The Economic Crisis as a Poll Plank in India.

Recently, the New York Times published the results of a survey (conducted by Harris Interactive for the International Herald Tribune and France 24) on the rise of political extremism in Western Democracies during the financial meltdown. An overwhelming majority of people surveyed (65% in Britain & Germany; 53% in the U.S and Italy; 60% in Spain) is of the view that political extremism is “certain to happen” or “probable” in the next three years.

Clearly, most people might differ on the manifestation of such extremism that they portend in the near future, but the survey results indicate the high levels of involvement of citizens in these countries on the global economic crisis.

Compare the extant situation to that in India, where the world’s largest democracy has gone into labour, and is expected to give birth to a new government in a few days. However, the meltdown has hardly figured as a crucial electoral issue, and none of the political parties seem keen to 1. tackle the issue by its horns or 2. use it as a poll plank.

My deductions in this regard have mostly been based on what I see on electronic and print media; the issue of economic security could well have been addressed by candidates in their respective constituencies. Nonetheless, isn’t the problem a national issue, based on policy, as opposed to grassroot solutions? Little or no airtime has been spent by channels in covering the matter; very few articles appear on the same in print.

While political alliances may be at fault in skirting the issue, the electorate is not too far behind. Mumbai, the commercial capital of India, registered a turnout of 46-7%. Much has been made of the urban middle-class being completely apathetic to the electoral process itself; that segment of society where the economic crisis will hurt most.

Instead the elections (at the national level) have become a question as to who is a better Prime Minister, where candidates, voters and the media have judged by personality, as opposed to core issues. While I don’t intend to be the prophet of doom here, we can hardly afford to complain if we are responsible for a government which is completely unprepared for the worst in recent economic memory.

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