The Election and the digital divide

Photo credit:  Doodlebug 


Now, that the polling is over and the electorate of India or Bharath as some would want to say, has spoken, is that in a loud voice? I guess it is, and as loud as it can get in this super hot summer and the parched throats can shout. More that 50% of the population have spoken and that is loud enough for me.

The Election commission has to be commended and so too the law and order enforcement agencies who had to keep the “Future Law makers” from “not breaking the law”. Passions whipped up, complaints galore.

This was by no means an easy exercise and full marks to these agencies for doing this massive job with elan and poise. While, it would have been better to have done this within a shorter period of time, we should understand when the circus has to move from one place to another, it takes time. This long period definitely helped to keep the Media (Specifically the TV media) super busy and many motor mouths to “Express” themselves in the “Debates”. The Psephologists (did we not hear this word for the first time when we listened and watched to Dr. Pranoy Roy on NDTV ages back?), “Opinion polls” (I really wonder if the opinions of these opinion polls matter at all), analysts, predictors, tarot card readers, astrologers were also fully occupied and the unemployment level is sure to go up once the election dust settles and all these have to find some other vocation till the next great Indian Jamboree.

All said and done, dear Election Commission of India, it is time take a bow. It was impressive (Has been since the days of the great Mr. T N Sheshan – it was only since then, we sat up and took notice of this agency in India)

Now I quote from “The Election Commission of India” press release on 1st June 2024..

Polling across the country was held smoothly and peacefully across seven phases. The Commission led by CEC Shri Rajiv Kumar along with ECs Shri Gyanesh Kumar and Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu kept a close watch on every aspect of the poll process during the seven phase General Elections. Stringent security measures were in place creating a conducive environment for voters to cast their vote without fear or intimidation. With meticulous advance planning and rigorous training of election officials, elections this time have seen a drastic reduction in the number of repolls demonstrating the robustness of the election process...”

Digital divide, Information, dis-information, mis-information

This election was marked by a heavy use / misuse of the digital media. This by nature being “Digital”, it is either a “0” or a “1” and this digital divide has not space for any fractions. It is either “For” or “Against”.

Hence, we were bombarded within many of the “WhatsApp groups” that we are in, “X’” that we follow, the TV channels that we watch – all what we apparently wanted to watch, see and hear. So, in effect the three monkeys were in action, and we allowed ourselves “Not to see, not to hear and not to say” what we did not want to.


The “Sanathana Dharma” (Now, I don’t want to get into a controversy here) as mentioned in a Sanskrit saying (That gives me legitimacy, I presume) says…

“Satyam brooyath, Priyam brooyaath
Na brooyaath, satyam apriyam
Priyancha na anrutham brooyaath
Yeshaha dharmaha sanaathanaha”

“Tell the truth, say something pleasant
Do not speak out if it is an unpleasant truth
Just for the reason that it is pleasant, do not tell a lie
This is the (essence of) the eternal way of noble life or the sanaathana dharma".

 In this election, all these were flouted and in an obvious manner. Fraction guys like me were left out as a minority and marginalised in this Zero / One digital age. The digital world had to win as on the day of election as I had to chose any “one” and that sealed my position in this digital world.

What do you think? Leave in the comments section, if you want to.


Comments

  1. Very good article.
    It has thrown light on the Bharat democratic system and the office involved in it.
    Bharat Mata ki Jai 🙏🙏
    Vande Mataram 🙏🙏

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Sridhara. Yes, proud to be a part of this Nation

      Delete
  2. A good cent percent marks to EC.
    With all the power play around, this must have been a difficult task.
    We are a policed society.we need strong supervision.
    All that ends well is well done.too much of noice in the social media.that will Stop now.
    I am also like you. Truth plesent...
    A Well written article

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Shankaranna. Is being a Policed society good? I don't think so. Again, Truth need not necessarily be Pleasant. But an "Unpleasant lie" is more dangerous. With AI and deepfakes, unfortunately that is becoming more prevalent.

      Delete
  3. Hi Mohan, good article. I liked the sting in the tail “ fractions like us are made to choose between 0 and 1” - SPM

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks SPM. ha ha, aren't many of us fractions and forced into being digital?

      Delete
  4. Doreswamy Srinidhi2 June 2024 at 11:32

    The sanskrit verse and its translation makes it very clear why some politicians do not want to follow or unable to follow Sanatana Dharma..It is beyond them!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Politicians have a clear agenda and that is obviously not truth. Their ultimate truth is Power

      Delete
  5. All the tenets of the constitution & rules prescribed in the peoples' representation act were flouted with impunity, with the 11th Aavathar of Vishnu leading from the front, in a no holds barred election. Yet again proves that we are just the largest banana republic. People voted for their Aastha , so that majoritarian rule is established.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it was a No holds barred election. Yes, flouting of rules has been very prevalent. I would rather not comment on who started all of this? When did the "Investment politics" start? Who started it? While I do not believe in a "Messiah" who needs to deliver us (which ever # of avathaar it is), I personally feel that a society needs a strong leader with a clear vision and hope this vision is noble and not leading to "personal enrichment" but to "Social upliftment". No, I beg to differ from you on your comment that we are a "Banana republic". We are a thriving and evolving Democracy. I am proud of this.

      Delete
  6. Well written Mohan, as always.
    Fully agree with you, Election Commission to be applauded for getting this difficult job - fairly well done.
    All the flouting during election period will be forgotten once dust settles down in few days and we all see the eagerly awaited continued further growth in economy and a broad based societal well being across the country.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Partha. We all live on hope and a sense of positivity..

      Delete
  7. Now that the results are out, some of the canards floating around, which even very intelligent and sensible friends of mine believed, have been proved false.

    1. The BJP government is not an autocratic government, heading towards a dictatorship.
    2. The Election commission is independent and very efficient.
    3. EVMs and VVPATs electronics are not corrupted to deliver votes to BJP.
    4. Both sides make a lot of absurd claims.
    5. The most impressive exit poll prediction was from Yogendra Yadav. I am not his fan and did want to believe him. But he has been very good, making a host of other big psephologists, look like jokers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Every dark cloud has a silver lining. This one has many silver linings, I presume. Yes, you are right about many of your points. I hadn't heard of YY's prediction. True, we had many an Ultracrepidarians floating around.

      Delete

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