For the people, by the people, of the people!

Although I do not identify myself as a hardcore columnist and definitely don't see myself as one keen on spreading political propaganda, yet I do see sometimes the need to voice my opinions on the current political turmoil particularly in the state of West Bengal amid the legislative assembly general elections. We credulous people often map leadership to the holy duty of serving the masses, actively listening to their grievances and showing them the way. But unfortunately, in today's scenario it has been reduced to the goofy act of serving oneself (not the people) and keeping off the common masses from the truth while the "leader" prioritizes his own joie de vivre and private luxuries over the well-being of the people he serves. It is really disheartening to see so much bloodshed, anguish and hatred for each other especially around the few days of the assembly elections. The fact that some political analysts "sensed" a reform of the government power holders did raise serious eyebrows but it didn't swayed people from casting their votes even in this uncomfortably hot and humid weather. So much so that, the voter turnout turned out to be around ninety percentage on the very first day itself. Although some have attributed this to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) performed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the past few months, still the numbers are undoubtedly impressive. The satraps left no stone unturned to put their party on the altar and convince the masses that their victory is evident no matter what. Some "lucky" party workers who got the ticket this time from their party to contest the assembly elections for West Bengal in their respective seats resorted to intense acts of adulation. One was seen frying fritters, another was seen operating the plough by himself, and yet another was seen operating on a patient in a hospital all in the name of winning over public sentiment for solidifying their chances of victory in the assembly elections. It's hilarious to even think about how far these "leaders" can go for power. Once the get what they want, they are not to be seen for another eon till the next assembly elections! The ink runs deep but none is real. If lies are told a thousand times they start to sound like sacred lines. The "mischiefs" of these top brass are countless and one should not even dare to keep a track of all those "mischiefs". If one were to speak of this, the words would pile up endlessly, and the list would never be complete! In today's era of rampant adulteration and impurity, the average human life expectancy stands at 65 years. If a person secures a job only at the age of 40 — when, then, is he supposed to get married? When is he to have children? When is he to care for his parents? And when, exactly, is he supposed to enjoy his own life? Must the truly deserving spend their entire lives in a ceaseless struggle, while the incompetent — aided by middlemen — simply buy their way into jobs and reap all the rewards? As the saying goes: "A thief has his ten days, but the householder has just one." In our state — and indeed across our nation — the common citizen gets only that single day in five years — much like that householder — to exercise their rights. On these two days of voting, cast your ballot with deep consideration for the future of yourself, your family, your state, and your nation, so that you do not have to regret your decision later on. "Before you press the button, Let your conscience awaken."