Mumbai, you deserve better

An HT-Cfore survey reveals that a majority of Mumbaiites consider this vote more important than a general election, reports Ashraf Engineer.

Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be. 
 — Sydney J Harris, US journalist

HT Image

It’s time to ask that question again.

It’s the first civic election after 26/7. It’s also been five years of bone-jarring rides on Mumbai’s roads, floods, water shortages and, worst of all, apathy on the part of those we elected in the hope that they would turn around this crumbling metropolis we call home.

Fortunately, Mumbai seems to have had enough.

An HT-Cfore survey conducted on the eve of the poll reveals that a majority of Mumbaiites (52 per cent) consider this vote more important than a general election. The city is in no mood to tolerate underperformance either. An overwhelming majority — 88 per cent — wants the Brihanmumbai Muncipal Corporation to deliver a quarterly performance report, much like publicly listed corporations do. Accountability, clearly, is top-of-mind.

So, will you go out and ensure you get all that you deserve? Seventy-three per cent of our respondents said they would.

American jurist Louis Brandeis said: “The most important political office is that of the private citizen.” It’s time for you to deliver too. After all, as the HT civic poll coverage tag line says, it’s your vote, your voice.

Email Ashraf Engineer: ashraf.engineer@hindustantimes.com