“Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.” - George Bernard Shaw
Lets say, I have 100 Rs and i want to buy something. I go to a shop pay 100 and get it. The shop owner gets the 100 rupees, but is under the assumption that the product he sold me was given to me due to his great efforts and decides to remind me about his benevolence by printing his name, family name and his photo everywhere in the product. And the cost incurred to engrave them should also be paid from my pocket. I think it is right to feel irritated.
All this comes after buying a Rs.10 water bottle at the bus station, the famous "Amma Kudineer" water bottle that is sold at the bus stations in Tamilnadu. There is a green sticker with CM's smiling photo and the word "Amma Drinking Water". Above the sticker is a symbol of two big leaves. Everyone in Tamilnadu knows that is the symbol of AIADMK party. They can't have that. So on top of the two leaves there are two more smaller leaves. Now it is not a party symbol any more, but point delivered. Towards the bottom of the water bottle, once again it has the word "Amma" engraved in English on one side and in Tamil on the other side. The only mention about a government body involved was in "Processed & Packaged by State Express Transport Corporation Tamilnadu Ltd" in very small letters, which you can find only if you want to find. To me it looked a lot despotic.
The plan as such is a good move, was received with great acclaim, considering that earlier we ended up paying 15 - 20 Rs for sub-standard low quality water. Let us also assume that since India is a developing nation, all the tax money is spent in other activities and is not possible for government to give free and hygienic water at public places. Only problem is it is made to appear like a benevolent act for which I should be grateful, while it is nothing but a duty of the elected governemnt. A name and symbol related to the government might have left me satisfied something like "Rail Neer" as introduced by IRCTC which does not carry any officer's or ruler's photo.
No i do not support DMK, i despise the nepotism that exists in that party. I do not have high hopes on the so called secular congress that seems to be corrupt, and on Modi who has pledged to take country towards progress. I do agree, this is not an issue, when compared to the blatant violation of democracy that we see in a lot of instances. This is just another reminder of what our rulers are. And when i see people happy about atleast something happening, it reminds that we have brought democracy to a very low level with our ignorance. As a kid, I believed a lot when leaders talked about the country becoming super power, but it looks more like many many assumptions that vanished into thin year when i started becoming older. The current situation looks exactly similar to the story in "Animal Farm" by George Orwell, a revolution followed by a constitution that aims at equality which eventually ends in despotism and nepotism and slavery. Recommend you to read, if you haven't done so, and you will realize that we are no different than the horses and donkeys of the "Animal Farm" :-)
