The Power of 49

Everything in Punjab is king-size. We are gluttons for food, our drinks, (largest guzzlers), we make the best hosts, love bling, ostentatious life, the bigger the better, and the brighter well that is our middle name. And, there is something that sets us racing; you know gossip. And, we do everything with such ease and panache.

I was invited to one of the few page 3 social high teas; I don’t qualify on the grid because of my rural postal address, not wearing the de riguer western clothes and the so important solitaires. I went dressed up in my finery. Did I mention there is a thin, invisible, unwritten code for dressing up here to enter into the haloed circles?

Well that is for another day. The tea was scrumptious, the company brilliant and the woman smart, all of them from the finest families of Doab and names to be reckoned with. And, we discussed diets, the ever-problematic fluctuating weight that haunts all of us. Then the conversation steered to the favorite subject, politics.

Two parties exist here, and there are no shades of grey here. Either you are a true blue Akali or a die hard Congress. There is the birth of AAP. I heard the whole spiel of no development, bad roads, drugs, alcohol and the loss of Punjab and the stature. Blah Blah it went on.

I just asked on simple question, which area are you from, and who is your MLA?

The woman had no clue and they didn’t know what there area / constituency. This is the Power of 49. I am embarrassed, mortified that we the women are the custodians of the future generations that can shape the next parliament have no clue who we should vote for. We are so lax, to whom to vote for.

Women, be the change you want to see. Get out of the comfort zone and then make these sweeping statements. These generalizing dialogs are only great if we know our background. Women can make or break the future of the generations to come, we can steer them to be conscientious and responsible voters if we are clear ourselves. The onus does not end at voting but to choose the right candidate. Just just getting the blue dot on your fingertip doesn’t blind the candidate his/her qualifications matter. If you vote blindly, well don’t complain later. The responsibility starts with us , and the emergence of the newest Belan Brigade also shows that hope is there to end misuse of alcohol!

Lead, start the way , think beyond woman .