Priya Dutt on why the future worries her

I have been constantly waking up to shocking comments for the past few weeks. Sometimes, it is the government dictating what we eat or don't eat; then it is about what movie I, as a cinema-goer, should watch or not watch. And today, it was even more shocking-a demand to revoke the voting rights of Muslims only because they are being used by some leaders and political parties as a vote bank.

What shocked me the most is that this statement came from Sanjay Raut; he never seemed to be the kind of person to make such a statement so I hope he realises what he's said. Just because a group is seen as a "vote bank", can you stop them from voting? This is like saying that tomorrow, we'll ban women from voting or some other minority community or a group. That's not a responsible statement. And if have to talk about vote bank politics, isn't the Shiv Sena also playing vote bank politics by attacking every non-Maharashtrian community? Every community or group has its own preferences while voting but that doesn't count as a "vote bank".

The very term "vote bank" is incorrect and undermines the essence of a democracy. It is wrong to treat or look at any group and its voting preferences as a vote bank in a democracy.

The government is putting restrictions on what you should speak, eat and very soon, they'll probably dictate what one should even wear! They are undermining what we all stand for, compromising our freedom which is our basic right.

What is even more surprising is that no one has really taken cognisance of it. Compare this with what happened to Shobhaa De when she spoke about how we cannot impose something on the citizens of the country. That's true. How can anyone impose their views on what people should do. Or what movies one should watch at what time in a cinema hall.

This scenario worries me immensely.

Exactly a year ago, there was this great hype about how things will change for the better in the country, on how we will see progress. Instead of progress, we are digressing in our thinking, in our outlook, on what we are laying out to citizens. In fact, this is exactly what I mentioned even in my Facebook status this morning.

Instead of focusing on issues such as infrastructure and development, we are concentrating on issues that are frivolous and blowing them out of proportion.

On issues that are just not important to us a citizens-what books to study in school, what holidays we are to have. It makes no sense. It seems like we, as a country, have unfortunately succumbed to the glitter and spark that was sold to us, a year ago.When you elect a representative you are choosing your future and that of the country. Seeing what's happening around, I am not sure if we have made the right decision. At that rate the entire country should not vote for some reason or the other. Isn't this dictatorship? What we are currently seeing is too much of interference and too much of control by the government. It is we who have voted for a government and therefore, we citizens have every right to criticise it.

The only way a government can improve is when they take constructive criticism. Else you are nothing but a dictator.

Today, I am not a Member of Parliament so when I sit back and think as a citizen of the country, it worries me to think of what times we live in, of what future my children will have if we continue on the same path.

(As told to Aditi Pai)