Chennai: “As I got a bonus holiday following a weekend, I utilised the time to take a short trip to Munnar. The reason behind my indifference is the confidence that people cannot become change makers in the corrupt electoral process,” says 24-year-old Hema Latha, a software engineer and a voter of Anna Nagar.
Like Hema, there were several youngsters in Chennai who decided to stay away from voting on Monday. Chennai with 60.99 per cent saw a poor voter turnout, when compared to rural areas that registered above 75 per cent. A few micro observers admitted it was mostly the aged who turned out in large numbers, when compared to young voters.
“This is nothing unusual, the voting in Chennai had always been relatively low, when compared to rural pockets”, says former Chief electoral officer Naresh Gupta. The same phenomenon of staying away from voting is also prevalent in Mumbai and Delhi.
When asked why residents of cities shy away from polling, particularly youngsters, the former CEO explains that most youngsters focus more on their academics and jobs. And some of them do not know whom to vote for. It is an issue, which needs to be addressed.
“The phenomenon will continue, as we have not made voting compulsory”, Gupta adds. “Residents of Chennai are not interested in politics, but they complain a lot about the political system. Chennaiites have to remember they have done a grave injustice to the democratic political process,” explains associate professor C. Lakshmanan, department of political economy, Madras Institute of Development Studies.
Chennai needs a rational political movement and the politics and functioning of the State and its association with politics has to be taught along with fundamental education. Only then more youngsters will understand the significance of voting, otherwise, youngsters and job-goers will continue to give lame excuses.
“Initially, I wanted to vote. However, when I realised that buses and trains were full, I gave up the idea of travelling to Madurai to vote,” said Sunitha Kumar, a house wife, when asked why she did not exercise her franchise.
