Election 2009 must be one of the most confusing elections in India's history as an independent nation. Nothing is predictable. No party, regardless of the postures it takes, is confident. And the lines between allies and enemies are so blurred as to be non-existent. We wait for May 16, when this month long process of voting ends and the votes are counted.
But till then, most depend on the media to make some sense of the process. And is the media doing that? Or is it adding to the confusion? The electronic media, in particular, seems content to put together talking heads who shout at each other. What we need to hear is the voice of the average voter. That voice is heard sometimes, but most of the time we are treated to the same old men and women who hog the television screen through the year.
This time, print has proved that it is more reliable. Many newspapers are bringing out some of the real concerns of the average voter. These articles give us an insight into what is really going on in India beyond the metros.
Here's a link to my column in The Hoot that discusses the media and elections:
Poll time reality check
April 17, 2009
http://www.thehoot.org/web/home/story.php?storyid=3786&mod=1&pg=1§ionId=10&valid=true
Also my take on the elections, written for The New Statesman, and therefore necessarily simplified:
The son also rises but all bets are off
April 23, 2009
http://www.newstatesman.com/asia/2009/04/congress-party-india-bjp-prime
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