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From Our Correspondent
?AlThough, India is the largest democratic country of the world, the educated and the business class, that plays an important role in development of the country, is reluctant to exercise its franchise. This reluctance is dangerous for the democracy as it helps the people with a criminal background to grab power. This should be a matter of concern for everybody,? said Arif Beig, former Union Minister and BJP leader, while speaking at a seminar-?Why should we cast our vote?, organised in New Delhi by Chintan, a Delhi-based social organisation.
Shri Beig expressed happiness that the poor and uneducated section had been attracted to the polling process, as it appears to have understood the importance of their votes. ?Although, democracy has been in the country for the last 50 years, still people need to be educated and awakened to their voting power.? He appealed to the people to strengthen the democracy as the choice of a right government helps in progress of education and business.
Participating in the discussion, Arif Mohammad Khan, former Union Minister and BJP leader, described ?the protection of democracy as the biggest national duty and casting of the vote as a must for the system. Only an elected government can be expected to look after the needs of all sections of the society.?
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Balram Mishra, Chief, Indraprastha Vishwa Samvad Kendra, alleged that the Communists and several religious fundamentalists were deliberately sabotaging the democratic system and condemned the pseudo-secularists for providing them patronage. ?The best way to destroy such forces is to cast the vote with open eyes and mind. Not exercising the franchise means encouraging the anti-national forces,? he emphasised.
Shri Vivekanand Sharma, Delhi Prant Prachar Pramukh of RSS, Dr Satish Makhija, Chhatrasal Zilla Sanghchalak, Jagdish Kakar, Sah-prant Sampark Pramukh were among the prominent participants. Shri Shyam Prakash Gupta, Uttari Vibhag Sanghchalak, proposed the vote of thanks.
