“Who are you voting for?” he asked me with great seriousness, as though the future of the nation rested delicately between his teacup and my answer.
“I was thinking,” I said, “of voting for whoever will stop the unnecessary concretising down my road.”
He looked at me with pity. Not anger. Not disagreement. Just pity. As though I had completely missed the point of democracy.
Because, you see, we no longer vote for roads, water, education, or hospitals. Those are minor details. Side plots. Background music. The real script of our elections has been rewritten. One question dominates the stage, dressed in loud colours and waving from every banner.
“What is your religion?”
And thus begins the Great Election Religion Tamasha.
Drums beat. Speeches fly. Promises rise like fireworks and disappear just as quickly. Leaders shout themselves hoarse, not about how many jobs they will create, but about how many enemies from other faiths they will expose. And we, the audience, sit clapping, cheering, forwarding messages, feeling deeply involved in a drama where the ending was written long ago.
Because when the curtain falls, something remarkable happens.
The poor remain poor.
The rich grow richer.
And a fresh batch of politicians quietly joins the billionaire club.
It is almost magical.
You start with a candidate who arrives humbly, shaking hands, touching feet, speaking of sacrifice and service. You meet him in a year, and he is surrounded by security, moving in cars that cost more than the homes of the people who voted for him. His children study abroad. His assets have multiplied. His speeches, however, remain exactly the same.
“Your religion is under threat.”
And we nod. Because it is easier to feel outraged than to feel responsible.
Nobody asks, “What happened to the 15 lakhs you promised?” Nobody asks, “Why is economy slowing down?” Nobody even asks, “How did you become so rich so quickly?” Those are uncomfortable questions. Dangerous questions. Questions that require thinking.
Religion, on the other hand, requires only emotion.
And emotion is the easiest currency to trade during elections.
So we fight among ourselves. We argue at dining tables. We lose friendships over debates that change nothing. We become soldiers in battles that do not belong to us. Meanwhile, somewhere quietly, contracts are signed, deals are made, fortunes are built.
And the Tamasha continues.
Sometimes I wonder what would happen if, just once, we changed the script. If the next time someone asked us who we were voting for, we replied, “The one who can show me results, not just build mandirs.”
Imagine the shock. Imagine the silence.
Because the day we stop asking about religion, and start asking about accountability, the Tamasha will end.
And then without any doubt, the story of our elections will finally change…!
____________________________
HERE’S MORE THE AUTHOR CAN OFFER YOU…. JUST CLICK HERE..
————————————————
Would love to hear from you in the COMMENTS section below…and IF YOU WANT TO RECEIVE BOB’S BANTER EVERYDAY, PLEASE SEND YOUR NAME AND WHATSAPP PHONE NO TO [email protected]
————————————————–
Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and writes a daily column, which has graced the pages of over 60 newspapers and magazines, from a daily column in the Khaleej Times, Dubai, the Morning Star, London, and in nearly every state in India, from The Statesman in Kolkata, to the Kashmir Times in Kashmir to the Trinity Mirror in Chennai.
So beautifully written & so much touched by the points you have mentioned so clearly Bob brother. It’s exactly my heart’s cry we are going to see a bad phase of religion hypocrisy and we need to be strengthened not by might or power, but by the word of God given to us, to stay secure in this nation henceforth.
Sore point, better I keep mum
True.
To a taxpayer and ordinary citizen, nothing matters except that their chosen leader is honest, fair, dedicated and responsible towards their voters demands (irrespective of which religion they belong to)and duties towards their country.
After all, we are a democratic nation of the people, by the people and for the people, aren’t we?
Bob, my friend, you have very cleverly pointed fingers without pointing fingers.
Even the most disinterested in politics knows who you are talking about when you talk about the “…promised 15 lakhs ” and “… building Mandirs “.
So let us get down to it. You wanted to see results , yes ? Here we go ….
Covid Vaccination:
Over 2.2 BILLION vaccines were administered to nearly 90% of the eligible population in India – FREE OF CHARGE. 81 Crore Indians received monthly rations during and continue to do so after Covid.
Infrastructure & Connectivity:
Over 15.59 crore rural households received tap water, and 12 crore toilets were built under the Swachh Bharat Mission. The clean water taps has resulted in a dramatic reduction in infant mortality. And the home toilets have transformed the lives of women in the Mofussil areas. Major infrastructure projects include the rapid expansion of National Highways and the modernisation of Railways. Vande Bharat trains, gleaming new railway stations are modernising the travel experience for us. Until 1914 ( first 67 years ) there were 74 airports in India, in just 12 years another 74 have been added. Even third and fourth tier cities and towns now have air services.
Economic & Digital Transformation:
From 10th Position in 2014, India rose to the 4th largest global economy. Digital initiatives include 15.5 lakh+ recognised startups, 118 unicorns, and the implementation of UPI for direct financial transactions has broken all records. 22.35 BILLION transactions took place last month alone. India accounts for 49% of all digital cash transactions in the world.
Social Welfare & Inclusion:
PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana: Provides free food grains to 81 crore people.
PM Ujjwala Yojana: Provided over 10.33 crore LPG connections to women.
PM Kisan Samman Nidhi: Direct income support to farmers.
PM Mudra Yojana: Over 52 crore loans given for entrepreneurship.
PM Awas Yojana has provided free Brick and Mortar homes to millions
PM Ayushyaman Bharat has provided 125 million families wiht free medical cover of Rs. 5 lakhs.
Defense & Foreign Policy:
Significant boost in indigenous defence manufacturing (174% increase) and defence exports (increased 33 times). Key initiatives include the Act East policy and securing multiple international nuclear agreements.
Key Policy Decisions:
Implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which raised Rs. 2.42 Lakh Crores in April 2026 alone.
Scrapping certain provisions of Article 370, specifically Art. 35A which denied over 7 Lakh Hindu, Christian, and Jain refugees from Pakistan their rights as citizens of India for 72 years.
I guess I could go on, but I think this should be enough to make my point.
And do not forget ….. these benefits have accrued to EVERY CITIZEN OF INDIA REGARDLESS OF THEIR RELIGION !!!!!!!!
Here is a link for anyone who wnts to know more….
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/from-awas-yojana-to-scrapping-of-article-370-11-big-achievements-in-11-years-of-pm-modi-government/articleshow/121782628.cms
When an intellectual like Sonam is imprisoned we realise how many other innocent lives are also trapped in prisons without even a trial only because they have a different point of view. Shows the mindset of a leadership.
As usual Bobby a splendid column. We need unbiased leaders who care for and serve every Indian citizen. It is their duty and responsibility to step in and save women who are molested, abused and raped no matter which part of India they live in.
The garlanding of some brutish rapists in a certain case will forever be a blot on our country.
People’s lives don’t matter anymore….Manipur is burning and the thugs n drug lords belong to the party in power.
The ministers who promised the moon molest n rape without fear of law. The environment degrading is responsible for the pathetic air quality….all this, just to make few rich.