Wednesday, May 13, 2009

49-'O' WHAT???

Today I was denied the basic right extended to every citizen of this country (or so they say). I was not allowed to cast my vote to the party of my choice. The party of my choice ever since i started voting is popularly known to people as '49-O'. It basically means I dun consider any of these 'netas' to be worthy of ruling this underachieving country of mine.
Now this basic right was not denied to me by a party 'thondan' (cadre). It was denied by a stupid s***head of a booth official. The 'exercise of my franchise' went something like this:
-I walk into a booth that's so empty that I can't help but doubt the 65% voter turn out shown by abcd and wxyz tv.
-The guy in-charge of the booth shows me in.
- The 1st fem there checks my id and shouts out my name and id to a guy sitting barely 10 ft away. Once I got my ID back from her, I say '49-O'. No response, I'm shown to the 2nd fem.
- The 2nd fem checks my id again and writes some stuff on a register. I say '49-o' again. She says 'Ivar ennamo solraaru paarunga madam' (This chap's saying something) to the 1st fem.
- I repeat it to the 1st fem who asks 'Vote poda ishtam ille nu solriya pa?' ( U mean U dun wanna vote for any party?). Yeah, that's the idea.
- By this time, the 2nd fem's made me sign on that register.
- Booth in-charge walks in to 'clear' the air and asks me if I wanna use/invoke/whatever-the-hell '49-O'? Yes, Your Excellency.
- 'Andha register la sign panna vote kandippa podanum pa' (If u sign in that register, u have to to vote for some party). Now why wasn't this piece of gyaan given to me by the 2 fems there before I signed on it? I told them about it Your Excellency! No reply.
- Then His Excellency comes up with this, '25 symbol iruku thambi. Unaku pudicha symbol paathu kuthitu po. Thoppi, kannadi, bat, ambu vil... neraya nalla nalla symbol iruku pa. Unaku pudichadhu edho onnu amuthu. Adhu un jananayaga kadamai' (There are 25 symbols there kid. Jst select the one you like most. There are symbols like Hat, Coolers, Cricket bat, Bow-n-Arrow etc. Choose the one that attracts you the most and vote for it. It's your democratic responsibility'.
- I know a lost cause when I see one. I walk in, press the blue boutton next to I'm-not-telling-you and walk out.
- His Excellency is smiling like a Headmaster who's just straightened out a particularly naughty toddler. The 2 full grown mountain trolls that checked my IDs are grinning in a similar fashion. Congrats Arun, you just shouldered a 'democratic responsibility'.

So much for having '49-O'. So much for bothering to walk to the polling booth under the hot Sun. If I couldn't vote the way I wanted, what's the bloody point??? Proud to be a citizen of the biggest democracy on Earth!

1 comment:

Hobbes said...

Issi ko kehte hai democracy ..
What an idea sirrji !!OLE20LEGE