Come 2024, and we may have to vote in probably the most important election of our lives. The general election to the Indian parliament, expected to be held in May 2024. The result of this election could decide whether we will be thrown into an abyss from which at least our generation won’t be able to crawl back or whether we may get a fresh lease of life to live our dream. Dream of living in a diverse, secular, modern democratic state.
Come 2024, and we will decide who all should benefit from the wealth of our nation. Should it benefit only a few of the PM’s corporate friends, or should it benefit every citizen of this country? Should the mutton-headed policies of those in power destroy savings, small-scale industries, businesses, employment opportunities, and the environment, or should the government policies protect savings, help small-scale industries and businesses, create employment opportunities, and save the environment? Should it be a government that institutionalises corruption or a government that is accountable to the people? Should it be a government that plunders our natural resources or a government that uses our resources with due diligence for the betterment of its citizens?
Come 2024, and we will get to decide what kind of nation this once wonderful country will become. A country where the government is hellbent on punishing its citizens for the kind of food they have on their plates, or a country where the government is interested in putting food on the plates of it’s citizens? A country that imposes a single culture, language, and faith on its citizens, or a country that celebrates its diverse cultures, traditions, languages, and faiths? A country that treats women as inferior beings or a country that respects its women? A country where your caste decides your way of life, or a country where your hard work, aspirations, and dreams decide your way of life?
Come 2024, and we will get to decide whether this country should become a majoritarian state or remain secular. A country where your religion will make you a second-class citizen or a country where everyone is equal irrespective of his or her caste, creed, or faith? A country where your choice of food could get you lynched, or a country where your personal choices are respected? A country where your citizenship can be questioned on account of your faith, or a country where all citizens are equal? A country where festivals of minorities are constantly disrupted by hooligans of majority faith, or a country where festivals of every religion are celebrated together? A country where your attire could be questioned on account of your religion, or a country where your personal choices are left to you? A country where places of worship of minorities are constantly under threat or a country where everyone’s places of worship are respected? A country where ethnic cleansing and communal clashes are government-sponsored, or a country where the government protects every section of its population?
Come 2024, and we get to decide whether this country should be a police state or a robust democracy. A country where dissent is always mercilessly crushed, or a country where dissent is accepted as the essence of democracy and tolerated? A country where the residences of the citizens are bulldozed without following the due process of law, or a country where even erring citizens are assured of their rights under the law of the land? A country where freedom of expression is constantly threatened by draconian laws, or a country where you can speak your mind freely and without fear? A country where representatives of the people are expelled from the elected houses for criticising the Prime Minister and his cronies, or a country where representatives are free to question whoever is in power in whatever way and on whatever issue? A country where laws are passed in parliament after suspending the opposition lawmakers, or a country where legislation is made after proper debate? A country where opposing the government could get you unlimited jail time as an undertrial, or a country where opposing voices are given due credit?
Come 2024, and we get to decide whether this country’s future should always be conflict-ridden or peaceful. A country where its farmers are always on the warpath against its government, or a country that takes care of its farmers? A country where medal-winning sportspersons have to sit on protests against the unfair treatment meted out to them, or a country that is benevolent towards those who bring laurels to the nation? A country where students and youth of this nation feel neglected, or a country that gives priority to the interests of its students and youth? A country where those who fought for the nation have to fight for their benefits too, or a country that rewards its ex-servicemen?
Come 2024, and we get to decide whether our country should have a Goebbelsian government or a transparent one. A country where the government follows a propaganda model to manufacture consent for its policy decisions, or a country where the government functions via sound policy decisions? A country that manufactures false history or a country that accepts historical truths? A country where its students are taught myths or a country where its students are taught science? A country where facts and figures are distorted to present a rosy picture while in reality citizens are suffering due to bad policies and inept governance, or a country where the government accepts reality and works to alleviate the miseries of its citizens?
Come 2024, and we get to decide whether our country should have a government that undermines state institutions or one that nurtures state institutions. A country where parliament is reduced to the status of a mere rubber stamp, or a country where a powerful parliament debates issues of national interest, legislates new laws, and audits the government according to the provisions of the constitution? A country where the judiciary is pliant and its independence is constantly threatened, or a country where the judiciary is strong and independent? A country where bureaucracy and state agencies do the dirty work of ruling dispensation, or a country where bureaucracy and state agencies function as per the law? A country where our prestigious institutions of higher education, space agency, and public sector undertakings are vitiated by government interference, or a country where our prestigious institutions are autonomous and encouraged to continuously improve?
Come 2024, and we get to decide whether this country is Godse’s or Gandhi’s. Vote diligently!
Shakeel Mohammed P.A. is a social worker based in Kochi.
