My Vote goes to...

The D- day has finally dawned.

The youngest voter ever? Courtesy: Getty

And a flurry of activity is to be seen. Not from all the loudspeakers, blaring music, pandals and processions which have finally taken a rest today, as it is the day, but from everyone else around. A lot of excitement and perhaps, not so much suspense, fills the air. People are getting ready for the "big moment" when their thumb will be inked and their opinion will be heard. Friends and family throng to the marketplace, where small tables have been set up by volunteers and party workers, welcoming people, checking their names, and finally giving the thumbs up signal to " GO". Go , cast your vote now.. Make your voice count,, for what counts better in the election of the biggest democracy in the world? Almost a billion people out there, ready to call the shots today. For today is the day, the day when "we" count..

Ready to vote now

I drive through Indiranagar and Tippasandra, both hubs of election activity, abuzz with excitement. Somewhere in between the veggie and flower carts decked in a riot of colours, displaying pristine white jasmines, juicy apples, oranges and mangoes, stands a small white table, with the ballot list, the list that finally matters. People flock around it, like bees to a beehive. There is certainly method in this madness, or how could India, each time, manage this  stupendous feat , flawlessly running a mammoth election, time and time again, and be the envy of many countries across the world.

Trees smile benevolently, showering the voters and politicians alike with their bountiful blessings of fragrant Jacarandas, lavender blossoms and orange Gulmohars. The whole place is decked with festivity. Coming in the middle of the festive week, with the colourful, flower decked chariots of Ramanavami taking centre stage last week, the rice, flowers and coconut celebrations of the Kerala New year yesterday, and Good Friday coming up tomorrow, it certainly feels like a moment of celebration for the country, for the people -the elections today. And, regardless of who wins this one, it is another day of glory- the day that governance, promises and performance are finally measured with one stroke of the ballot, the day of reckoning for many.

A lady and her little daughter, sit and play together, in their flower shop, relishing their moments of togetherness, impervious to the activity around, to the strong winds that blow today, the winds of change maybe. It is a welcome holiday for them and for many others.. a day of rest. It also feels like a day of hope for them.. and for the aam aadmi*, who simply hopes for good governance this time round.

The world's largest democracy 

I hope too.. of an India, led not just by politicians, leaders or netas, but by visionaries.. of people who love her, care for her... this time, my vote is neither for a leader, nor for a party, or an alliance, but for the cause of all... my vote is for the aam aadmi*, for the real India..

Regards
The amblingindian.
(*
aam aadmi = common man.
Also read 2013- Year of Aam Aadmi in this blog)

P.s Today, I did not just vote-- instead, I wrote.

The vote that counts

Men will be boys...

Another one of those atrocious, absurd and insensitive gaffs, this time by the leader of the largest state in India. Pray what does Mr Soft Singh have to dispell, by way of HIS nuggets of wisdom, towards rape and rapists, and the treatment they deserve? Well, Mr Soft singh seems to think that we need to be really soft towards the perpetrators (note, not the victims) of the crime.
It seems that "Men will be boys " and  " Rapes will be rapes" and therefore, by some absurd association, " Boys will rape", and therefore "their mistakes" should be pardoned.

Mr Soft Singh, if you are not soft in the head, I would love to know what you think about this:
Let's make some more mistakes here - Lets castrate a few of these rapists and maybe even the loud- mouthed leaders, entirely in error, and then pardon the castrators too. Too bad if the rapists have just lost an organ..  after all, mistakes do happen, and, going by your yardstick, since the abject state of the rape victim is of no consequence anyway, this too should be pardoned, or let off with a light slap on the cheek. right?


With people like these at the helm of affairs, now hoping to get a chunk of the vote, and eventually change laws too, just to suit their antiquated thinking ( With the pace at which their thinking moves, Mr soft Singh and his cronies should have been fossilised by now).
I am shuddering and shivering at the prospect of being subject to more of these gaffs..
All peoples, please help to tape up some mouths, and use your ballot wisely this time round...

An indignant amblingindian.

Tips from the Professor !

Professor S.Roy, a good friend and an esteemed professor of marketing at the Indian School of Business, a top- notch B-school, complains about how difficult it is to put a comment on my blog, thanks to Google's super-secure technology, designed to weed out pranksters, jokesters, spam and general time wasters (unfortunately readers too at times).

Thank you from Aina

Dear Professor, sure i have taken your tips on marketing, unique selling propositions, market positionings and the like, and tried them on my blog, even though my knowledge of marketing and its application has become fairly rusty by now. It being twenty years since I last did some case studies on others at B- School, I am now, twenty years later, having real fun, trying to do them on myself.

And so, after all that case study business, maybe I will attempt this simple lesson for my readers :

-A tip to help to post a comment- scroll down to the comment section that says " no comments" or ' N comments", click on it .
-A window will magically open there. Do type your comments, and write your name in the comment box itself ( if you want to - that is).
-In any case, when it asks you to post as someone, choose anonymous and submit. That's the easiest workaround i could find.

Dont forget the other links though, you could very easily:
- Simply like the blog by clicking on vote (very top right)
- Follow on facebook (link to the top right)
- Follow on twitter ( link on the right)
- Follow by email ( again, link on the right)
- Follow the blog  - scroll right down, log in with any of your IDs ( facebook/google/yahoo, etc ).That will also display your profile.

Hope all this helps. Do post your valuable feedback, comments, likes and shares. As always :
" You, the readers, make me what I am - You enrich my journey, make it all so meaningful, so worth the while! "  

11333 views now and growing- whoa!
Thank you all, once again!
Aina Rao
The amblingindian

Happy April Fool's day

And you thought there was a post in here!

Just fooling :-)
Aina Rao
The amblingindian

1st April, 2014