Dear Editor,
A political leader was addressing the sheep community to seek votes in favour of him before an election. He promised to gift each one of them lot of woolen garments if the sheep community vote for him and pave the way for victory.
After the meeting, the joy of the flock of the sheep knew no bounds. After all they have been promised deluge of woolen garments! While the adults were rejoicing, suddenly a kid sheep innocently dropped the bombshell — “But from where will the leader procure such huge amount of wool to make those garments?” The sheep community went to dead silence after foreseeing their fate in near future if the leader indeed wins the election!
This is a story doing the rounds in social media which also reminds me of that Hans Christian Andersen classic “The Emperor’s new clothes”. When all the “educated” “enlightened” “experienced” adults were applauding the “beautiful dress” of the King, it required a mere “uneducated” “inexperienced” child to point out the King’s stark nakedness. Actually right from that child to the sheep baby or lamb — they had appropriately utilized their common sense unlike the adults.
Same is with Indian adult electorate. When absolute bankrupt callous inefficient brute crude elements engage in zealous rhetoric of bringing in a “New Dawn” by selling bombastic jargon in shrillest voice possible; the foolish gullible adults just forsake their minimum common sense, allow themselves to get brainwashed and blindly vote in favour of those fourth grade leaders and parties by dancing to their tunes. So it is hardly surprising that people get the government they deserve!
Instead of Universal Adult franchise, what India urgently needs is Universal Child Franchise. If the children brigade are awarded exclusive right to vote; then surely we would get truly nice efficient honest sincere leaders as the children will apply their God-awarded intellect and common sense before voting as the windows of their minds are open, embracing all winds of logic and uninfluenced by manufactured “stories” implanted by a section of the media, vested interests and “mainstream” thought.
Yours,
Kajal Chatterjee,
Kolkata