Role of Whatsapp in Indian Politics

There was a time when Indian political leaders had to give countless interviews and conduct rallies to address the masses and spread their political ideaology. The Out of Home(OOH) media, newspaper ads and pamphlets distribution were also part of the communication strategy of the political campaigns. But then all of these media had one drawback they were more or less like someone trying to sell you something.

Then came the era of social media marketing. A medium which can shape the opinions of people in a subtle manner and reach wide range of audiences within short time and also giving the word of mouth publicity. But then the Facebooks and Twitters of the world had caused a lot of trouble for some people for expressing themselves freely or causing an issue on some sensitive topics.

Then Whatsapp happened. Whatsapp had the reach as good as other social media and since you shared with people you are close with, rarely you could get in trouble.  But the biggest benefit it offered was that people won't know you were the source of the message. And this thing is used by the political parties in India to their advantage.

It is like I am selling you but you don't know I am selling you because I am making you think you want to buy from me by subtly influencing your thinking and shaping your opinion. A classic marketing tactic 'People don't like to be sold they like to think they are buying' is at work.

If you try to recall for a moment the jokes which were circulating on Whatsapp before Loksabha elections were mainly revolving around making fun of leaders of ruling party and showed the captain of opposition team outsmarting everyone. And since the posts were witty they obviously caught people's attention and were forwarded ahead. Slowly the thing captured the minds of the audience and then the medium was used to project the ruling party and their leaders as inefficient and how opposition can fulfill all your dreams. The elections were just a formality, the people were already sold on the opposition.

Even now after the formation of new government you can see lot of messages that are validating and advertising government actions.

During State elections also we could see many parties using Whatsapp to reach their target audience.

Only time can answer if the political parties will continue to influence people through media like Whatsapp or will people ultimately find out the hidden motives behind the funny messages that are being circulated and the fact that they are being manipulated and used to spread the political propaganda. But till then Whatsapp will continue to play the role of the Super-Campaigner in India.

Freedom : The Real Progress

My idea of Progress is Freedom.

Freedom from physical, emotional & mental barriers.

Freedom to express yourself without any fear.

Freedom to be yourself, in a world which is constantly trying to change you.

Freedom from limitations imposed by society, circumstances & situations.

Freedom from thoughts, views & beliefs which have caused discrimination among different religions, genders, castes, colors, regions & races.

When those of us who are blessed with or earn such freedom, use it to serve & free others from their sufferings and try to make this world a better place to live, only then  the real progress can be achieved.

A true progress is when we use our freedom responsibly & value freedom of people around us and other living beings with which we share this planet.

A Pledge as important as NaMo's or perhaps more

After a really long time, India is excited about its future. Indians all over the world, are hopeful that a country which has the potential of being the most powerful nation in the world, can now begin its journey towards it.

I am not saying the earlier Governments haven’t done anything. They have, they certainly have. Otherwise we wouldn’t be in the list of the top emerging countries in the world. But, this time we have something different , something which we have not given much thought to. We have an unprecedented hope that this Narendra Modi led Government will take India to its rightful place in the world i.e. amongst the developed nations. When everyone in the country is carrying that Positive energy, it can do wonders for the nation. This is the time when people and especially some sections of the country, which fortunately or unfortunately influence and shape the future of India, can use this positive energy to transform much needed habits of us, Indians into the habits of developed citizens.

The fastest way to achieve realization of your future-self is by living and behaving like one. We have to start behaving as responsible citizens of the future India which we all dream about. How? We can begin by doing small things right and then the big things will happen.Throw garbage in the dustbin. Stop spitting and smoking at public places.Be kinder towards your fellow commuters. Respect people of different casts, regions, languages, genders and religions. Make sure that you are not involved in or encourage corrupt practices. If our economy is too much dependent on other countries, let’s do something to correct that. In short we have to change our habits, our thinking, our beliefs, our approach & our actions.

There are lot of companies, NGOs and n numbers of groups which want to do something and are trying to make a positive difference by contributing towards country’s financial, social and intellectual growth. Why not align your individual visions with the vision of the Government? Why not become a liaison between Government and People &  feed Government with grass-root level information? The earlier governments had lot of plans, reforms and  programs for us. But there was a serious communication gap between the Government and Public, which resulted in unsuccessful implementation, which neither helped the government nor did it help people. Any Government cannot work alone. It needs support of people who understand what is happening at the ground level. Instead of criticizing the Government why not work with it and show the world how it’s done?

It’s very easy to blame others especially government for all the wrong things in our lives. But we all know deep down in our hearts that major part of where we are right now is because of our 'Chalata hai' attitude. Government is just a facilitator. Let’s stop this 'us against the government' thing and start living our lives in synergy. If we have put so much faith on the new government then let’s trust them to do their job and let’s focus our energies on how we can contribute towards the growth of this country by working with them instead of against them.

Many of us feel that few of us can’t make a difference and if we want to transform India, a majority has to do it. History has shown us time and again that all the major movements, all the big trends are started by a small bunch of people. Then it just spreads like a virus. There are things in life which are controllable and uncontrollable. Let’s stop worrying about the uncontrollables and focus on the controllables. Let’s focus on our part. Let’s do what we can and the others will follow.

Our job doesn't end after giving a strong mandate to the government. It's a beginning of a new era and each and every one of us has a role to play. As Mr. Narendra Modi takes pledge as a new Prime Minister of India, let’s take a pledge of a different kind. Let's take a pledge that, we as proud children of this country are going to give our best and honest efforts and take this nation forward by being the responsible citizens and working together, instead of against each other. This is the time, this is the moment. Come on India, let's show the world that our time has come and India indeed is the next big thing.