Auto-matically Politics!

This afternoon, as I traveled in an auto, I had the most amazing experience of a discussion on politics. The results of the Karnataka elections were on their way. I was just telling my uncle who was traveling with me that BJP was leading in the polls. I was just “passing” on information about elections although neither of us had even voted! As I told him that BJP had won at 60 odd locations and were leading in another 30 constituencies, the Auto driver gave me updated information that BJP had won in 71 constituencies and were expected to win 115 of them. I was a bit taken aback at how updated he was. He then went on to say that he hoped for a BJP government not just in Karnataka but also in the centre in the forthcoming general elections.

I wondered if he was just an ardent BJP supporter. As I was contemplating this, he added that he was a supporter of the JD earlier (almost as if he read my mind!). He claims that he was disgusted with the latter’s money laundering and innumerable scams connected with them.

In the first few minutes of our conversation, I got the feeling that this guy had information on Bangalore alone. He proved me wrong by telling me who had won in other places across Karnataka & even went on to name the politicians who had won & lost at various constituencies. I had not even heard of a few of these places, let alone know the name of the candidates. Of course, my educated ego did not allow me accept this.

Politics and there “efforts” at the highest level have no great impact at the grass root level as the effort has to filter through various levels of bureaucracy. But take chaos theory (No pun intended in comparison of politics & chaos), the flapping of a butterfly in the pacific causes a hurricane in the Atlantic! As per this, every one of our small actions can make a difference. Conflicting ideas eh? Absolutely! My brain seems to be sagging under the pressure as my thoughts move faster than the rate at which I’m typing this out!

Anyways, coming back to the auto driver, the reason he wanted a BJP win was because of their forward thinking. He said that “problems” in Bangalore such as sanitation, health, education, cost and not to mention the biggest of all, the traffic could be helped only by the BJP. How typical of the average Indian to believe in establishment to come up with effective solutions & implementation.

I’m not sure if the government could actually solve the problems. I strongly believe it comes down to each and every individual to change.
I would like to quote Bernard Shaw here – “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” I do not wish to elaborate on why I quote this.

Politics, cricket & religion are three things on which every one of us Indians has an opinion irrespective what effect (if any) they have on us. The auto driver proved one out of three at least true. Had the journey been any longer I’m sure he’d have proved three on three…