Pregnant pause

The most exciting event that we have witnessed in our families is the 'pregnancy'. But the mystery of pregnancy has a '9-month long pause' which raises expectations of the entire family. Ultimately the build-up of climax ends with the arrival of a 'lovely child'!

Technology has invented new ways of inducing pregnancies.  Moreover childless couple may also go for surrogate pregnancies.  But surrogate pregnancies may

give rise to new social and emotional possibilities too. In the hit film Chori Chori Chupke Chupke (2001), Madhu (Preity Zinta) who is hired as a surrogate mother falls in love with the father of the child, Raj (Salman Khan). Trouble brews when Madhu insists on having Raj in return for the child! Does pregnant pause provide time for development of new equations?

Teenage and rape pregnancies are certainly problematic.  In Mahabharat, Kunti probably had the shortest pregnant pause

and therefore no time to think. She painfully exercised the option of leaving the child to the care of 'mother Ganga'. Now-a-days too often we witness mothers who do 'Kunti-type of acts' for various reasons.

Honourable Supreme Court of India has examined the legal, medical and social aspects of unwanted pregnancies.  In the famous

case of 'Murugan Nayakkar Vs Union of India (2017)', SC permitted the termination of 32 weeks pregnancy in the interest of a 13-year old rape victim!

The term 'pregnant pause' is a popular metaphor too.  Some pauses 

in a dialogue, speech or event resemble pregnancies as they are filled with several meanings and possibilities. Listeners and watchers who look forward with excitement are bound to witness surprising meanings and results!

Let's examine the 7-week long Lok Sabha Elections 2019.

Is this a classic case to describe an event of 'pregnant pause'?  Right now nearly 2/3rds of India has already voted and is expecting the results with excitement.  Some of us are even bored and often think whether the election process should have been this long!  Will not this long process give rise to new possibilities and equations?

In the middle of the election process, pregnant pause has provided time for several queries.  Almost all opposition parties have raised

doubts on the possible misuse of EVMs! It almost looks like they are seeking an anticipatory bail in case of a possible defeat.  But they never had problems when they were the winners earlier! Opposition parties are further demanding counting of 50% of VVPAT slips which virtually takes us back to old days.  Look what is happening in Indonesia?

Early this month, simultaneous elections (paper ballot) were held there for the post of President and the two houses. Counting was a long drawn process.  Long drawn and continuous counting has taken its toll resulting in the death of nearly 270 counting officials! No wonder if Indonesia comes to India for seeking help in order to introduce EVMs in their next elections. But look what our opposition parties are demanding?

Long drawn election campaigning has witnessed wild and unfair abuses from both the sides.  'Chowkidar Chor hai' slogan has

gone up to the scrutiny of the honorable SC, which has asked Rahul Gandhi to apologize. Even PM Modi's address to the nation on the occasion of the successful operation of the satellite-destroying missile has come in for scrutiny of the EC.

In the meanwhile, voting percentage in big cities like Bengaluru 

has become a cause for concern. Bengaluru witnessed just around 50%.  Neighbouring Mumbai and Chennai too have witnessed similar low voting percentages when compared to their lesser privileged outstations. Many reasons are being quoted like

i) non-revision of electoral lists weeding out same voters registered at two places.  Such voters might have voted in their native places.

ii) large section of outsiders who may be residing just since 2-3 years may be less interested in local elections.  They might have registered as voters for ensuring other benefits.

iii) many officials, businessmen and professionals who are away on work are bound to miss their voting opportunities.

Pregnant pause provided by our long drawn elections, has certainly given rise to fierce debates on its outcome. It's 'Modi again', is the

the cry of Modi-supporters.  They have made their calculations.  They are prepared to conced loss of seats in Uttar Pradesh and other States which may be substantial up to nearly 80 seats.  But Modi-bhakts are confident of making-up about 30-40 seats in States like Orissa, West Bengal, N.E. and Tamil Nadu.  Still Modi will be close to 280 seats, they point-out! 

In case the calculations of Modi-supporters go wrong, it opens way for Third-front and Rahul, argue many others.  Some unattached seniors warn that no coalition can be stable unless it is headed by a major party with about 200 seats.

But for we laymen, there is no escape from the anxieties of the 'pregnant pause' imposed by the long drawn election process. Let us hope that a stable Government emerges which will be good enough to ensure a better future for our beloved country.

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