CHANDIGARH, Feb 16: Those who remember their school civics lessons will tell you that the right to vote is a hard-won and precious privilege as well as the duty of every conscientious citizen. But not everybody was good at civics and as Chandigarh Newsline went around the city on polling day, it discovered a number of adults who just didn't bother. Their excuses .."I did not vote because I felt that no candidate deserves my precious vote," says Jaspinder Sigh, a computer engineer in a private firm. "Absence of suitable leaders who can give stable governments and elections every few months have further put me off," he adds. He laments that people who get elected get votes by offering money and liquor. They are least concerned of the issues later. "Whoever comes to power from a particular seat makes no difference to our lives, so why vote?" questions Jagat Deep, a young builder. Leaders are basically selfish people. He asserts that once they get elected, they just concentrate on making money and are notinterested in knowing what people want and what they can do to improve the system.Vidya, an Air Force Employee, was in a dilemma, when it came to voting. "I wanted to vote but since some of the deserving candidates have not been given a chance to contest elections, I did not cast my vote," she says. Only leaders of P.V. Narasimha Rao's stature can give the country a stable government, she points out."I was not interested in casting my vote as I feel that the value of my vote is zero," says Amarjit Singh. "It makes no difference whether you vote or not. Past few polls reveal that people who are elected seldom come up to your expectations. All promises made before the elections remain unfulfilled," he maintains.Vishal Thukral, a government employee, is fed up with the frequent elections. "One just does not feel like voting, if elections are to be held every year and all leaders are chip of the same block," he says. Since none of the major political parties have been able to give the country a stablegovernment for five years, elections have become a joke.A postgraduate student, Ritika Bhatia, who was to cast her vote for the first time got disgusted after going through the profiles of the candidates in some of the newspapers. "How can I cast my vote for leaders who do not have a clean image," she asks. "While there is lot of hue and cry about the two affairs of Bill Clinton in America, the Indians will vote for anyone irrespective of his wrong doings."Seema Yadav, working in one of the city hotels, asserts, "I did not vote as in the given set up, no one is capable of being the prime minister of the country." More so, a candidate like Atal Behari Vajpayee is suitable for the post of prime minister, but then I do not like BJP as a party since it is communal.An industrialist, Madanjit Singh Judge, who did not vote also says, "I wanted to vote for BJP but seeing their stand on the Babri Masjid and other religious issues, I changed my mind. On the other hand, I'd like to vote for a candidate likeI.K. Gujral with a secular image, if his party was strong," he says.Rakesh Puri, a shopkeeper, did not vote as he could not make up his mind to whom he should vote for. "It is sheer waste of time as the candidates for whom you vote don't even remember you and your problems later."There were many others who could not vote as they either did not have their vote or their vote was at some other place. One of them was Punjab DGP's wife who could not vote as her vote was in Delhi.
