election 2014 – The Metrognome

Senior citizens will use NOTA option this election?

Associations of senior citizens threaten to tell their 1 crore members to exercise NOTA option if their demands are unmet.

by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Though they are not considered to be a part of mainstream society – and hence, there are not many policies implemented or infrastructure devised to suit their needs – but when one thinks about it, senior citizens form a considerable part of the country’s population.

And if this population decides to hit back at the Government, there is the potential to do some serious harm.

Keeping this in mind, the office bearers of several notable senior citizen associations in the country recently met to press for long-pending demands. All India Senior Citizens Confederation (AISCCON), Federation of Senior Citizens Confederation of Maharashtra (FESCOM), Association of Senior Citizens Organisation of Pune (ASCOP), HelpAge India and the International Longevity Centre (ILC) were a part of the meeting.

“Seeing the apathy of the Government with regard to senior citizens’ issues, especially, with reference to the changing of the age definition of senior citizens from 60 to 65 years, a resolution was passed at this meeting. It was decided that 10 per cent of seniors would use the NOTA option for voting this election if their demand to lower this age limit is not met at the earliest,” said Anjali Raje, Executive Director, ILC.

She added, “When we realise that 10 per cent of the total population translates in to nearly 20 per cent of the voting population, this makes a big difference and when this big vote bank does not vote for any particular party, but uses the NOTA option, then the [political] parties would be the ones impacted.”

As per a resolution passed during the meeting, “The Government of Maharashtra has not allocated any amount in the State Budget for 2014-2015. The Action Group therefore recommends that 10 per cent of the total budget allocated to the Department of Social Justice, Government of Maharashtra, be spent for senior citizens.” If the Government fails to meet these demands, the Action Group will ask its members – numbering over 1 crore in the country – to exercise the NOTA option while casting their vote this election.

Do you think it is fair to influence members of senior citizen associations on the issue of casting their votes for political parties or using the NOTA option? Tell us in the comments section below.

(Picture courtesy www.thehindu.com, silverinnings.blogspot.com)

Pehle AAP?

What set the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) apart was their fresh approach to campaigning, which the Congress and BJP lacked.

by Humra Quraishi

From Gurgaon I have been travelling to New Delhi on almost all the days of this last week, and on my travels and at my destination, I have been watching and observing the election build up in the national capital. As expected, in the so-called ‘strongholds’ of the Congress and the BJP camps, the mood has been nothing but typical.

When I say ‘typical’, I speak from the experience of past elections, when one saw the same mood and campaigning tactics as those employed in recent times. There have been the same hackneyed slogans and shouting matches between opponents. The same mud-slinging. The same one-liners and cheap shots. Yes, there have been a couple of new inputs concerning Mr Modi, but there has been nothing novel or exciting about the two parties’ campaigning. Which is why the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came as a breath of fresh air.

I was actually taken aback on seeing the enthusiasm amongst the AAP volunteers and workers, who did not look like they had been ‘bought over’ or ‘paid’ to do their jobs. They looked sincere in their efforts, making it quite obvious that they were out on the streets to campaign because they genuinely wanted to bring about a change in governance at the grassroots level. With brooms in their hands and topis on their heads, they were seen interacting with all people, establishing an instant connect.

Interestingly, while so many of the AAP volunteers walked the streets and campaigned, there was never any need for any police bandobast. I was rather touched on seeing these AAP men and women mingling with the crowds and getting a very positive response from the public. There was also a lot of cheering as the party’s topis were placed on each head. I also received one such topi!

There is no saying what the influence of AAP will be on the future course of politics, but if ever an indication was needed for those currently in power that the country is desperately looking for a change in leadership, the welcome AAP received in Delhi should sound a loud warning bell to all.

Humra Quraishi is a senior political journalist based in Gurgaon. She is the author of Kashmir: The Untold Story and co-author of Simply Khushwant.

(Picture courtesy www.livemint.com)