Make Your Vote Count !!!!!!!!

While political parties are gearing up for elections, garnering the attention of the people are thought provoking and crisp television ads urging them to vote and vote responsibly.

Voting is a responsibility and an action that every member of society must participate in, local Government Elections are the grassroots of politics. As the youth, who wish to progress in lives, find good job’s, leave in safe & healthy environments and ultimately make certain that our elderly, our parents, our siblings and our future families live in secure and safe environments, where our elderly are not mugged, our parents are not hijacked, our siblings are not influenced to do and sell drugs, shot and robbed, it becomes our duty to vote intelligently and to provide them with a safe, secure and healthy environment.

Campaigns like Lead India 09, Tata Tea 'Jaago re' and UTV Bindass 'Ungli Utha Vote Kar' are aimed at motivating Indians to vote in the coming elections starting April 16. With a change in people's mindsets and a growing urge to be more participative, especially after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, there wouldn't have been a better time to give airtime to these ads which stimulate the feeling that one should vote. Also, these ads that primarily target youth reaffirm the growing dominance of the youth population of the country. It is the young people who have the power to transform society with their passion and energy.

The local band in Bangalore they came in droves and jived to popular rock beats that had a blunt message - "Shut up and vote". Swayed by the power of music, they promised to do so in the coming elections. Through voting and electing quality leaders, the youth can strengthen the roots of Indian democracy. So put that index finger to good use - shut up and vote! urged, carrying forward the campaign to enthuse the apathetic Indian youth to participate in the world's biggest battle of the ballots.

The Jaago Re campaign was launched six months ago. As a part of the campaign, a dedicated website www.jaagore.com was started, where would-be voters could register online and get directions for the registration process. Around 5, 45,000 youth across the country have registered with the site.

But for the youths in nation it is not ideologies that matter, or basic mudslinging that political parties love indulging in. It is the on ground improvement in their lives that matters the most. This is an issue that plays out at state and central level elections. The events of 26 /11 changed an entire perception of how we viewed our security. The most up market places were attacked, giving everyone the notion that no place, including your house is safe.

With the global economic downturn, and the liquidity crises, it has hit the youth in a major way. College placements and the offer packages have been hit severely. The pay packages have reduced and the jobs available are much lesser in comparison to last year, if not available at all. Many college fests faced a shortage of funds, due to lack of sponsorships. Those organizing fests have had a harrowing time finding sponsors with almost every prospective sponsor having no money.

Unfortunately it’s not about choices. It’s about, having the strongest wrist of Iron. There are goons; there are criminals, illiterate and absolute morons who nominate themselves for elections. These are the people who represent the ‘aam aadmi’ of India, in the Parliament and then in the world. Ask the ‘aam aadmi', and he will say that, he had no choice; it was either bad or worse. And between the two, there is no one who would even make these politicians the chowkidaar of their house… let alone them becoming the watchdogs of the country and the constitution.

It’s the great irony of Indian elections that every five years we are told to exercise our fundamental rights to go and vote, only to find that it’s again the bad and the worse fighting for their survival instead of the good and the best working towards running the country. It has to be between the bad, the worse and the worst…!!! God Bless India.

But lets hope for the best and cast our vote and make our vote count!!!!!!!