'Urban population indifferent towards voting, governance'

PUNE: District collector Chandrakant Dalvi blamed the urban population's apathetic attitude for less voting during elections.
While Dalvi said the real challenge is to get professionals to cast their vote, Kinetic group chairman Arun Firodia said the middle-class has the power to swing votes and bring about a change which can work fortunes for the country.
The duo was speaking at a panel discussion organised by the People's Party of India (PPI) on 'Beating Citizens' Indifference', on Saturday.
"There is indifference towards voting from the middle-class, but there is also an indifference towards good things happening in the society. Our country will progress if we look positively at the good things happening. Yes, there are scams and corruption, but that is only 50 per cent of the picture. The other 50 per cent is good and let's canvas that," Firodia said. "While we are indifferent towards exposing corrupt practices, we are indifferent towards highlighting good practices too. Citizens of America, China and Japan talk only positive things about their country. In our country, the government is looked upon as a distant authority, as against the west where people actively participate in governance," he added.
Dalvi read out voting figures of the last assembly and parliamentary elections which clearly showed that rural population voted in much larger numbers than their urban counterparts.
Civic activist Vivek Velankar blamed the present generation for the state of affairs. "It is we who started the tradition of looking at only our own needs and greed. It is all about 'me'. And this is the message we gave our next generation. However, there has been a ray of hope in the last 3-4 years, particularly since the Right to Information Act came into force. Things are reaching a threshold limit now and slowly people have started asking questions," Velankar said.
"The indifferent attitude of people needs to go away for the minds to be ignited. I appeal to people to only spare one hour from their entire week to participate in governance and see what is happening around them. Political parties are only afraid of large numbers and that is why citizens have to come out in large numbers. An 'Egypt' is waiting to happen," Velankar stressed.
Independent corporator from Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporation Maruti Bhapkar said the only way to bring about a change is for activists and good people to participate in the election process.
"The intellectual and good people in the society stay away from politics saying it is 'dirty'. As an activist, I urged Anna Hazare and Medha Patkar to contest elections but they have been busy. Then I thought I will set an example and decided to contest elections. Since 1997 I lost two elections and finally got elected in 2007. Today, I am the only independent corporator fighting the system here. I conduct ward sabhas every three months and listen to people's demands. We have reached a limit of injustice done to people and a revolution is waiting to happen," Bhapkar said.
PPI general secretary D V R Rao said that people think it is beyond their capacity to bring about a change, but they should not criticise if they cannot fight corruption. The PPI has started a campaign to counter voter apathy and will launch a website to enable voters to find their names and will also start a call centre.