My name is Vaibhav. I am 12 years old. I live in Mumbai. My best friends are Rajiv, Sai and Zubin. We all live in the same building and have so much fun playing tennis ball cricket.
It has been such a hot summer. Ma keeps making lemonade and aam panna for us. I love the summer holidays. Usually, I spend time at my grandparents' house too. But this year, everything has been so different. My friends are talking only about how badly Mumbai Indians played in the IPL and how next year they might even support KKR. They are confused about who they will cheer for next time. I am also confused. Very scared.
(Thank you Derek Uncle for not writing your column this week and instead giving me a chance to write this story.)
When Rajiv, Sai and Zubin talk about the IPL, I remain quiet. This year, in our home, there is another topic that everyone is talking about: Vote 2024. All the grown-ups have been busy with it for the last three months. My friends don't know much about it. They don't really care. But I care. A lot.
I have been hearing the loud voices around me. When the TV is switched on, there are angry people shouting at each other. I want this Vote 2024 to end. I want all the flags to be taken down. I want the speeches to stop. Maybe then all the channels will show cartoons or songs. Not make loud noises and fight.
I have hated the last three months. Ma told me not to worry and everything will be alright. Ma is always right and she loves me so much. But I can't wait till Vote 2024 goes away. You see, this time my Papa is in the Vote. He sat next to me one day and explained that he was a 'candidate'. That means he is going to ask people to vote for him and his party. At first, I thought that was a good thing. Papa explained that when you win votes, you get a good chance to do lots of nice things for people - fix roads, repair schools, make sure everyone has clean water. Those are all good things, right? Nana (my grandfather, who is now 71) has fought many elections and asked for votes before, and he says he works 'for the people'.
I should have been happy, But I wasn't. I was so shocked the day my friend Zubin told me that my Papa and Nana were fighting against each other! They are 'candidates' for two different parties in the same area. They are both asking for votes from the same people, for the same seat. It's like they are captains of two different rival teams. But while we kids fight and make up when we play, in Vote 2024, no one is being nice. All everyone wants is to win, win, win. They don't care how angry they make everyone. They don't care if people fight with each other. They don't care how much everyone gets hurt, or even about the roads and schools and water. They don't care. For me.
All this scared me. I told Ma, let's go to Nana-Nani's house. Nana with his loud laugh and Nani with her warm hugs will make things alright for me. When I said this, Ma's face just crumpled. The way I crumple a piece of paper and then open it up? Her face was like that-so many lines on it. She just shook her head and pulled me to her. Usually, I hate long hugs. But this time I hugged her back tightly.
The next day Ma got me a book. It is about a great Indian called Babasaheb Ambedkar. He along with many others wrote the Constitution of India. I am reading that book now. It says India is a democracy. Yes, my principal also said the same line in the speech he made last year on the Annual Day. I remember what principal sir said: "India is a democracy, where our home is the nation."
Hmmm. My home is the nation.
(Derek O'Brien, MP, leads the Trinamool Congress in the Rajya Sabha)
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