There are more than a few reasons for me to believe that the general elections of 2014 are going to be historic.

The youth of this country never voted in such large numbers. The media was never this hyperactive before and the psyche of the masses was never this hotbed of national feelings which when played with, break out too frequently, always on a social networking platform and now-a-days often on the streets.

Whether the media manipulates opinions or it does not, whether the opinions are genuine or paid, meant for the good of the masses to direct their thought process to finally decide whom to choose as their representative or simply to run a parallel court outside, none may disagree to the fact that the media has played its part well as the information provider.

India’s multiparty system is problematic at times. Too many voices speaking at the same time not only make things difficult, but given the fact that the voices have an equal weight-age of a single vote, only make things more complex to resolve. Democracy then has to be a number game before anarchy knocks. Numbers decide the future of the country. Not just the bills in the parliament, but also every other activity now-a-days is being done by asking the masses. I believe there is a little tyranny in every democracy. The tyranny that stands for good, helps the democracy, retains its democratic features and restricts it from becoming an autocracy. The little democracy in autocracy always helps the ruler extend his span into territories and retain his hold on the already existing ones. If the autocracy goes completely autocratic, a revolution or an uprising is never far.

We, the 90s kids have grown up listening stories about the China war of 62 and the black-outs in the nights. The 71 war and Indira Gandhi’s initiative of liberating Bangladesh, defeating Pakistan in a humiliating turn of events, which catapulted her popularity to great heights, has always been a thrilling story to listen. JP movement, the Emergency, the assassination of 84 and the riots there after never lost their importance in India’s history. Rajiv Gandhi and his charismatic personality are still discussed. Netaji’s last days as a wanderer monk in disguise has always evoked interest.

We grew up a little and gained consciousnesses to find Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government take the reins and then the nuclear tests followed. Although little, but we understood that bans have been put in place by another democracy miles away offshore. We fought a war with our neighbors and then there happened a regime change. The map showed Delhi- Lahore-Kargil-Agra and finally Kashmir for an infinitely long period of time that followed.

These stories have always had an impact on us. May be, because of the sheer fineness and sometimes complexity with which they were executed. More so because these events have lead us to the state in which we presently live. They have a considerable effect on the evolution of what our society stands as today. Ours has always been a mixed society of faiths, beliefs, cultures, languages, statuses and what not. We have evolved in the past 6 decades to be the land of 121 billion people. Changes occurred; some expected, the others unexpected, sometimes brought in force with the slightest of the majority in the parliament and sometimes with huge support.

What preceded the elections set the grounds for it; scripts were written by political parties and made a part of their manifesto. A second term for the government and the start of India’s annual wealth generating games (read IPL) in 2009. The Common Wealth Games in Delhi brought many controversies with it and a scam of a proportion that India had not seen before. The following year (2010) more scams fell in line and no sector was spared-coal, telecom, housing, sports and even the official documents were burned to hide the wrong doings in the state of Maharashtra. The masses were brimming with anger, but there was no initiate what-so-ever to vent it out properly. “Poora system hi kharab hai”-was always the cry. Nobody ever wondered “System kyu kharab hai aur kaise badlega?” (Why is the system wrong and how will it change?)

The people were sick-and-tired and had taken the everyday state of affairs to be the unwritten and accepted law of the land. Nobody knew how to take it out and on whom to take it out. The politicians who abuse the system and treat it like it’s own personal vehicle for deriving selfish vested interests or the businessmen who work for them or the police who protect them and work hand in hand against the interests of the common masses or any other government employee who doesn’t work unless paid a bribe.

An ombudsman came up with the answer- “its corruption we need to fight”, and the frustrated, angered, agitated masses who had almost no hope of living in an India where things can possibly change rallied behind him in large numbers. All roads then lead to ANNAPOLIS.

The very figures of corruption taking place in diabolical proportions all around took everyone by awe and the struggle to get rid of them by implementing the decentralization of power through Jan-Lokpal caught the fancy of the masses.

The second in command then formed a party later on, and the people made him the apple of their eyes. They flocked to him, benchmarked his efforts and the hardships that his party faced and looked upto him with great expectations. They started to ridicule him one he resigned.

The December of 2012 saw Delhi burn and the cold chill couldn’t help douse the flames. Women’s security was an overlooked issue for long, and this incident brought it to the very fore front of our conscious state of being. She isn’t just a sex object but a human being too. Too many protests and a series of arrest was all it took to prove that. And yes, the candles at the India Gate weren’t burnt in smoke this time. When righteousness is crushed and evil passes all dimensions of wrong doings, dharma has to play its part. Kali had to assassinate Mahishasur. Legal reforms came along and were welcomed.

Social networking entered our lives and we welcomed it with open arms. The likes, dislikes, trending, comments, updates and opinions all became a part of our lives. This vitual world had a reality of its own, not very different from our real lives and the best part is that it makes every single one of the stake holders a participant. Jasmine revolution was fought with Facebook and Twitter as the indispensable weapons of conquest. They not only connected them but also played a pivotal role in bringing the uprising to a success.

In 2030 when I start telling kids, the story of the social events that took place in our times, I think I will start off with something like this-
“Kids, it was the summer of 2014 and the political parties ensured that it becomes an eventful one. Everyone had a fair idea that so as to what May 16 has in store for the India’s parliament and its future.

The corruption crusader party left no stone unturned in bringing to light what has always been wrong with the Indian political scenario. The opposition party lead by the charismatic leader with an impeccable track record of development in his state ensured that each of their efforts get ridiculed to the highest degree, branding them obsolete and the activists as anarchists.

Abuses followed regularly from both sides on facebook which made me think that the ground can’t be riper for censorship reforms to come in place.

As an eligible franchise exerciser myself, I saw that all the parties had some real good motives to stand for and had lost their screws on some other. Disfranchising Muslims for not accepting a Hindu lineage and referendum demands in Kashmir, being some of them. The ruling party was an exception. It failed on all fronts.”

I don’t know how the story will end but I am sure that it won’t be a disappointing one. It will be a good one and so will be the future of this vast, huge and great country.

Afterall, I aint the overage pessimist to not believe that the ruling party is always there to negate opposition and the opposition party always to oppose the ruling party. Being from the opposition party AB Vajpayee represented India many a times in the UN. The parliament then used to be patient enough to listen to the leader’s charismatic, well toned, well thought of and researched and more than attractive words that he graced his listeners with. The poet always kept India first and it did shine, for he lead us into an era where giving up in the path of pursuing isn’t an option for a progressive India which is ever ready to die-hard for its goals.

“haar nahi manunga…
raah nayi thanunga…
kaal ke kapaal par likhta mitata hun…
geet naya gaata hun …geet naya gata hun !!! ”

(I will write, erase and rewrite my destiny everytime with a new song everytime I fail!! )

I accept, the parliament isn’t the same anymore. Currency notes now come up, brawls happen, pepper sprays are used and question hour hardly answers any question.

Here is an underage optimist wishing Mr. Modi a very happy Prime Ministership and Mr. Kejriwal a happy innings in the opposition for the coming term.

May god give our representatives the strength to discriminate between right and wrong, and guide their actions with righteousness on every step. May they come out from the shackles of prejudices and petty party politics and think as Indians first and something else later on.

Divyanshu Ojha
IMB2012022