Rock The Vote

It is too easy to forget what it really means to be the world's largest democracy, especially for those of us who remain relatively unaffected by the vagaries of Indian politics because we can buy our way out of most problems the government can't solve. For the past few decades, India's educated elite have taken less interest in politics than the uneducated masses. And this has probably been the greatest reason why India's infrastructure, health and basic education have maintained 3rd world standards even while the educated elite have rocketed up to international levels of wealth. India's intellectuals have been too busy making money for themselves to bother with societal issues, and so some of the most challenging problems in India remain unsolved. But it is time that we educated elite realize how valuable our freedom is to our continued prosperity; the world's largest democracy will crumble if we do not begin to participate actively in its well being. We must understand that the plight of the uneducated masses is our own plight, and that it is our responsibility to raise all of India to greatness. If we - who can read and write, who understand why minority rights must be protected, why women should have equal standing as men, and why religious tolerance is essential - do not vote, then how do we expect our democracy to continue to function in a sensible manner? Uneducated voters are more likely to be swayed by manipulative politicians with corrupt agendas and are less likely to understand which government policies will benefit them in the long-run. If we hope to see any improvement in things like water quality, health, education, and sexual freedom, we must make our voices heard by ballot, not just on blogs. A successful democracy encourages voting by all its people, but it demands the active participation of its most educated.

With 50 million new voters are in line to excercise their votes for the first time- there are few things if we all keep in mind before choosing the candidate of our choice. and help in making it the biggest election ever.

Ask these questions to yourself before you prepare for the big day..

1. is he / she a good person (or, does he / she seem like a scummy, corrupt bastard)?



2. is he / she at least as educated as I am?



3. is he / she open to new perspectives?



4. is he / she tolerant towards opposing beliefs (or, is he / she a fundamentalist)?



5. does he / she understand economics?



6. does he / she genuinely view poor people as humans who deserve basic rights (or, is he / she just trying to win their votes)?



7. is he / she aware of the world, and the importance of our country's relationship to other countries?

Remember change starts from us. you can click on the below link for latest election news, MP profiles, constituency statistics, candidate quotes, polling booth locations and more.

http://www.google.co.in/intl/en/landing/loksabha2009/