As a citizen of an independent country, I feel trapped amid the chaos spread by the country’s top 1% especially during the election period. They behave like some authority on humans and try to bet on almost everything that could affect the voting numbers and ultimately win the so-called Democratic election. Candidates are behaving ruthlessly and saying whatever is possibly effective in their lane. From the distribution of candidacy to their vibrant (violent) rampage-like campaigns casteism accelerates shamelessly. Every candidate is organising dialogue meetings with deceptive schemes to persuade people from almost every caste, while simultaneously cramming them in their so-called notorious community halls where selfish decisions are made and separate events and festivities are held in order to capitalise on their centuries-old tendency to appear more civilised than others. Free samosas and tea are served. l have different demands and requirements, and candidates are literally promising them in an old-fashioned way. It feels like diversity within diversity. It is nothing new to know politics divides people, but this is happening again and again in every election. They all have the same approach. From candidacy to policies; caste comes first. Those in the majority nominate their candidate or fight within their caste to establish liaison and lobbying. There is no single discussion about unity or bringing people from all castes and religions together.

Poor citizens think that the person who roams around in a Mahindra Scorpio, a Toyota Innova, or Fortuner will understand their social and economic dilemmas and bring changes. That same person will sit down with millionaire builder friends or business partners and help them to evacuate the encroached or partly legalised lands or housing societies of middle-class people. A video of an MLA shamelessly beating and kicking a woman on the side of a road in self-defence in Ahmedabad went viral, but not a single action was taken. Another one was practicing giving remdesivir by filling a syringe with injection, dropping it, and laughing in front of a nurse and other hospital staff members in Surat, just to get pictures and videos published. There was a barrage of criticism from political circles and social media but nothing happened. Nothing ever happens.

All parties have the same approach to caste-based, ignoble and hollow politics. Roaming around the streets of cities, towns, villages, and remote areas. Despite their difficulties in approaching certain regions, they have not given a single thought to what they have done to this country and its people. During campaigns, wearing a mask or handkerchief to protect one’s face from the stench of overflowing gutters and garbage dumps, or avoiding waters offered by certain people. IT cells from all parties have set up war rooms for target posting and igniting online users for heated debates and a slew of intolerable posts and proclamations.

Inequality exists within party structures as well. Top members, like the financially powerful and top lobbyists, enjoy perks ranging from greeting star campaigners on helipads to having special seats on stage or hiring private photographers to flaunt themselves online. Giant SUVs to go and attend meetings from here to there. Free accommodations at circuit house. The lowest level of the party ‘Karyakarta’ is allocating templets and flyers from door to door under the boiling afternoon sun. I noticed one party member was assigned to feed and take care of the helicopter pilot. They hardly get access to meet top members and even special food served in executive rooms. In the evening, they have to wait for snacks, and their daily wages, ranging from 200 to 500 rupees.

It is Painful to know that after 75 years of independence, they are still talking about water and electricity in their manifesto other than pollution, malnutrition, inequality, social justice, the quality of food and beverages, alleviating poverty, and taking action against companies for blatant profiteering. For instance, I personally witnessed a poor illiterate farmer being continuously exploited by a finance company over a tractor loan, charging interest after interest due to a few missed installments, and charging 950 rupees just to get his own statement on a single piece of paper; in the end, they confiscated the tractor on which his livelihood depends. He went bankrupt, and leased his own farm to another politician, and paid back the loan. As far as equality and the moral principles of democracy are concerned; not even political parties are practicing equality within themselves. i.e., they find it very difficult to even elect their own party leaders, which is an injustice to the party workers  Even today, in villages or small towns average boys and girls attend average government schools and leave without being able to read a storybook, calculate sums, or learn the basic use of a computer.

The times have changed a bit in an appreciative way. Empty chairs during shrill speeches of big faces, empty roads during rallies, dubious unresponsiveness, hidden intuition, dissidence over policies, and long-held grudges are clearly visible on the surface. It seems like citizens are holding cards now to decide for themselves, but there should be no space for panglossians I’ve crossed my fingers in the hope to see minor changes in Gujarat state. Obviously, they have to choose the least arbitrator and least corrupt and cocky person to take action on such issues, and there are some new young neophyte faces to bet on. Broadcasters are endlessly feeding the Internationalen news of a single state. Of course, the results will determine the hold of the current prime minister and will reflect on the upcoming 2024 general election.

As a citizen of an independent country, I feel trapped amid the chaos spread by the country’s top 1% especially during the election period. They behave like some authority on humans and try to bet on almost everything that could affect the voting numbers and ultimately win the so-called Democratic election. Candidates are behaving ruthlessly and saying whatever is possibly effective in their lane. From the distribution of candidacy to their vibrant (violent) rampage-like campaigns casteism accelerates shamelessly. Every candidate is organising dialogue meetings with deceptive schemes to persuade people from almost every caste, while simultaneously cramming them in their so-called notorious community halls where selfish decisions are made and separate events and festivities are held in order to capitalise on their centuries-old tendency to appear more civilised than others. Free samosas and tea are served. l have different demands and requirements, and candidates are literally promising them in an old-fashioned way. It feels like diversity within diversity. It is nothing new to know politics divides people, but this is happening again and again in every election. They all have the same approach. From candidacy to policies; caste comes first. Those in the majority nominate their candidate or fight within their caste to establish liaison and lobbying. There is no single discussion about unity or bringing people from all castes and religions together.

Poor citizens think that the person who roams around in a Mahindra Scorpio, a Toyota Innova, or Fortuner will understand their social and economic dilemmas and bring changes. That same person will sit down with millionaire builder friends or business partners and help them to evacuate the encroached or partly legalised lands or housing societies of middle-class people. A video of an MLA shamelessly beating and kicking a woman on the side of a road in self-defence in Ahmedabad went viral, but not a single action was taken. Another one was practicing giving remdesivir by filling a syringe with injection, dropping it, and laughing in front of a nurse and other hospital staff members in Surat, just to get pictures and videos published. There was a barrage of criticism from political circles and social media but nothing happened. Nothing ever happens.

All parties have the same approach to caste-based, ignoble and hollow politics. Roaming around the streets of cities, towns, villages, and remote areas. Despite their difficulties in approaching certain regions, they have not given a single thought to what they have done to this country and its people. During campaigns, wearing a mask or handkerchief to protect one’s face from the stench of overflowing gutters and garbage dumps, or avoiding waters offered by certain people. IT cells from all parties have set up war rooms for target posting and igniting online users for heated debates and a slew of intolerable posts and proclamations.

Inequality exists within party structures as well. Top members, like the financially powerful and top lobbyists, enjoy perks ranging from greeting star campaigners on helipads to having special seats on stage or hiring private photographers to flaunt themselves online. Giant SUVs to go and attend meetings from here to there. Free accommodations at circuit house. The lowest level of the party ‘Karyakarta’ is allocating templets and flyers from door to door under the boiling afternoon sun. I noticed one party member was assigned to feed and take care of the helicopter pilot. They hardly get access to meet top members and even special food served in executive rooms. In the evening, they have to wait for snacks, and their daily wages, ranging from 200 to 500 rupees.

It is Painful to know that after 75 years of independence, they are still talking about water and electricity in their manifesto other than pollution, malnutrition, inequality, social justice, the quality of food and beverages, alleviating poverty, and taking action against companies for blatant profiteering. For instance, I personally witnessed a poor illiterate farmer being continuously exploited by a finance company over a tractor loan, charging interest after interest due to a few missed installments, and charging 950 rupees just to get his own statement on a single piece of paper; in the end, they confiscated the tractor on which his livelihood depends. He went bankrupt, and leased his own farm to another politician, and paid back the loan. As far as equality and the moral principles of democracy are concerned; not even political parties are practicing equality within themselves. i.e., they find it very difficult to even elect their own party leaders, which is an injustice to the party workers  Even today, in villages or small towns average boys and girls attend average government schools and leave without being able to read a storybook, calculate sums, or learn the basic use of a computer.

The times have changed a bit in an appreciative way. Empty chairs during shrill speeches of big faces, empty roads during rallies, dubious unresponsiveness, hidden intuition, dissidence over policies, and long-held grudges are clearly visible on the surface. It seems like citizens are holding cards now to decide for themselves, but there should be no space for panglossians I’ve crossed my fingers in the hope to see minor changes in Gujarat state. Obviously, they have to choose the least arbitrator and least corrupt and cocky person to take action on such issues, and there are some new young neophyte faces to bet on. Broadcasters are endlessly feeding the Internationalen news of a single state. Of course, the results will determine the hold of the current prime minister and will reflect on the upcoming 2024 general election.