Stop Criticizing, Start Voting

“Freedom”- one of life’s most cherished thing. We have always been demanding for ‘The freedom to live & lead our life the way we want, the freedom to express ourselves to our fullest potential’. Only a few people across the world have this privilege of being called as – LIVING IN FREEDOM. And I guess the citizens of India can look upon themselves as being blessed to have this privilege. Otherwise, there are many in this world living in greed of being freed. This privilege to us did not came so easily, no, not at all. Rather, it has been the result of selfless sacrifices endured by our nation’s forefathers.  “ALAS!” This sad reaction is quite natural & obvious when I notice people (of India especially) taking this freedom of their just for granted. Isn’t it a painful pinch? This in fact, is actually true of the middle class & even the youths who for whatsoever reason seem to exhibit a lot of apathy when it comes to the Electoral process. Aren’t they aware that they are the part & parcel of this world’s largest democracy. It is of course a truth that India, in this era has taken great strides in the field of science & technology & is globally viewed as one of the leading emerging economies of the world. Besides, it is now officially ‘Nuclear Power’ & has even launched a rocket of its caliber to the moon. Yet, while the general standard of living has gone up the same cannot be said of the quality of life. Though people today may have the purchasing power to buy the latest electronic gadgets & the trendy-branded clothes, their lives have not changed much. The infrastructure is bad & getting worse, it takes the average person hours to reach anywhere (as people say). Even with the inflation rates lowering down every week, Hikes in prices of basic essential commodities has made them unaffordable for lot many people. Not to mention that people no longer feel safe as was proven by 26/11 terrorist attacks. The solution to this that the youth & the middle class seem to resort to is – Criticizing the government for its inefficiency. What right do we have to criticize the government or the leaders for their inaction when we – who represent the most educated segments of the population, are doing nothing about it? We are as much to blame for this anarchy by our irresponsible behavior. Are the middle class and the youth truly happy with the way things are? Don’t you think that change is needed to help make India one of the leading nations of the world? India is the largest democracy in the world by virtue of which the people have the ability to change all that is bad and steer the country in the right direction to make it one of the greatest nations in the world. However, this will not happen if all we do is complain about it without taking action. If you want things to change then you should effect that change. As Mahatma Gandhi said “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Be that change; get involved in the democratic process. Get out and vote because this is not only your privilege but also your absolute responsibility and duty. You owe that to the forefathers who selflessly sacrificed their lives for the freedom we are enjoying today. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The way to mend the bad world is to create the right world.” Help create that right world by casting your vote. Make the election a great middle class and youth movement like the Americans did in electing Obama. Remember every vote counts – make your vote count as well!