Bleed India

The last day of India’s 5 day, 6 week general election is tomorrow, May 13th.  And only one political party has been speaking honestly about what they will do for the country post-election: Bleed India.  Pappu Raj is the candidate. And select excerpts from his “moneyfesto” are as follows:

On Taxes: “Direct taxes will come Directly – to me.”

On Global Warming: “Buy A/C.”

On Heartfelt Public Health: “Run Round in Circle Act. : Run from one department to another one: Round and Round. Round and Round. This is the aerobic exercise. It gives the good muscles, improves heart and Cardio. Plus blood will flow. And we are liking your blood.”

On Jail Reform:

If you hadn’t already suspected as much, Pappu Raj isn’t real and neither is the Bleed India party.  It’s an internet-only satire on political corruption and incompetence, targeting urban, middle class young adults and telling them to “get off [their] butts and vote.”  The end of the Moneyfesto explains,

The concerns of India’s middle class have traditionally been ignored during election time since they historically comprised a small number of the electorate.  Most politicians spend most of their energy and time making promises in rural areas.

Barkha Dutt, a political journalist, wrote: “How did the middle class get to be so disillusioned with politics? I think it’s because on the totem pole of political influence, the struggles of the middle class are always pushed to the bottom.” [link]

So India’s young, urban middle-class voters are (rightly) disillusioned with politics. Even in Mumbai where political consciousness was expected to heighten after the November attacks, voter turnout dropped.

The shared horror experienced by Mumbai residents in the wake of last November’s terrorist attack on the Taj hotel was expected to boost political consciousness, but when the city voted earlier this month, turnout dropped to 44%, down from 47% in 2004. In Delhi there was a rise, but turnout was still only 53%.  [link]

But as much as I love satire, and despite how well done this is, the campaign doesn’t address one of the major issues that keeps people from voting- the lack of candidates people actually want in office (one fifth of candidates are facing criminal charges).

On the other hand, even if there aren’t any great, or even good candidates, it’s still important that people get out and vote for the better candidate, even if it’s just the lesser of two (or more) evils.

Check out Bleed India for the rest of the moneyfesto and more of Pappu Raj.