印度2009年大选：低投票率跌破眼镜

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[<div class="entry-body">[<div>[<div class="item-body">[<div>原作者[<a target=_blank target="_blank" href="http://globalvoicesonline.org/author/gaurav/">Gaurav Mishra[</a>  · 译者 [<a target=_blank target="_blank" href="http://zh.globalvoicesonline.org/hans/author/leonard/">Leonard[</a> ·  [<a target=_blank target="_blank" href="http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/05/03/indian-elections-2009-lower-voter-turnouts-and-questions-regarding-campaigns/">阅读原文[</a>
[<div>[<div style="width: 410px;">[<a target=_blank target="_blank" href="http://www.chhavisachdev.com/2009/05/01/yay-for-democracy/">[<a target=_blank href="http://www.chhavisachdev.com/images/blog/2009_04/inkedfinger.jpg" target="_blank">[<img src="http://www.chhavisachdev.com/images/blog/2009_04/inkedfinger.jpg" border="0" onload="con_resize(this);">[</a>
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照片來自Chhavi Sachdev
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印度博客圈与主流媒体都在热烈讨论，尽管出现像[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://jaagore.com/" rel="nofollow" href="http://jaagore.com/">Jaaro Re[</a>这样的选民登记宣传活动，以及如[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://votereport.in/" rel="nofollow" href="http://votereport.in/">Vote Report India[</a>的透明选举计划，孟买（Mumbai）投票率却只有44.21%。
许多人都试图解释，为何孟买居民不愿投票。
在[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://www.moneycontrol.com/india/news/current-affairs/did-mumbai-passvoter-turnout-test-experts-discuss/395860" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.moneycontrol.com/india/news/current-affairs/did-mumbai-passvoter-turnout-test-experts-discuss/395860">CNBC-TV18座谈节目[</a>中，独立候选人Meera Sanyal、「Empowered Mumbai」组织代表Madhav Bhatkuly、孟买大学教授B Venkatesh、[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://mumbaivotes.com/" rel="nofollow" href="http://mumbaivotes.com/">MumbaiVotes[</a>网站代表Vivek Gilani都想探究，孟买投票率为何如此之低。
[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://ibnlive.in.com/news/post2611-mumbai-records-lowest-turnout-since-77/91575-37.html" rel="nofollow" href="http://ibnlive.in.com/news/post2611-mumbai-records-lowest-turnout-since-77/91575-37.html">IANS[</a>认为低投票率是因为多数孟买人只关心地方议题，但在全国性选举里，地方事务并不常受重视；[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://twitter.com/nehabagoria/statuses/1680278494" rel="nofollow" href="http://twitter.com/nehabagoria/statuses/1680278494">Neha Bagoria[</a>在Twitter上表示，孟买多数教育水准较高的年轻选民皆来自国内其他地区，到孟买是为了工作机会，故未列名在当地选举人名册中；Twitter用户[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://twitter.com/Niyukti/statuses/1680165621" rel="nofollow" href="http://twitter.com/Niyukti/statuses/1680165621">Niyukti[</a>觉得是选民厌倦「旧政治」和热浪来袭，导致孟买民众投票意愿低落；[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://mumbaimatters.bombayaddict.com/2008/05/low-voter-turnout-dilemma.html" rel="nofollow" href="http://mumbaimatters.bombayaddict.com/2008/05/low-voter-turnout-dilemma.html">Bombay Addict[</a>认为中产阶级冷漠才是主因。
[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://www.harshadoak.com/2009/05/society/voter-apathy-or-election-commission-incompetence.html" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.harshadoak.com/2009/05/society/voter-apathy-or-election-commission-incompetence.html">Harshad Oak[</a>认为低投票率或许并非反映选民冷漠，而是选举委员会效能不彰所致，[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://ecophilo.blogspot.com/2009/05/absent-indian-voter.html" rel="nofollow" href="http://ecophilo.blogspot.com/2009/05/absent-indian-voter.html">Neelakantan[</a>也列举印度处理选举人名册的缺失，[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://www.littleabout.com/2009/05/01/mumbai-voter-turn/" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.littleabout.com/2009/05/01/mumbai-voter-turn/">Amit[</a>则认为，投票设备损坏及名册内容缺漏不能做为放弃投票的藉口。
[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://www.4octave.com/2009/05/01/india-elections-2009-congress-is-the-original-architect-of-low-turnout-of-voters/" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.4octave.com/2009/05/01/india-elections-2009-congress-is-the-original-architect-of-low-turnout-of-voters/">Randheer Singh[</a>发展出一套为何印度中产阶级不投票的阴谋论，《National Interest》的[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://acorn.nationalinterest.in/2009/05/01/absent-indian-voter-syndrome/" rel="nofollow" href="http://acorn.nationalinterest.in/2009/05/01/absent-indian-voter-syndrome/">The Acron[</a>主张对「印度选民缺席症候群」进行更深入的分析。
[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://mohynasrinivasan.typepad.com/an_alchemists_blog/2009/05/shame-on-you-mumbai.html" rel="nofollow" href="http://mohynasrinivasan.typepad.com/an_alchemists_blog/2009/05/shame-on-you-mumbai.html">Mohyna Srinivasan[</a>和[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://headlinehog.blogspot.com/2009/05/my-middle-finger-to-your-apathy.html" rel="nofollow" href="http://headlinehog.blogspot.com/2009/05/my-middle-finger-to-your-apathy.html">Vrushali Lad[</a>对情况很震惊，难过孟买人不愿出来投票，[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://mevidur.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/59-shameless-mumbaikars/" rel="nofollow" href="http://mevidur.wordpress.com/2009/05/02/59-shameless-mumbaikars/">Kamal Chaturvedi[</a>自己未投票，却说未投票的孟买人无耻。
[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://shiningmetaphor.blogspot.com/2009/05/raised-finger.html" rel="nofollow" href="http://shiningmetaphor.blogspot.com/2009/05/raised-finger.html">Subin[</a>、[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://dinamehta.com/blog/2009/05/01/voted/" rel="nofollow" href="http://dinamehta.com/blog/2009/05/01/voted/">Dina Mehta[</a>、[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://www.chhavisachdev.com/2009/05/01/yay-for-democracy/" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.chhavisachdev.com/2009/05/01/yay-for-democracy/">Chhavi Sachdev[</a>及[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://kayezad.blogspot.com/2009/04/i-voted.html" rel="nofollow" href="http://kayezad.blogspot.com/2009/04/i-voted.html">Kayezad Adajania[</a>皆写下初次投票经验，选民名册遗漏、选务人员混乱、假选票等情况则令人遗憾，从模特儿转行为作家的[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://shobhaade.blogspot.com/2009/04/votes-r-us.html" rel="nofollow" href="http://shobhaade.blogspot.com/2009/04/votes-r-us.html">Shobha De[</a>投票经验较轻松，[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://emergic.org/2009/04/30/elections-2009-voting-day/" rel="nofollow" href="http://emergic.org/2009/04/30/elections-2009-voting-day/">Rajesh Jain[</a>则提到因为自己的名字从名册上消失，导致他自1992年到今年才再度投票，LiveMint的[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://blogs.livemint.com/blogs/first_cut/archive/2009/04/30/confessions-of-a-south-mumbai-voter.aspx" rel="nofollow" href="http://blogs.livemint.com/blogs/first_cut/archive/2009/04/30/confessions-of-a-south-mumbai-voter.aspx">Priya Ramani[</a>说明不投票的原因。
另一群人觉得，当初人们期待孟买会有高投票率，一开始就是个错误。
专栏作家[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://www.virsanghvi.com/vir-world-ArticleDetail.aspx?ID=276" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.virsanghvi.com/vir-world-ArticleDetail.aspx?ID=276">Vir Sanghvi[</a>并不意外孟买投票率很低，认为人们误信恐怖攻击事件会提高都会区年轻人的公民参与意愿；[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://ananthwrites.blogspot.com/2009/05/after-all-noise-mumbais-voters-dont.html" rel="nofollow" href="http://ananthwrites.blogspot.com/2009/05/after-all-noise-mumbais-voters-dont.html">Ananth Krishnan[</a>怪罪媒体造成错误期待，Twitter用户[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://twitter.com/kaushal/statuses/1680113199" rel="nofollow" href="http://twitter.com/kaushal/statuses/1680113199">Kaushal Karkhanis[</a>表示，多数选举推广计划都锁定特定阶级，而非多数选民和大众。
还有第三群人努力思考，未来有何方式能鼓励选民投票。
[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1252173" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1252173">Rediff[</a>询问读者，由于投票率如此低，印度是否应改为强制投票制，[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://mohit0455.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/where-are-the-voters/" rel="nofollow" href="http://mohit0455.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/where-are-the-voters/">Mohit Atale[</a>相信若加上「以上皆非」选项，就能提高投票率。
笔者个人认为，就网络选民登记、透明及推广计划而言，这是印度史无前例的一场选举。
这些计划触及[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://www.gauravonomics.com/blog/social-media-citizen-journalism-in-the-1126-mumbai-terror-attacks-a-case-study/" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.gauravonomics.com/blog/social-media-citizen-journalism-in-the-1126-mumbai-terror-attacks-a-case-study/">孟买恐怖攻击事件[</a>后的愤怒，藉以转化为积极对话，创造出公民参与的网络空间，正因为这些声浪，让作家[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://shashitharoor.in/" rel="nofollow" href="http://shashitharoor.in/">Shashi Tharoor[</a>、女芭蕾舞者[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://mallikasarabhai.in/" rel="nofollow" href="http://mallikasarabhai.in/">Mallika Sarabhai[</a>、荷兰银行印度主管[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="http://www.meerahsanyal.in/" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.meerahsanyal.in/">Meera Sanyal[</a>决定参选。
或许这些计划未能大幅刺激投票率，但已打下让都会、中产、年轻选民众参与严肃公民议题的基础，空谈比行动容易，但得先有公民参与，才有集体行动，这即是美国的前例，2004年时，网络参与未能让迪恩（Howard Dean）获得民主党提名，也没成功将凯瑞（JohnKerry）送上总统宝座，但确已奠定网络运动基础，让欧巴马（BarackObama）在2008年能充分运用。如此看来，2009年印度大选即像2004年美国经验。
或许至2014年时，印度会出现一位具全国性魅力的领袖，抓住年轻人的想像，此次选举中，无论国大党或人民党皆缺乏领导魅力的总理候选人领军；年轻选民也厌倦国大党内的谄媚文化，担心人民党内的社区极端主义，也警觉到区域政党声势高涨导致政坛裂解，因此自孟买恐怖攻击案之后，社会上充斥关于法律第49(O)条的讨论及负面投票，期待情况至2014年会改变。
校对：[<a target=_blank target="_blank" title="使用者:Soup" href="http://taipedia.selfip.info/mediawiki/index.php/%E4%BD%BF%E7%94%A8%E8%80%85:Soup">Soup[</a>
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