The Civil Servant - musings on the American presidential Election

One of the effects of the politicization of Sibi was the eagerness with which he went out to vote. He turned 18 this year and so was super eager to be part of the election. The political awakening he is going through helped in terms of going enthusiastically about registering for vote , the mail-in ballot procedures and then finally casting the vote. Knowing him, I can say safely that he doesn't do it if he is not really interested in doing it.  

This is the first election in which Sibi casted his vote. And he wanted his candidate to win. We had a lot of conversations around the Indian-American candidates in the field and how and why so many of them are the right wing bots in the Democrat party. Hence, he was not fully convinced about Kamala's ( even now) affiliation to the cause he supports but he went ahead and casted the ballot holding his nose.

However, what I wanted to write about was the ( almost ) month-long charade of the election results tamasha being run by the outgoing President - Trump. In a way , I was a little sad about the complete entertainer going off the stage and handing it over to the most boring candidate I've seen in a while. 

Seriously though what impressed me is the way the American institutions handled the onslaught of the intimidation and the exhibition of raw political power. Knowing what happens in our democracy, it is with a jealous eye that I was witnessing the strength with which the last civil servant was standing up against the mighty president and his cohorts. 

There was no hesitation to do the duty and the numerous examples of the government workers in the ballot counting centers going about their duty while the mob was thirsting for blood outside and still was able to announce the results without fear says something about the strength of the process and the people who ensure to carry out those processes.

Irrespective of their party affiliation, the state level officials ( elected and others) were standing on the side of the law and ensured that the results cannot be questioned. Constitution was paramount and there is no questioning the established law - for any one person or for fear of the person. 

It is something to see the Indian rightwing going nuts over the American election. Thats not something you see often. Mostly, they cannot understand how these 'little' men can stand against the ' O! mighty one! '.

Of course, the career politicians in US showed how they can be bent against the law or for spreading fake news/rumors or for dog-whistling the supporters etc. Infact, the Republican senators and Congressmen behaved exactly like the counterpart servile politicians of India. There is no policy or anything, just a bunch of fake nationalist cult worshippers , more intent on being in power than doing anything for the people or the country.   

Ultimately, the clerks in the election offices, the state election commisions , the city/county/state level politicians , the media to an extent showed what can be done if they grow a spine and stand up for 'something'. The lowly , often-abused civil servant saved the democracy in USA by just doing his duty without fear.