IT is absolutely crucial for our politicians in the government to go on-ground and meet common people much more regularly and consistently every month. This applies to both parliamentarians and members of the state assembly throughout the country.
The purpose is for politicians to get direct feedback and complaints from the people about the daily problems they face and figure out how to solve them effectively.
This will naturally strengthen the relationship between the common people and the politicians, thus increasing the level of support that is much needed at this time for the government.
This is because when people see politicians consistently taking the time and effort to meet them, it makes the politicians appear more relatable and the people will naturally feel more connected to them.
This tactic of working at the ground level has long been used by certain parties very effectively and it has been proven in their very strong support base.
Frankly, the practice of going to the ground to meet and receive feedback from the people regularly and consistently, is something that our politicians should indeed be doing in the first place.
The old political practice where politicians and elected representatives rarely meet the people, and even then only to distribute aid hampers, officiate events, or during election campaigns, is completely ineffective as well as irresponsible in the context of actually serving the people.
Such behaviour can be considered as being disrespectful to the voters, considering the fact that they were the ones who elected those representatives into the positions of power they’re currently in.
They chose to do so with the expectations and hopes that those representatives, if elected, would then take the time and effort to regularly go and meet them to find out and solve their problems, as is their job.
The time has long come for our politicians to go to the ground and meet with ordinary people much more regularly and consistently every month to receive their feedback and complaints. – October 8, 2023
Raveen Veerasenan is an activist with an interest in social and environmental issues