(Written mostly from an Indian perspective)
Region based politics (such as the left front in the NE and Kerala), caste based politics (too many examples to list), language based politics (such as the ones in TN), religion based politics (Hindutva and non-hindutva. Parties who call themselves secular just seem to be non-hindutva in my opinion. If you encourage a reservation system based on religion then you cease to be secular, right?. Reservation was provided in the constitution for demographic groups that were structurally oppressed and it was not based on religion. Anyway reservation system is a different argument altogether) and now we have been bitten by opinion based politics.
Politics is a very difficult area. And on top of that it is murky. I have always believed that politicians are some of the smartest people on earth. Once they get a powerful position their objective is to maximize their wealth before the next election. Most of them succeed in accomplishing this simple objective. Of course, stuff happens in between. People criticize. People blame, threaten, protest and a majority remain quiet. They are all immaterial. A politician gets the job done. Personal job I mean.
To win an election is no easy task in the first place. Having contested an election at an extremely small scale at IIT, I have a vague idea of what it takes. You can come up with an extremely attractive, practical and useful manifesto. You can spend hours convincing the voters that you will get things done. Those just don't matter. Ultimately many voters don't care who you are. Some have their own agenda. Some have already made their decision, choices that are mostly personal. Some are just not going to turn up for voting anyways. At whatever scale the elections happen more or less the above trend is true.
Why are these choices personal and pre-determined? In other words, why are most votes mostly based on our opinions and not facts or extensive analysis? Why are we so impressionable? For instance, most of you who are reading this blog will fall into one of the following categories:
A. Believe in AAP and want it to succeed
B. Used to believe AAP but have now given up on AAP
C. Think that AAP is just like another political party and has a few tricks up its sleeve
D. AAP - kya AAP.. humko aap vap nahin malum saab
Some of us do wait and watch and our patience is running out with every new article. But most of us just follow what the herd says and blindly believe what the news reports say. "Oh yes, AAP is useless" or "Oh yes, AAP is fantastic". We just don't put thoughts to the reports and on top of that do not accept that we are so impressionable. A simple proof is the fact that both AAP supporters and haters (or non-believers) exist among the literate. Surely, one of them is being misled? I'm scared at this. If educated people cannot (or do not have the time to) fully analyze and come to a decision based on facts, it puts a huge pressure on a genuine political party (if any exists) to change people's opinions. I don't see any difference between us and a guy who has been voting for ADMK (a party started by a movie star in Tamil Nadu) for time immemorial just because he was a huge fan of the cine star who started the party (and who is no more). At least the latter's mind does not waver much.
Jai Hind!
Region based politics (such as the left front in the NE and Kerala), caste based politics (too many examples to list), language based politics (such as the ones in TN), religion based politics (Hindutva and non-hindutva. Parties who call themselves secular just seem to be non-hindutva in my opinion. If you encourage a reservation system based on religion then you cease to be secular, right?. Reservation was provided in the constitution for demographic groups that were structurally oppressed and it was not based on religion. Anyway reservation system is a different argument altogether) and now we have been bitten by opinion based politics.
Politics is a very difficult area. And on top of that it is murky. I have always believed that politicians are some of the smartest people on earth. Once they get a powerful position their objective is to maximize their wealth before the next election. Most of them succeed in accomplishing this simple objective. Of course, stuff happens in between. People criticize. People blame, threaten, protest and a majority remain quiet. They are all immaterial. A politician gets the job done. Personal job I mean.
To win an election is no easy task in the first place. Having contested an election at an extremely small scale at IIT, I have a vague idea of what it takes. You can come up with an extremely attractive, practical and useful manifesto. You can spend hours convincing the voters that you will get things done. Those just don't matter. Ultimately many voters don't care who you are. Some have their own agenda. Some have already made their decision, choices that are mostly personal. Some are just not going to turn up for voting anyways. At whatever scale the elections happen more or less the above trend is true.
Why are these choices personal and pre-determined? In other words, why are most votes mostly based on our opinions and not facts or extensive analysis? Why are we so impressionable? For instance, most of you who are reading this blog will fall into one of the following categories:
A. Believe in AAP and want it to succeed
B. Used to believe AAP but have now given up on AAP
C. Think that AAP is just like another political party and has a few tricks up its sleeve
D. AAP - kya AAP.. humko aap vap nahin malum saab
Some of us do wait and watch and our patience is running out with every new article. But most of us just follow what the herd says and blindly believe what the news reports say. "Oh yes, AAP is useless" or "Oh yes, AAP is fantastic". We just don't put thoughts to the reports and on top of that do not accept that we are so impressionable. A simple proof is the fact that both AAP supporters and haters (or non-believers) exist among the literate. Surely, one of them is being misled? I'm scared at this. If educated people cannot (or do not have the time to) fully analyze and come to a decision based on facts, it puts a huge pressure on a genuine political party (if any exists) to change people's opinions. I don't see any difference between us and a guy who has been voting for ADMK (a party started by a movie star in Tamil Nadu) for time immemorial just because he was a huge fan of the cine star who started the party (and who is no more). At least the latter's mind does not waver much.
Jai Hind!
