OPIUM OF THE MASSES ?

26 July 2011

OPIUM  OF  THE  MASSES  ?

Karl Marx is supposed to have said ,

“ Religion is the opium of the masses “

Indian politicians are re-writing this to read,

“  Voting in a democratic state is the opium of the masses “

Vote and get into a state of stupor !

Why else would they all gang-up to make voting compulsory ?

Forgetting their differences, political parties are telling the Indian voters :

“  You must vote.

    We are giving you a vast choice to vote and select from amongst 10 / 20 / 30  thoroughly incompetent / corrupt / criminal candidates.

   With so much choice, what is your problem ?

   If you still do not vote, you are a traitor and must be put behind the bars.”

But the voters are saying :

We will go and vote, only when the law permits us to cast a “ negative vote “ -  or provide a blank space on voting paper where we can add the name and vote for an honest neighbor who has neither money for a poll-campaign, nor for “ security deposit ‘ and who we know, will not rob / torture / rape us for the next 5 years.

We will go and vote when we have a “ Right to Recall “ those who utterly fail to represent us.

With regards

Hemen Parekh