Should we vote in the election or boycott the election?

 

Should we vote in the election or boycott the election?

The reason for writing this blog is mainly based on how the recent Assembly Election of Tamil Nadu held last week and the campaign of all the political parties for more than a month before election. Secondly, a full page content in today’s Tamil daily DINAMALR , I found many people shared their opinions on ‘why they didn’t vote in this election’.

My views are based on a different perspective and not on the political parties, their policies, election manifest or contestant’s background check, whether they bribe the voters or not and any other philosophical ideas or linking to any religion and not even on my own personal opinions.

In the Mahabharath, Lord Krishna describes in 8.49.49 that nahi sarvam vidhiyate, there is not a rule for everything. So scriptures give us broad guide lines for how we need to act in lives but every individual has his own circumstances, his own psychophgysical nature. Accordingly every individual will have to act, taking into consideration his or her nature and circumstances. So there cannot be any standard legislative sort of answer for the question of whether one should vote or not.

According to chapter 5 of the Bhagavad Gita, it recommends karma yoga, stating that anyone who is a dedicated karma yogi neither hates nor desires, and therefore such as person is the "eternal renouncer".

Let us not blame the party candidates bribing the people with material things for their winning vote.  We too experienced the cash offer from two opposite parties, as both the party workers are my best friends! But with folded hands we excused ourselves in accepting their offer and with a bright smile they left by reminding us to vote for their contestant!

You may not be excited about any of the candidates on the ballot. You may believe that none of them exemplify dharmic values. You may be right. But guess what? One of them is going to win. So you should ask yourself, ‘which candidate will do the least harm, be the least dishonest, and move society in a more dharmic direction?’ You may think that it doesn’t matter which candidate wins because your life won’t change either way. But voting is not just about me and it’s more than just a civic duty: voting is a service.  Service is an integral part of our eternal nature: everything we do is a service to someone or something. There is no question of serving or not serving, only of how we serve. On Election Day, A yogi serves by defending dharma, by taking a stand for simplicity, virtue, generosity, and truthfulness. Our local polling station is the battlefield and a ballot is our weapon. On Election Day, yogis are called upon to fight for the welfare of all living beings.

Anyone can put any number of reasons for NOT VOTING but there is only one reason to VOTE. 

Yes , I voted in this election of my choice, respecting the social responsibility, a civic duty and a service. Hope the eligible voters may know that, without boycotting the voting, they can use the provision in the voting machine to vote for NOTA (None Of The Above) to indicate disapproval of the candidates in the voting system! Even then one has to win and other one to lose, because the fundamental duality is inevitable. Everywhere life abounds in dualities – good and bad, pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, life and death, praise and blame, honor and dishonor, love and hate and we cannot escape from the cycle of duality.