The middle-finger show

I admit it. I’m thoroughly ashamed of myself. Yes, I am an immigrant in this crazy city who was complacent about his democratic duties. When I saw the young man, quite good looking, embarrass thousands of Indians in the tea commercial ‘Jago Re’, it didn’t occur to me that I was one of the persons at whom the commercial was intended to castigate. I had voted twice for the last two Lok Sabha elections and I somehow felt that I had done my job. As I have written earlier, a conversation with my Mom made me realize my folly.

Yesterday, when I came to work, I was invigorated. I went to http://www.jagore.com and completed the formalities. I have a voter’s registration form printed out that I will mail and ensure that I don’t miss out on this whale of a democratic process. Then, in the evening, when I went to the supermarket to get milk, I was embarrassed once more. I was about to pay at the paying-aisle when the young man, hardly 18 I think, asked me ‘Sir, have you voted?’ I said, with a wry smile ‘No. But why?’ He explained to me that all voters who had exercised their right are offered 2% discount for all purchases at the mall. I was impressed. The Tata enterprise, which has nothing to cheer about after the Nano’s predicted flop-show, had taken some initiative.

But the real thing was yet to hit me; something that would make me feel even worse that I how I had felt yesterday. I was shocked, shocked even more after browsing through the series of pictures in TOI featuring Bollywood celebrities posing for the camera after their wonderful deed. For some weird reason, voters in Mumbai got the ink-mark on their middle fingers. Most of the celebrities didn’t think twice before posing—they simply gestured ‘up yours!’ For those who are unaware of this faux pass, please take a look at some pictures. Or even better, read this and this on the TOI website.