Even after the poll, listen to the voter

I am not a political analyst nor do I claim to understand the nitty-gritty of the multi-act electoral drama that unfolded scene by scene in ...

I am not a political analyst nor do I claim to understand the nitty-gritty of the multi-act electoral drama that unfolded scene by scene in Election 2004. I am just your ordinary neighbourhood voter one of the faceless millions who, every time an election is held, religiously goes to the neighbourhood government school to cast my vote and get my index finger marked by the indelible ink as a symbol of the celebration of democracy.

My perspective, therefore, springs from this side of the fence, the side of the millions. A lot has been written about why the BJP lost. There was column after column about the national issues or regional issues, but as a voter, I feel that only a few got it right when they wrote that people have gone beyond the need for just roti, kapada, makan. Abraham Maslow, a psychologist, in his theory of 8216;8216;self-actualisation8217;8217; says that the needs and motives of a human being are stacked in a pyramid form; the base forms the physical and physiological needs that are necessary for mere survival. The second-rung needs concern security and safety, which are followed by the needs for belonging, bonding and loving; and then come the self-actualisation needs. Unless the bottom-rung needs of an individual are satisfied, he cannot and does not move to the second rung, and so on.

I think politicians and political parties should try to judge the electors8217; pulse in light of this theory. 8216;8216;National8217;8217; and 8216;8216;regional8217;8217; issues do not matter much to a person who does not get two square meals a day, the cyber boom has no allure for a man who sleeps on a platform. The issues that concern the masses are stratum specific and any political party which hopes to defeat the 8216;8216;anti-incumbency8217;8217; factor must address the needs of every stratum and also keep in mind that the bar will keep rising. The moment one stratum moves to the next, its needs would change and so would the issues that concern them.

In retrospect, one unfortunate aspect of this election was the venomous campaigning which, at times, broke all bonds of decency. Sane voices were being drowned by the raving and ranting bigots who should have been firmly asked to shut up by their respective bosses. Don8217;t politicians realise that they can sway public opinion better by civil and dignified campaigning? Please, next time round, a little decorum would be all too welcome.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a giant of a prime minister. He was respected across party lines but a captain is ultimately as good or as bad as his team. His team, his party, proved to be his undoing. His successor, too, is respected across party lines though he is not yet a giant. I hope his party and 10 Janpath allow him the space he needs to fulfill the huge potential everyone knows he has and allow him to stand as tall as his predecessor did.