SRCC elections are also unique just like everything else in SRCC; we SRites can’t do normal things. One can know it fully after indulging into it but indulging too much will also not be a wise idea, because elections is a thing where law of diminishing utility sets in , if you indulge more and more, you will start getting negative utility. Elections do provide you with a lot of learning opportunities and it totally depends on how you perceive the whole deal.
Election work starts right from February , prospective candidates would start collecting and keeping all necessary proofs against each other to be used during coming elections. Admission process works as a golden opportunity to meet the first years and make an everlasting impression on them. Then comes the internal elections, if more than one person wants to contest from Students' Union , then internal election takes place wherein only Students' Union members votes get consideration which is followed by aggressive campaigning and polls, and at the end someone wins and someone loses.
Learning From Elections
If you really want to learn, well it offers you a lot of things to learn. Most importantly, it builds your self confidence, if you are contesting then it would mean there is a huge group who is supporting you, it helps you realize your potential, which we tend to forget while competing with sharp minds of the country wherein we start undermining ourselves. Moreover , it will help you in improving your communication skills, will teach you how to present yourself in front of others, how to handle so much pressure. Most significant, it will tell you who your true friend is.
Untold Things about Elections
Elections are not as clean as they appear to be. Will you believe if I say that with the mere support of just 6-7 people, you can capture around 60% votes? But you have to believe it, it’s true. But it’s disappointing to see this kind of attitude among SRites. It’s quite a pity how students from the South,hostel and sports are considered to be mere vote bank puppets,with their votes being fixed beforehand . In our college, a maximum 1400 students cast votes, out of them 400-500 are from the South . Most of the North students would prefer going home instead of coming to college to vote. This clearly depicts the importance of South students' support, but it’s very tough to get the support of those students. A number of factors work behind that. Firstly, those students can’t go home that frequently, like any other north student, so they tend to stay together. Further when they come to Delhi, they receive a lot of help from their seniors, so in gratitude and to maintain the unity , all south students do as their fellow third year south seniors say. If anyone tries to go against unity, he or she is emotionally blackmailed by saying that if we won’t be united then we won’t get any post, we won’t have any say in position holding in Union as well as societies. This notion is completely wrong, if you are a perfect person for the post, it will come to you automatically. You need not to put extra efforts for it. Why skip classes for something you deserve. This is disenchanting to see ideal citizens of our country to vote on the basis of what their seniors and their friends will. You will hardly find a person who will cast his or her vote on the basis of credentials. But are credentials to be trusted? Well according to your idealistic assumptions, yes, right?Because on that basis one should vote. But the ground reality is that one of the previous year contestant wasn't able to show the certificates of FIC &, IDEATION Cell Society which had been mentioned in his credentials. Furthermore, head posts are being sold in elections to first, second as well as third years to gain votes.
Ideal Elections
The most efficient and effective way in which elections should be held is by abiding with the rules presented by the college under which election work should effectively start with nomination day, in which students who feel they are best fit for the post should apply, and release their credentials and official post of contesting through social media, should do campaigning in the given, i.e, 4-5 days, wherein those who have any doubts regarding the credentials released or have any kind of other doubts can clarify. Speech day can work as the best opportunity for all the candidates to present their plan of action and their views and to reach to the whole college. Those who really want to vote and want to choose the best candidate should attend the speech day and listen to them peacefully and make their decisions. This will ensure that SRites' important time doesn’t get wasted(both candidates as well as voters) as well as voting is completely on the basis of capabilities and credentials of candidates instead of any bias .
- Aastha Singla
(Views expressed in the reader's article section are personal and not necessarily that of team 'Campus Perspectives'.)
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