It was in that context that I coincidentally met one of the senior leaders from the BJP. For me, the decision to support the BJP was a natural one given our family voting history. Something about the dynastic Congress didn’t seem right, even though my history lessons had taught me otherwise. From brainstorming sessions with the BJP leader and other Middle India professionals like me emerged the idea of Friends of BJP.
This is what I wrote as part of a post stating my support for the BJP in Jan 2009:
We are on the wrong track. And it is WE who put us there. By our apathy, by not voting, by accepting mediocrity, by not being part of the political process. The best we do is show up at candle-light vigils when we are shocked from our smugness, but don’t we need something more concrete and impactful?
We are India’s educated civil society. If we cannot act individually and as a team, then we forfeit the right to complain. Democracy comes with responsibilities and duties. It also comes with a generation having to make some sacrifices so the Tomorrow for our children can be better than our Today.
We have 100 days only to the elections. India has 2 national parties and a multitude of regional parties. We have to make a choice about the party at the Centre. We can wait for a utopian world and the creation of the Perfect Political Party. Or, we can pick the party with the lighter shades of grey.
…The BJP may not be the Whitest of the parties, but in our view, it is by far, the better, cleaner, more democratic, less feudal and more promising of the two national options.
Continued tomorrow.
