26th March 2009.
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your response to my last e-mail. One of the commonest reactions that I have received is: “Whom do I vote for?”
A profound question indeed, and one difficult to answer. They are the same bunch of opportunistic rogues. Old wine – only it is packaged more attractively. And yet, hope springs eternal . . .
Let me narrate a small anecdote. Nothing very revolutionary, but it highlights the concept of a word many of us have forgotten – Responsibility. During my early days in the civil service I was appointed election observer in South Bombay. I think it was the year 1979. I had to make rounds of the various polling booths in the constituency and see that all was well. I began with the one at Cuffe Parade, it being closest to my residence. I reached there at about 7.40 AM and saw that everything was in readiness to receive what I imagined would be the vast multitudes of voters. The voting was to begin at 8AM. A few minutes before voting time I saw an elderly gentleman in a suit with a walking stick approaching the polling booth accompanied by his wife, a very charming lady dressed even more elegantly. Recognising him I went up to them and asked what brought them there so early. His short reply summed up the values he held dear. “Duty, my friend”, he said. “It’s our responsibility to vote.” He was Mr M.C. Chagla, the first Indian Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court. It was a shame that the percentage of voters in that booth barely touched double figures.
A few days ago on the evening of the 23rd, I went to a panel discussion on “Your Vote Counts” organised by Citizens Take Charge (CTC) at the Indian Merchants’ Chamber. There were two things about that meeting that I thought I would share with you.
1. The exuberance and optimism shown by two venerable and well-respected senior citizens, in the face of every reason to feel the contrary: Mr Narayan Varma Chartered Accountant, and Mr Julio Ribeiro, former Commissioner of Bombay Police, and later DG of Punjab Police. They are the moving spirit behind CTC at a time when most in their age group have already hung up their boots and are chanting the Lord’s name.
(Mr Ribeiro tackled the problem of terrorism in Punjab when it was at its peak. His autobiography “Bullet for Bullet” is an amazing account of how one man can make a difference. Read it if you haven’t. What happened to the Shiv Sainiks when he organised an army recruitment drive for them makes for terrific reading).
2. The dynamism shown by Natasha Kevalramani. She is barely out of her teens, a student of St. Xavier’s College who, with her friends, created “ivote”, a forum to help register voters in their respective constituencies and give them the information they seek about the voting process. Her attitude proclaimed “If I want change I have to bring about that change”. Her short address about our duty to vote was an appeal straight from the heart. Young in age but already showing signs of statesmanship.
I came away feeling that there was enough optimism around that could result in change. Not just optimism; there was an energy force waiting to be unleashed. I learnt something more at that meeting – the power of your vote. I learnt that Mr Gehlot became the CM of Rajasthan pipping Mr Joshi to the post by just one vote! That’s the power of one. The one vote that made all the difference.
That one vote could be yours. . .
And, oh yes, I almost forgot. To answer the question “Whom do I vote for?” please go to http://mumbaivotes.com. Vivek Gilani who is the brain behind the site gave us a small but brilliant expose on what prompted him to develop this site. His reason – Let the voter know his candidate. Like a sumptuous buffet in a good restaurant the site gives you the chance to choose from an array of candidates: from the academics and professionals to the scoundrels and scamsters right up to your neighbourhood social worker with a criminal record. Click on the View Profile to see the background of the candidates in your constituency.
Friends, the first step to ushering in change is to ask ourselves whether we really need it. If the answer is Yes, the next step is to discuss it. We constantly make decisions in our lives – from education to a career option to business to marriage. Sometimes our decisions click, sometimes they don’t. But that doesn’t stop us from making our choices. Not voting may be one answer, but it may not be the right solution. So decide on the candidate that you think is best for you. And cast your vote.
Sorry for inflicting this again upon you, but it’s time we did SOMETHING to arrest this slide. We can. We have the power of one. For starters please send this to as many people as you can. And please ask them to forward this in turn to their friends. Please set the ball rolling. Get INVOLVED. And VOTE for the candidate you think will deliver. India asks for nothing more than an hour of your time on 30th April. Please re-act and respond to this appeal. Write to each other, and to me, with your comments and observations.
Let us vote for Decency in Public Life. Let us vote for ourselves.
Sincerely,
Deepak Tralshawala
Commissioner of Income Tax (Retd.)
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your response to my last e-mail. One of the commonest reactions that I have received is: “Whom do I vote for?”
A profound question indeed, and one difficult to answer. They are the same bunch of opportunistic rogues. Old wine – only it is packaged more attractively. And yet, hope springs eternal . . .
Let me narrate a small anecdote. Nothing very revolutionary, but it highlights the concept of a word many of us have forgotten – Responsibility. During my early days in the civil service I was appointed election observer in South Bombay. I think it was the year 1979. I had to make rounds of the various polling booths in the constituency and see that all was well. I began with the one at Cuffe Parade, it being closest to my residence. I reached there at about 7.40 AM and saw that everything was in readiness to receive what I imagined would be the vast multitudes of voters. The voting was to begin at 8AM. A few minutes before voting time I saw an elderly gentleman in a suit with a walking stick approaching the polling booth accompanied by his wife, a very charming lady dressed even more elegantly. Recognising him I went up to them and asked what brought them there so early. His short reply summed up the values he held dear. “Duty, my friend”, he said. “It’s our responsibility to vote.” He was Mr M.C. Chagla, the first Indian Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court. It was a shame that the percentage of voters in that booth barely touched double figures.
A few days ago on the evening of the 23rd, I went to a panel discussion on “Your Vote Counts” organised by Citizens Take Charge (CTC) at the Indian Merchants’ Chamber. There were two things about that meeting that I thought I would share with you.
1. The exuberance and optimism shown by two venerable and well-respected senior citizens, in the face of every reason to feel the contrary: Mr Narayan Varma Chartered Accountant, and Mr Julio Ribeiro, former Commissioner of Bombay Police, and later DG of Punjab Police. They are the moving spirit behind CTC at a time when most in their age group have already hung up their boots and are chanting the Lord’s name.
(Mr Ribeiro tackled the problem of terrorism in Punjab when it was at its peak. His autobiography “Bullet for Bullet” is an amazing account of how one man can make a difference. Read it if you haven’t. What happened to the Shiv Sainiks when he organised an army recruitment drive for them makes for terrific reading).
2. The dynamism shown by Natasha Kevalramani. She is barely out of her teens, a student of St. Xavier’s College who, with her friends, created “ivote”, a forum to help register voters in their respective constituencies and give them the information they seek about the voting process. Her attitude proclaimed “If I want change I have to bring about that change”. Her short address about our duty to vote was an appeal straight from the heart. Young in age but already showing signs of statesmanship.
I came away feeling that there was enough optimism around that could result in change. Not just optimism; there was an energy force waiting to be unleashed. I learnt something more at that meeting – the power of your vote. I learnt that Mr Gehlot became the CM of Rajasthan pipping Mr Joshi to the post by just one vote! That’s the power of one. The one vote that made all the difference.
That one vote could be yours. . .
And, oh yes, I almost forgot. To answer the question “Whom do I vote for?” please go to http://mumbaivotes.com. Vivek Gilani who is the brain behind the site gave us a small but brilliant expose on what prompted him to develop this site. His reason – Let the voter know his candidate. Like a sumptuous buffet in a good restaurant the site gives you the chance to choose from an array of candidates: from the academics and professionals to the scoundrels and scamsters right up to your neighbourhood social worker with a criminal record. Click on the View Profile to see the background of the candidates in your constituency.
Friends, the first step to ushering in change is to ask ourselves whether we really need it. If the answer is Yes, the next step is to discuss it. We constantly make decisions in our lives – from education to a career option to business to marriage. Sometimes our decisions click, sometimes they don’t. But that doesn’t stop us from making our choices. Not voting may be one answer, but it may not be the right solution. So decide on the candidate that you think is best for you. And cast your vote.
Sorry for inflicting this again upon you, but it’s time we did SOMETHING to arrest this slide. We can. We have the power of one. For starters please send this to as many people as you can. And please ask them to forward this in turn to their friends. Please set the ball rolling. Get INVOLVED. And VOTE for the candidate you think will deliver. India asks for nothing more than an hour of your time on 30th April. Please re-act and respond to this appeal. Write to each other, and to me, with your comments and observations.
Let us vote for Decency in Public Life. Let us vote for ourselves.
Sincerely,
Deepak Tralshawala
Commissioner of Income Tax (Retd.)
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