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Because Mumbai likes to sleep

What happened after we found our names missing from voter lists? Did we remedy the situation or just keep talking?
Jatin Sharmaby Jatin Sharma | @jatiin_sharma on Twitter

By now, we have heard it a million times. ‘Mumbai is a city that never sleeps’.

But the truth is, we do sleep, at least most of the time. Whether it is a terror blast in the city or a girl being stabbed at the Gateway of India in front of hundreds of onlookers, we like to sleep our way through most events.

Our tongues are way stronger than our legs. We like to discuss every thing and condemn and crib, but seldom do we have the time or the strength to cause a change. Being the financial capital of the country, we like to think that the taxes we pay will automatically deal with most of the problems that the country faces. 54 per cent voting figures in the recent general elections seem like a big victory to us. Newspapers touted this figure as a record-breaking percentage.

Seriously? We’re not okay with our children getting 54 per cent marks in their exams. 54 per cent is neither here nor there – it means the Names missing from voter listschild has not failed but not done well either.

Of course, we are very quick to say that our voting percentage would have been higher if there hadn’t been so many missing names in the voters’ lists. Nobody will own up to a simple fact – we’ve had months to check if our names figure in the list or not, but we chose not to check. Instead, Mumbai just likes to wield its tongue more than actually do the things it should do.

It is time to shake off the slumber and take responsibility.

Mumbai has to realise that every time a road caves in at Peddar Road or a part of the Metro falls and kills a person, every Mumbaikar is responsible for it. Mumbai needs to wake up from the dream of being a money spinner whose problems will automatically vanish because it has so much money to throw – steadily, the money will disappear if the city doesn’t take responsibility of nurturing itself first, and then the country.

Being inked and posting your pic on Instagram is a cool fashion statement, but being an Indian is never going to go out of fashion. All of us need to stop sleeping. Let’s start with a small step – Mumbai, stand up and reclaim the missing names from the voter lists. It isn’t enough to make a racket about your name not being in the list. You should be seriously offended at being denied your democratic right to vote.

If we can burn a million candles when a single’s person right is taken away, isn’t it the right time to burn a million candles for the rights of lakhs who were shooed away from the polling booths?

But again, I stand here and see that Mumbai is already back to its old ways of not caring and not doing enough. The city has already gone back to its pre-voting slumber.

Sweet dreams.

Jatin Sharma is a media professional who doesn’t want to grow up, because if he grows up, he will be like everybody else. ‘Overdose’ is Jatin’s take on Mumbai quirks and quibbles.

(Pictures courtesy dnaindia.com, livebharat.com)

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Alas! No voting for me this time

This Mumbaikar was about to vote for the first time, because the NOTA option got her all excited. But alas!
2012-09-23-408by Ritika Bhandari Parikh

Part 7 of the ‘Your Vote’ campaign for Lok Sabha 2014. 

I must confess that am 25 years old and do not hold a voting card. People who will read this will lambast me on my lack of sincerity in exercising a fundamental right, which we are lucky as a country to have been granted by our Constitution. And for the first time, I am feeling very guilty about not being able to participate in this greatest show of democracy.

Being a journalism student, I remember questioning my teacher on the purpose of the elections. With stories of rampant rigging, cash-for-votes and the audacious selection of candidates, there was no motivation to even try and fill the form for the voting card. A look at the candidates’ profiles and I knew that we had to choose between the devil and the deep sea. Adding to these doubts was the futile attempt by my younger sister to get a Voter ID card, not once but twice. Hopefully, she will be listed this time.

Before you dismiss me as a non-believer in democracy and voting, let me cite that my parents have a Voter ID card and religiously stand in queue to vote like many Indian citizens. Why, I once prodded my mom to show her inked finger and only then allowed her to enter the house.

Yet the 2014 elections beckon me to wish for a miracle, where my name is listed on the Voters Electoral list. This sudden votingtransformation from ‘why should I even vote attitude?’ to ‘I should vote’ is all because of the magic of NOTA.

The Election Commission of India has not only tried their best to encourage Indian citizens to go ahead and come out for voting, but given them an option to stick out their tongue and use the ‘None of the Above’ option as a weapon of choice. So despite my vote not helping any one person or party, this existence of choice helps me.

But alas, I woke up too late and hopefully time will heal this regret. With the making of my Voter ID card as my next important task, I can only ask other fellow voters to go ahead and cast that magical vote to any party or none of the above. You have a choice, make it count, be heard. Don’t take that weekend vacation, instead take a walk to your polling booth and stand proud. As for me, I shall just soak in the atmosphere at the booths and mope and pray for a miracle.

‘Your Vote’ is a column capturing the Lok Sabha 2014 fervour in Mumbai. The series ends with this writeup. We hope you’re casting your vote tomorrow.

(Pictures courtesy www.youthkiawaaz.com, s-philipraja.blogspot.com)

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Politicians undergo severe stresses

It’s not as easy as folding one’s hands and asking for votes. Relentless campaigning and travel are making politicians ill.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Part 6 of the ‘Your Vote’ campaign for Lok Sabha 2014.

For most of us, election time is the one time we see all shapes and sizes of politicians, across party lines, become suddenly visible. We watch them tour our neighbourhoods with folded hands, asking one and all to vote for them.

Doctor Haresh MehtaHowever, it’s never as easy as it looks. Relentless campaigning, travelling all hours of the day, setting up or addressing mega rallies, dealing with the press – and all of this and more under a scorching sun – combine to cause huge stresses in our politicians. We got Dr Haresh Mehta (in pic on left), renowned cardiologist practicing at a number of premium hospitals in Mumbai, to tell us how stress can take a toll on a politician’s life.

Excerpts from the interview:

In your practice, have you seen a rise in the numbers of heart disorder cases arising due to stress?

Yes. Heart diseases due to stress have risen from 1 per cent in 1960, to 11 per cent in 2003, to 34 per cent in 2014 in India’s urban population.

What are the effects of stress on the heart?

Stress, today, is one of the biggest contributors to heart problems and the worst of the outcomes can be a heart attack. Stress often manifests itself in the form of rising blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, irregular eating habits, lack of exercise and a tendency to smoke. It raises the levels of hormones which are called catecholamine, or the ‘fight or flight’ hormones. These hormones are necessary adaptations at times of acute stress to help combat problems. However persistent increase of these hormones can lead to raised heart rate (palpitations), elevated blood pressure, and elevated blood clotting factors which can cause sudden blocks in blood vessels supplying blood to the heart. Prolonged stress can also lead to elevated bad cholesterol levels.

It is currently election time. Can you shed some light on the effects of stress on politicians?

The 2014 general elections are reportedly the most expensive, pegged at Rs 3,500 crore, and the stress levels of campaigning are high, especially considering the marathon for political parties. But in this hustle-bustle of campaigning, the candidates have over-stressed themselves so much that their health is deteriorating to the extent that the public are now concerned.

For example, one of our national political candidates is said to have lost 10 kg of weight due to stress of running campaigns and constant travelling and fasting. Another one is suffering from fever and bad throat due to stress and much pressure from party members. In all, their bodies have started to dis-function to an extent that they are diagnosed with either nebuliser or a daily dose of insulin.

Can you describe a politician patient who came to you seeking help to combat stress?

I have treated a few political leaders as well as volunteers. I particularly remember one young political leader who had come to me a couple of years back with a heart problem and had to undergo a bypass surgery at a very young age. Due to stress of the work that he was handling, which lead to irregular eating and sleeping habits, his work went completely haywire. On top of that, because of the stress of elections, he used to smoke heavily. All this compounded to give him a heart attack, necessitating a bypass surgery at such a young age.

What advice would you give politicians as they go about for election campaigning?

During campaigns, politicians must make the time for small meals at regular intervals to cope with an action-packed day. At some point of the day they must take the time out to go for a walk, or meditate. They must also cut the cord from whatever they are doing for at least 10 to 15 minutes in a day to de-stress themselves by dedicating those many minutes only to themselves.

(Pictures courtesy week.manoramaonline.com, thelasttradition.blogspot.com)

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Why you should vote…even if your choice is NOTA

Lok Sabha elections are just around the corner for Mumbai. Here’s why exercising your vote would be a good idea.
Pooja Birwatkarby Dr Pooja Birwatkar

Part 3 of the ‘Your Vote’ campaign for Lok Sabha 2014.

After several months of hoopla, the elections have finally arrived. It’s the time of the year when the common man suddenly assumes huge significance and becomes the focal point of political parties’ attention. Your vote counts and that makes you wanted by all – so what if these same ‘all’ neglected you and your voice for years? These unheard voices and pleas of the common man having fallen so far on deaf ears will suddenly now be heard.

Sometimes, this whole scenario makes us feel so betrayed by the political system that we decide to take our revenge by not voting. One feels, “Why should I vote now, after all, where was I all these years?” Yes, you are right in feeling so, but at the same time, this is not the way to ‘penalise’ the system. This way of punishing the system is counter-effective, as in the end, we stand out to be losers, too.

The serious tone at the polling station makes you realise how the voting process is not a joke, and how valued your contribution to it is. As one goes behind the box to use the electronic voting machine, you are free in that moment to discard all the opinions and judgements passed on to you, all the promises made by political parties. It is you who will decide, at that moment, which button to press.

I have pledged this time that I will vote. Whatever be my decision – to choose a party or to opt for NOTA (None Of The Above) – I will go and cast my vote. I have a small son, for whom my dream is that he should be a responsible Indian citizen, and this is my duty as a parent. I want to show my son that I follow my civic duties and take my citizenship seriously. Hence, I will make sure that on Election Day, I go and perform my duty with utmost sincerity.

For those who are still not convinced, there are some not-so-serious reasons to go out and vote as well. You can show off the little blue dot on your fingernail and boast about howNOTA option you are a true Indian. Trust me, the moment the indelible ink is put on your finger, you feel the liberation that comes from having made a choice. The whole experience of going to the polling station is unique. Standing in line as you wait for your turn, you witness a whole range of activity. The serious tone at the polling station makes you realise how the voting process is not a joke, and how valued your contribution to it is. As one goes behind the box to use the electronic voting machine, you are free in that moment to discard all the opinions and judgements passed on to you, all the promises made by political parties. It is you who will decide, at that moment, which button to press. You are in your own bubble – you, the partition cordoning off the EVM from others’ eyes, and your decision to cast your vote. It feels like you are looking at a treasure chest, and the key is known only to you.

Whether you want to experience the magic of voting or not, do consider this: whether you vote or not, someone is going to win and capture the seat. So why not do your calculations and help the right people win? The anxiety and happiness to see someone you voted for winning, is a very different experience. You feel like you actually made a difference. Of course, maybe one would still lament and blame the elected ones later, but you would know you chose them and that changes your approach to your own criticism. Besides, what stops you from reminding your elected representative why you elected him or her in the first place?

Sure, April 24 is a holiday for voting and we like holidays, but this is a holiday with a purpose. Go early and cast your vote – it hardly takes any time – and you can have the rest of the day to yourself.  

‘Kaun vote kare? Sab ek se hain…I like no one.” Don’t say this, please. Go vote. Believe me, you will like the experience.

Dr Pooja Birwatkar is currently pursuing post doctoral research and working in the area of science education. ‘Your Vote’ is a column capturing the Lok Sabha 2014 fervour in Mumbai. If you want to be featured here, write to editor@themetrognome.in with the subject line ‘Your vote’.

(Pictures courtesy india.blogs.nytimes.com, www.tntmagazine.in. Images are used for representational purpose only)

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