Elections...

And I felt it today. Absorbed it. And in a way I never thought I would!!

I have loyally hated politics and all these elections and everything since the day I have understood the true meaning of the damn word. Elections have only meant getting a purple dot on my forefinger as a proof of taking myself to the booth and polling for some candidate.

At my institute, when the whole batch was going crazy talking about the rules and regulations of becoming the President, Vice-President and so on, all I was going crazy about was to tolerate politics in an institution which is meant for studying and ultimately getting placed.

So many comments, so many perceptions which went somewhat like, "They are fighting with their lives, but they are going to stay in power merely for six months. Then they are leaving college", "This person will never be partial so I will vote for him", "This guy will not be able to tackle the responsibilities and the system so please don't vote for him", "Please vote for me because I am...", "Listen, whom are you voting for?" and so on!!

The voting was open for 12 maddening hours today. It was only last night that this whole thing actually started sinking into me. I have always hated this "bandh" on the day of elections and on the day of results. The fights at the poll booths. The extra security. Extra trouble. The tortured and tormented people who have no interest in politics but still go to vote for the sake of some family members' choice, or for not wasting a vote, or rather "wasting" a vote.

But today I really understood what these people feel. Why these people, standing for the various posts, are so much into this politics. This whole voting system is so addictive that it just consumes the people who have the least bit of interest in all this. This great power just plays like a big catalyst. And I can say this not only because I observed the people today but also due to the first hand experience of standing up for a position which I know I will not be able to secure. Because, at he end of the day, the hierarchical power lies in the hands which decides the result. And we all know that, right?

But it felt amazing to witness the election fever where there were not only people fighting for their own lives but also those who were fighting for their friend's life. So many people were convincing others to vote for their friend who was a candidate. So many people actually did PR campaign for their friends by designing posters. Would you not feel amazing to see someone's posters designed by such a person who demeans and makes fun of the former every single day, publicly?! People who have been staying smoked up all the time and gave no shit about marked assignments have come to their senses and were helping their friends with their PR skills!!

I bet I will never see or experience anything like this in the real world which is obviously very cruel and brutal. And again, another exception. I never thought I would thank my institute for making me witness any such thing or gain any such experience. But yeah, I do genuinely feel like thanking my institute and these people around me for giving me such an opportunity to understand why those power-hungry people do, what they do, for the elections and throughout the year.

Every person really DOES have his/her own reasons for their actions and it doesn't matter whether others can see or understand it or not.