jaagore needs to reach beyond the metro-elite dimension. It also needs to add new focus areas like coming out with periodical evaluation of government’s based on the promises (election manifesto) they made and putting these analysis in public domain. This will give the voter’s a clear understanding of how right they were in voting for the particular candidate/party. Giving more focus on discussion of poverty, corruption and crime which we Indians are facing in our daily life.

Our democracy is fortunate to have a regulatory body like the election commission, an active media which reports issues without fear (Not sure of the favour part). Jaagore can fill the gap of an entity which can work at the grass root level to bring awareness among the voters. I think this trinity will work a long way to make Indian democracy a truly vibrant democracy.