The NRI vote

As the marathon Indian elections come to an end, I am ashamed to admit that I have never voted. Having left India before I was eligible to exercise my rights, I’ve returned only for holidays, none of which coincided with the election season.

I am even more embarrassed to admit that I don’t even own a voter ID card, considered this season’s most fashionable accessory as the country drags its feet through federal elections spread over five weeks.

All this has led my nephew and niece to believe I am apathetic because, while the rest of the family – parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, the driver, the cook and the cleaner – decided to get some indelible ink on their fingers to prove their stand, my not-so-politically-engaged self was busy elsewhere. Rather, in another country.

Parts of my family that are scattered across India and abroad have learnt to hone in on those who still live in the epicentre of political gossip, Kolkata, where relatives have spent countless evenings dissecting the elections.

Idle political gossip dominates everyday life: It is not unusual for men to disappear from their homes each evening to visit street corners, sip tea from the roadside vendor together and launch into their tirades.

Whether it be Facebook, Twitter, SMS or the humble e-mail, we looked forward to reports of their banter.

On Twitter: Rise of regionalism but my Boro dada (elder brother) thinks it’s complicated. Whatever. Coalitions are here to stay. Bring on the alliances.

An SMS: If you have NDTV, turn it on, now! now! now! (I don’t but the New Delhi-based news channel has recently launched services in the Middle East.)

Unlike most Western countries, India does not have provisions for its citizens who live aboard to mail in their ballots, which is usually done through embassies. So there is little to do except influence a vote. Colourful stories abound from the labour camps, where workers have taken to calling their families at home and asking them to vote for their favourite parties or the ones they think may influence their welfare abroad.

In my case, not so much. While I’ve had quite the thread of communication with loved ones in India about where political parties stand and what their manifestos are this year – especially with the economic climate, traffic congestion and taxes – I wouldn’t dare tell them who to vote for.

Or as my cousin posted on Facebook: Snehashish Bhattacharya voted but you’ll never know for who. He believes in keeping the peace at home.