“Globally, more voters than ever in history will head to the polls as at least 64 countries (plus the European Union)—representing a combined population of about 49% of the people in the world—are meant to hold national elections, the results of which, for many, will prove consequential for years to come.”
- Time Magazine
**
It's been six years since I turned 18, and this was the first time I voted. Something I'm not too proud of. I had resided at various cities during my college and work years, that I could never make it back home to vote. Not only was I home this time, I also noticed many young people travelling back to their hometowns to cast their vote. A generation of voters who have been moulded to be more politically aware, exhausted by the consecutive terms of authoritarian governments and have realised that it takes more than an online post to bring about some change, have constituted a portion of the electorate.
As I made my way to my assigned polling station on the day of the election, I saw the entire neighbourhood turning up to vote. In contrast to my earlier impressions, the line of people waiting at the booth were mostly elderly people. Paatis* and Thaathas** who were well above their 60s, waited in line in the afternoon sun. An old woman in front of me asked for my help to climb the stairs, and I obliged. Polling stations in India are local schools or colleges. The voting booth is setup in a classroom, with government teachers taking the role of polling officers. Before casting their vote, the officer marked the person's finger with indelible ink. I waited to get my finger marked, surrounded by a board that had the thirukkural written on it along with images of freedom fighters. I walked over and cast my vote. It was an incredible moment having exercised my democratic right; I was elated, that I tripped over the cable of the electronic voting machine, and almost fell on my face on the way out.
*grandmothers, **grandfathers
The 2024 election in India was held in six phases. Tamil Nadu voted in the first phase. My friend Kriti who is from Lucknow, was voting two months later. It's crazy to think that voting is a three month long affair in India. Given the size of the world's largest democracy, conducting elections peacefully is a massive feat. Voting was a humbling experience and made me realise the scale of this system. It also zoomed me back into my locality, and showed the power of the small; from families to individuals, young and old.
Results Day
Come results day, and I was not looking forward to it. Exit polls had predicted the incumbent government to win by a massive margin, and my friends and I were prepared to watch the expected results in dismay. Counting started in the morning, and we decided to take a day off and watch the live. Situated in different cities, we shared screenshots and video calls to see the turns in the lead. And boy, did it turn out to be more thrilling than we ever expected it to be.
The opposition bloc had formed an alliance constituting of regional parties spearheaded by the Congress (the other dominant national party). By midday, it was becoming clear that the ruling party did not have a strong majority, and the opposition were giving a tough fight. In stronghold constituencies, the incumbents were losing by significant margins which was a surprise to many. It also showed that the people at the grassroots were rejecting the majoritarian narrative centred on religion and were more concerned about the resources needed to live an everyday life - like employment, agriculture and education. The tide was turning, spearheaded by the citizens who were holding the government accountable through their vote.
It was a tight race to the finish. Important coalitions in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar had ensured that the BJP government stayed in power winning the House majority by a slender number of seats. (chandrababu naidu and nitish drive agenda)
Social media was abound with memes, with more youth glued to their phones, tracking election news. The singular nationalistic vision was shaken while an overwhelmingly pluralistic alliance of regional parties emerged. The Constitution became a point of attention after a decade of mob driven religious sentiment that hinged on hatred and communalism.
Hope triumphs
The evening of results day was sweeter than the day of voting. There was so much of shared joy as the country witnessed debut candidates make their mark, candidates who had tried for years make their mark and lastly, powerful incumbents losing their positions because they had failed to deliver.
One of the most memorable conversations came about when a friend from Slovakia messaged me about their news channels covering the Indian elections for the first time ever. She also talked to me about their elections, that they had been rendered hopeless. She told me about how they'd tried protesting but to no avail. Realising that taking to the streets were not an option, she was even planning to shift to another country later in the year. The only words that I could offer were; it takes time, maybe a decade, maybe more to see even the tiniest glimpse of change. Until then, it is about silently having conversations in our own circles, sometimes outside those circles, being there for those working on the ground, and supporting the movements in the smallest ways possible. This form of support can take the form of making art, cooking meals, planting trees, writing stories, or speaking out. Such acts of rebellion are more often acts of love and inclusivity which are bound to be terribly arduous, entire causes that make you doubt yourself. Yet, these acts that keep us going, step by step, one day at a time.
The tiniest of wildflowers
Apart from the acts of everyday people, it was the role of certain committed individuals which lifted the spirit of the elections more than ever. The ongoing work of many independent journalists in the country, some of whom have had to leave their newsrooms which they have worked for decades and return to grassroots coverage of essential issues like water, food, and housing have been shaping the fulcrum of public opinion in the last few years. The results were evidence that the narrative deserves to be reclaimed in the favour of the citizens of the country, who have the right to hold the powerful accountable to their decisions.
My favourite description of the whole situation was a writeup by author Janice Pariat on her Instagram handle.
"*Today is a good day to think about the small, the neglected, the often overlooked. These daisies, for instance, that spring up wild all over Shillong during the rains, brightening corners and backyard walls. Today is a good day to think about the small and often overlooked—and the power they hold to move us and shift perspective. Last month, on one of our weekends in Delhi, we were treated to a guided walk through Nehru Park by the wonderful Pradip Krishen [@pradipkrishen](https://www.instagram.com/pradipkrishen/?hl=en) .
*We had our noses to the ground, and looked at the small, the neglected, the often overlooked, and discovered a universe beneath our feet. How perspectives can shift! Usually, our gazes are turned above, to tall, mighty trees or sprawling bushes or bright blooms planted carefully for the season. That morning we looked at little growing beings—blooming joyfully in their own tiny way. Gardeners came up to us, suspiciously—“what are you doing?”— but soon they left us well alone.
*Today is a good day to think about the small, the unconsidered, the unruly. The “small” beings that surprise and delight us hugely. That instil wonder. What joy to shift our gazes from the tall and mighty and feel something within us also realign*"
-- Janice Pariat
Only the month before, I had taken a trip with Kriti, to Darjeeling. We collected wildflowers and gifted them to each other in the morning. Seeing her post about wildflowers, I had to share our story.
"*We went to Kalimpong to recuperate and remove ourselves from the hopelessness we were facing. My friend Kriti is from Lucknow and she was scared to go home to vote because of disagreements with her father. And yet she went right after the trip. Throughout our trip, we kept collecting these wildflowers everyday, gifted them to each other and engaged in discourse with everyone we met. Yesterday was such a joyful day for the both of us as we watched the broadcasts together! And your post reminded me of all of this![💛]"
A game of deceptions
Post results day, the excitement slowly died down. There was anticipation about expected coalitions and doubts if parties would fall back on their promised alliances to shift the needle of the majority. After the results came out, the opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, held a press conference, where he spoke holding the Constitution of India in his hand. That seemed to be the strategy of the INDIA alliance who had garnered the strength by creating a coalition of regional parties. The next day, the incumbent Prime Minister whose nationalistic party had campaigned on the grounds of religious exclusivity and othering of minorities, prostrated himself on the ground before the Constitution of India. He had changed his symbolic attire of orange and wore green. His demeanour had changed. It was the only response that someone could give to a resounding citizenry who had rejected religious sentiments. From now on, politicians wouldn't rely on centralizing power, breaking the One Nation myth. They had to acknowledge the plurality of the country and pay heed to common people and their challenges. The socially fracturing narrative could no longer work.
Democracy had shined through.
p.s.
It's been six months since the results were announced. The systems are the same, and the work goes on. Irrespective of where politics happen, we continue doing the work everyday. Trump just won the US elections, it feels inconsequential to those of us living outside the US. On results day, Aljazeera reports repeated attacks on another hospital in Gaza. The news anchor questions the journalist on the field, "What do the Palestinians think of the newly elected leader and the results of the elections?". The journalist says, "They don't care." For almost a year where they have been systematically ignored, the US continues to feed the giant with arms, and what opinion can they even have?" I switch off the television to sights of rubble and bloodshed. The next morning, I continue my work. Making tea for people whom I disagree with, gently nudging them towards uncomfortable conversations, trying to reduce my screen time and plastic waste, and silently writing. Amidst the daily drudgery, the 2024 election results day, stay on as a sweet moment of surprise. To remember for ourselves, to support, even forgive each other and trudge through our differences.
----Swarna
Comments