Raised the Finger.

It was a big day. The very first of the four day leave that we had got. Thanks to the spate of public holidays preceding the weekend. Many had already left Mumbai to ensconce is the cool comforts of the nearby hillocks. They would never have got any better chance to have a family outing in otherwise difficult times. I got up, as usual, to the grinning sound of construction going on in my neighborhood. It was almost 9:00 AM and the news channels were in a state of excitement to cover the electoral process. I suddenly realized that it was the election day and I hadn't got any voters card. Neither had I found my names in any of the online electoral lists. The very thought of not being able to cast my vote made me feel ashamed. I had waited for this day for five long years and I didn't want to miss out on this one. My parents, in the meantime, were at their polling station. To my surprise, I got a call from them informing me that my name is present on the electoral list. It took me only 10 min to finish of my daily chores and be there to raise my finger. To say the least, being able to cast my vote made me feel empowered and proud. What was equally disappointing is the low voters turnout. Being a Mumbaikar incidents such as 26/11 have changed the mindset of many of us. I had a firm belief that this time around there is a wave of civic consciousness that would manifest itself in terms of large voter turnouts across all constituencies. But that didn't happen. I do not know why the priorities change but all I know is it not casting my vote would have amounted to remorse for the coming five years or whatever. I am glad that my middle finger has saved the day for me again. Well, the index finger is waiting for the assembly elections !