VOTE, DON’T BE AN eSCAPEGOAT

 To run a huge democracy, a proper governance is needed. India is the largest and colourful democratic country. As the Government is of the people, for the people, by the people, so we have the power to govern the nation through elections. Elections are the foundation of a democracy. Here, it is people's responsibility to form and run a government, by electing representatives. The most significant aspect is the divergent fabrics of its voters. Voters can weave the nation into a utopian nation, if they know about their power. Voting provides an opportunity for the people to evaluate the activities of their representatives

According to the election commission of India, the electoral population in 2014 is about 8 billion, the largest in the world. Even after the nose dive in the electoral figures in the past decade, this time, 2014 shows a tremendous hike. It’s the sanguine sign of participation that there is an increase of 20 crores newly eligible voters. The perennial efforts of nurturing up the awareness epidemically, make this out of the blue. Illuminate one, and one will pass the light to the many.

2014, struck with the enormous rise in voters, but still there is meagerness in the figure. Although youths are enthusiasts, but there’s a void in participation. They could garner a majority of electors. Moreover, most women show less interest in election activities. They were denied suffrage till the early 20^th. They stood in the cavernous, as it was the household chores which they meant to be confined in. Even if women go for voting, some of them do it prejudicedly. There’s a need to engender independent political view. This subtle lack in participation, upsurging the need to make people aware of their voting rights and to persuade them to vote. Our ngo ‘AnantAman’ is trying to inculcate consciousness among people about the election. Efforts are being made to nurture up the rudimentary awareness of giving vote and how important it is.

  Free and fair elections are the soul of the democracy. It’s essential for the election to be impartial, free & fair, if the true will of the people is to be made known. For this, voters must be able to vote without fear or threat. Fair elections take place when people are allowed to select the candidates of their choice. Voters should have the necessary information about all the candidates.

The main hindrance to the fabrication of smooth running democracy is the passive roles of voters. Common voters seldom took pain to get the names of their family members enlisted on electoral rolls as an important task. This dormancy of genuine voters also provokes interest in political parties to faux names, included in the electoral lists of a particular area. There is a possibility of another voter impersonating us, if we don’t cast our vote ourselves. This in turn defeats the very purpose of democracy. Rightly speaking, you have no right to comment on as to what public representative are doing, when you don’t bother to vote.

It’s necessary to vote in democracy because participation by the citizen is the governance of the country. Voting is not only a right, but it is also a duty. Before you start blaming the system for your sufferings, you should do your duties.  Even if you are an anarchist, it’s good to be get blue nailed first, rather than sitting back on the couch and complaining about the wrongdoings. It’s the blue in the face, if you think to change the system without being a part of it. If you want the change, then be the change, take a stand, just move a step ahead to the polling booth and convert your opinion to action by casting the vote.  Always remember, it’s not them, but we, who make the government. Spread the awareness around yourself, let the people motivate to participate in elections. Vote sapiently, unbiasedly, as it will decide the nation’s future.

There is a voice inside of you,

That whispers all day long.

“I feel that this is right for me

I know that this is wrong”

Don’t let it die, reverberating inside,

Don’t be reticent, you can have a voice.

Voices of many would coalesce into an uproar,

Only that voice would fabricate the dream nation.

Voice should stand independently of others’,

Let your voice be heard, so cast your vote.

Your vote is your power; and

Will construct your future.

So vote, don’t be an eSCAPEGOAT.

-Vaibhav Kashyap

 AnantAman SWS

Women with wings of fire

As they say ‘she’s just a girl but she’s on fire’ , behold the new generation cause now they don’t hide in shadows, neither fear of the odds, they can look through the cobwebs and are learning what to do and how to do at the right moment.
The significance of women has increased significantly over ages. Since independence the struggle for women suffrage had been a prolonged effort and it took over 7 decades to actually see all the indigence turning into an optimistic end. Just a small number it might seem, but getting the ratio of men and women voters to almost ‘one on one’ seemed building castles in the air task. Women in our country are given privilege on the surface; they’ve long being caged in their own insecurities and responsibilities. It’s very sanguine to see all of it slowly fading away with time.

This time election ballyhoos are at their pinnacle, I see the streets brimming with incessant posters of the top candidates contesting for the chief governance post. Everyone could see the hype of this year’s big event, every paper, every magazine, every street is saying out loud. Whatever the covering maybe it has all resulted into a rage of awareness which positively turned out to be good impact on the nation as a whole. Looking at the stats, the percentage of women voters have increased so significantly that it’s getting hard to keep up with the score. After blue pencilling, there has been 63% increase in the women population voting which smacked the record since independence. Such stupendous change can now shake the government citadel with a cynosure move.

The only requirement now at stake is, helping the women judge as per their own perspective and not as per what the people around them believe. The female population still needs to know how responsible they can be in making a significant change towards the society without amenable prejudices. Our n.g.o ‘AnantAman’ is working towards creating awareness among women of our society in order to make the half population turn into a ‘better half’ of a country. We believe that making them more aware about the current scenarios related to the political systems and issues can help them create their own vision of the society they wish to survive. Still many women fail to read newspaper or take out time to glance over country chaos. It’s the family and the society which can help them know the administration more deeply, so that they also understand that one vote can nevertheless make an undoubted difference. Some say women are not good leaders, but many of the women panchayat have brought much more sensitive issues into the lime light,which the male geriatrics fail to point out. Since a decade, women leaders of various villages took over the most basic issues like sanitation, girl education, water supply to the next level. They have a wider understanding of all the basic needs of any middle class family. We all need to unite and make our mothers; our grandmothers or our aunts; our sisters raise their voices of individuality towards voting for a better future. It’s sad to see that the parliament house has 11% females working, where the reservation is purposely made for them to enter into politics. All we need is to make them realise the need of the hour for much active participation.

They say ‘with great power comes a great responsibility’ , now elections are surely the blue moon events to make a change for the coming five years governance, so why not take step forward to understand the power and responsibility coming along with it and help the women fly with the wings of fire.

She looks out to her own people from a small kitchen opening;
she has a lot to say at times, and out of words in many situations;
she bargains like crazy, can talk about all the things concluding into a black hole;
she is a girl, a wife, an employee, a leader, a follower;
I wonder what she thinks when she peeks out in the open bus window sky;
all I know is that everyone individually has little power to change the world but only if they know how small bricks make a large castle.

Soumya Sharma
AnantAmanSWS

Rainbow Sunshine

Festivals…! Celebration…!

Even the mere words sound so full of life. And in literal term, they do exactly that; bring LIFE to our so called ‘lives’. It’s always rejoicing to celebrate these joyous occasions with our friends & families around. The rejuvenation brought up by them fuels our enthusiasm and propel us to thrive towards our dreams. But amidst all this polish; there remains a disheartening reality. The truth of the millions around who are underprivileged; particularly, the ones who are bereaved of their parents, the ones who were abandoned by their families; the lone souls who deserve to be accompanied along.

On this auspicious day of merry making, the festival of colours HOLI! , AnantAman Social Welfare Society decided to infuse joy into the lives of these kids with a splash of colours. To add colours to their otherwise achromic world, the members & volunteers, filled with joviality, went to ‘PremRaj Seva Samiti’ - an orphanage in the vicinity of SuryaDev Nagar.

While approaching down the road; I could descry innocent kids, some standing at the façade of the building, some on the stairs, while others on the terrace. Filled with zeal & a tankful of enthusiasm, eager to play the colours.

As we entered the orphanage premises, the children lit up with the shades of glitter in their eyes & wore a million dollar smile on their bright faces. The greeting “Happy Holi” in unison enchanted the atmosphere. The scenario there left us enthralled by the warmth of welcome dipped in innocence, in spite of the irredeemable vacuity in their life.

In order to mingle well with them, we gathered on the terrace. The tents setup by us shaded from the burning Sun. We opted for an eco-friendly Holi celebration avoiding water misuse. With different hues of herbal Gulaal, we tried enriching their arid life with colours. As soon as we had the colours out, there was a sudden alacrity in children hither & thither. The little palms – seeking for a helping hand to hold them - with a handful of colours just came by to beautify us with the rainbow of ecstasy. It felt like family, not stranger anymore. An ambience of gaiety was created and everyone was enjoying the festival of colours. They had appreciable demeanour and were full of etiquettes. They chanted a few prayers before diving into the act of eating. Though less fortunate, but they understand that someone’s watching over them right from the sky. Past the festive meal, colours felt even livelier and everyone enjoyed every bit of it.

Playing Holi with them was a euphoria that left us in a lovely nostalgia; where we would like to be again & again. We discovered a new satisfaction by bringing smiles on the faces of many. Though their loss is completely immutable, but we tried our bit to efface it by pouring down colours of happiness into their lives. The very act of benevolence makes us feel sanctified deep in our heart, right from inside. It’s just one of the many inchoative steps by our NGO towards the upliftment of secluded part of the society. Spreading smiles to those who deserve it more than anyone else, nurturing ample happiness in the life of the benighted children; all these definitely appease your soul to the core.

We hope that, “we make a difference to their lives and build a better tomorrow for them”.

“Spread smile, share happiness, fill colours to life”

-Vaibhav Kashyap