A woman of conviction: If I could I would vote for

Mallika Sarabhai.

I know I can’t vote but I can surely support her through my blog. The feeling just got stronger after I watched the news some 15 mins ago about Advani’s fondness for RSS. Nothing new but just around the elections after Varun Gandhi’s hate speech, I didn’t want to watch this. The thought of RSS supported BJP coming to power and L K Advani becoming the PM just scares me. I am a Hindu but before that an Indian who hates religion and caste based politics.

I can’t fathom any politician who swears by a fanatic outfit. India cannot be a Hindu rashtra. India is a potpourri of cultures. How difficult is it for some of these fanatics to understand?

The noted dancer, IIM-MBA, Mallika Sarabhai, daughter of the famous space scientist, Vikram Sarabhai, has decided to join the poll arena to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate, L. K. Advani, in Gujarat’s Capital city constituency of Gandhinagar. Ms. Sarabhai said the main reason for her joining the fray was to register her strong protest against ‘criminalisation of politics’ and reducing the common man to the level of a non-entity.

The present political parties had made ‘democracy for politicians, by politicians, of politicians’ and ‘not for the people, by the people, of the people. The people have been reduced to absolutely nothing,” she said.

Ms. Sarabhai, however, said, she would not contest on the Congress symbol and would prefer to remain independent. Many of her well-wishers and supporters had set up ‘Friends of Democracy,’ to prop up her candidature and for now it seems she would stick to it.

When Ms. Sarabhai first opposed Modi govt. after Godhra carnage, she was charged in a case of human trafficking. An attempt at the behest of Modi administration by producing some fictitious complaints. She was later acquitted by the court. That is what players of dirty politics do to a renowned danseuse then imagine the plight of an average woman who decides to speak up against such atrocities.

Mallika has an excellent pedigree and has all the qualities to make a good leader. She is daughter of two eminent personalities.  Her father Vikram Sarabhai is considered the father of Indian space program and mother Mrinalini Swaminathan was a renowned danseuse herself.

While growing up in Kanpur, I have faded memories of visiting Mallika Sarabhai’s aunt Dr. Lakshmi Sehgal. The eloquent woman was close associate of Subhash Chandra Bose and commander of Rani Laxmi Bai regiment who years later ran for President of India as a Left party candidate against Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. My mom speaks so fondly of this frail yet strong woman.

Mallika Sarabhai knows that she has no chance against a strong contender like L K Advani but one never know. Remember Indira Gandhi’s defeat in 1977. Mallika says,

 I will fight to win but I am not bothered about the outcome.

I salute you lady for at least standing up against these patriarchs of Indian politics.

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An Appeal to support World’s first global election between Earth and Global warming.

Edited to add on 3 Apr 2009: Mallika Sarabhai’s poll mudra official now