The season of election is here. Every day we wake up not to the birds chirping but to the trumpets blown by the election campaign vehicles. They occasionally make us red with fury but it is followed by a sense of helplessness. While we are the kings now, we are haunted by the spectre of being a drop in the ocean. A minuscule. The vast size of our population intimidates us, leading us to reflect whether our vote will make any difference to the country. Sadly, that is true. But imagine when a million people feel the same way. Questioning their vote value. That would make a difference between a utopia and a dystopia. That is why it is necessary for us not to be burdened by this formidable size of ours. Don’t let all the flotsam and jetsam overwhelm you from taking the appropriate decision. It is our vote and we will vote with conscience and have a say in the way this country runs. Your vote is at your discretion. And it will make all the difference. President Abraham Lincoln once said, “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.” As a responsible citizen we must keep this in our mind and vote carefully. A responsible citizen Is one who has the ability to keep his head steady in the noise and takes the right step. He is the one who calculates and is informed of things necessary to take a decision. Aren’t you one? Shouldn’t you be informed? Shouldn’t you be aware of your freedom and your rights? Kofi Annan, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations once said, “No one is born a good citizen or a good democrat or a good leader; it takes time and education.” Education takes time and we need to start now. As citizens it’s our duty to be heard, for that we need to be knowledgeable and loud enough to be heard through the din. This election gives us that chance. It gives us a new start, a blank canvas to paint our future. So let us take the first step. Let us start learning about our nation and see where it is going wrong. Remember John F. Kennedy once said “Without debate, without criticism no administration and no country can succeed and no republic can survive.”
