voter apathy

bomb blasts had rocked Mumbai in December 2008 and on April 2009, the city cast its vote to elect a PM for the next 5 year term.

I would have thought that the bombing incident would have somehow led to a big voter turnout to cast their ballots. The bomb incident should have polarised people to voice their concerns about insecurity, infrastructure and general social well being in the city.
As a matter of fact these concerns would have been no different in any other city or state in India.

But what is surprising is the last time around, the voter turnout was greater than it has been this time around. Last election the city had a voter turnout of 47%, this time around the voter turnout has been 43%.

4% lower than the erstwhile term of polls.

Though there has been a decrease in voter turnout, there has been an increase in the number of independents standing this time around for elections in their constituency.

I think the voters including me are apathetic to the present clan of politicians, though one could exercise a vote favouring an alternate political leadership this time around, I think the people (including moi) have smartened up to the fact that a change in political leadership alone will not yield an efficacious and efficient system for the city of Mumbai.

The existing political leadership whether outgoing leadership or the one vying to come to power have no vested interest to clean up their act, the only vested interest that they harbour is to come to power. Besides once in power, these leaders seem to have some inertia to act on the need of the city, as though there is some nexus between the chaos that ensues in the city and inability to eradicate the infirmity of the city.

It is logical and plainly clear to most of us common folk in the city where we need to clean up and what we need, we are a pretty aware and conscious lot of people, albeit though much is desired and known, seldom little or nothing gets transformed from desire to reality.

Given that diktat, little can be expected in terms of change or much less can be expected interms of a makeover for the city.

So we have a lower voter turnout despite the Mumbai bomb blasts in tandem we have a rise in the number of independents trying to do their bit or at least to profess that can achieve something where the politicians have failed.

It would be interesting to note if will can transform this city or is this an endemic and congenital problem with us Indians that gets us running around everywhere (ironically getting nowhere) as though our hair is on fire.
We have a terrible inertia to change.
That seems to be our legacy....one that we was handed over to us 1947.
Since then we have been stuck.