Another stunt in democracy

There should be something to do with the people who don't vote rather than there kids.. who don't know about vote or its importance in democracy. Some kind of benefit for those who vote would be better policy then punishment to those who don't. Or better is leave the people alone who don't want to vote as one who don't know the importance of determining who is going to run there nation, would not have enough know how who to choose whom not to.. so better leave them alone, there opinions hardly matters and may they will for sure choose wrong one's if gone to vote as well..

Just goes to show how we Indians are obsessed with beating round the bush rather than taking the bull by its horns. Not wanting to vote is rapidly spreading among the urban literate and working class for many reasons which I don’t think can be discussed here at length. Simply speaking, I too don’t vote coz I feel that not only is it a waste of time but it also means that I’m exercising my right just by a token gesture when my mind is not into it. You hear in the papers and in the media that we, the ordinary citizens, are just passing on the buck…that we need to stand up and start to make the change ourselves! Oh really? Is that why we pay taxes to maintain this huge corrupt bureaucracy and its equally corrupt and sycophant political masters? Tell me honestly, which middle class hard working parent would want their child to take up politics as a profession? And here they are trying all sorts of gimmicks to force people to vote when its very clear that people do not want to vote as they know that their votes will make no changes whatsoever. Only if ever all our political leader, irrespective of the millions of parties, come together and decide on weeding our corruption, that we will see people coming out to vote spontaneously.

Democracy is always a stunt. It has evolved over a period of time to ensure a decent social fabric and indirectly ensure the collective good of the many. It is the best 'devil' of the lot. The previous response by sudipta, brings the flaws inherent and i would argue that precisely for the same reason we should vote. That we do not exercise our vote and as a result are more responsible for the ills. Whether it is correct for private schools to award marks for their parents casting a vote? They are giving marks in the category of projects and skills, also this is not applicable for standard tenth students. I think this is a brilliant idea. The children are being indirectly taught civics and responsible citizenship. Parents react to children much better than anything else. We all need incentives to act, and having no immediate result or fruit to vote, 'we' all do not go and vote. By voting if i ensure a better present and an even better future, those marks have in reality ensured a better future. I doubt whether 'other marks' are capable of that. We all must have collected donations, sold UNICEF greeting cards, etc in school, this is motivating the parents to vote. This is a skill needed for this particular project. The right not to vote still exists, you can explain to your kid that few marks less in that category means no harm and explain the basic of 'right not to vote'.