The wait is all over. The day has come. Election Day! A Big day! But have you ever tried to notice a big day for whom?? For Profession at large or a big day for prospective candidate alone. What are you voting for? Who are you voting to? You think you seriously know about the rights your vote carries. You consider yourself to be an educated one. Oh really? The only question I have do you actually “Know Your Candidate?” The one who is going to represent YOU at large.
Ok, get your answer through this article. It all started 3-4 months back.
The Members I don’t even know exist, the Names I never heard before, suddenly came out from nowhere and started giving me so much of their attention. My mailbox started getting full of e-mails from unknown Chartered Accountants. My Facebook account started showing so many connection requests from the fellow Members, I knew not. I was then started being added to so many professional groups on whatsapp. These unknown people started treating me like a Celebrity. Be it my personal post or a professional one, they all started admiring me for everything I shared.
At first I did not get the reason behind their intentions but no less than in a week I came to know about their real purpose- Campaigning for ICAI elections. Campaigning, which looks no different from those that of Politicians.
I would like to ask few simple questions to the election candidates. You people seriously think that burdening our inboxes with those repetitive emails, sharing your manifesto again and again, calling the same person number of times in a day , messaging your booth details 1000 of times will make any sense to us? You think your 2 minutes visit to our offices will make us vote for you?
You think sharing your so called forwarded presentations which is not even made by you is going to enhance our knowledge base? You think your once in 3 year Diwali messages will work to make our festivals a better one? You think wasting precious time of your articles on campaigning will make your image? You think spending lakhs on campaigning will convince us that you have no personal interest in these elections? That you are contesting these elections for betterment of our profession? Those who are recontesting where were you people for past 2 years. Those queries, mails, doubts which often goes unnoticed suddenly started settle down this election year. Why?
You won’t be able to answer my questions ever. Ok fine! I will answer it on my own. Well, that I consider myself to be an educated one; I do not want you people to influence my decisions. I’m able to take it on my own based on people I personally know, based on what i get from professional circles. Your continuous efforts to make us learn by heart your ballot number, election dates and other booth details make no sense because for you kind information ICAI too issues the list of candidates contesting an election along with an election date, candidate names and their ballot number. I don’t want you people to spend lakhs of your capital only to make us learn your ballot number.
Your so- called forwarded content sharing do not add to my knowledge nor I’ m interested. Yes, I’m interested if you promise me that you will keep it sharing in normal course of time too. Will you? You don’t even know that your repetitive calls make us so irritate that we decide to put a “X” in front of your name.
I feel pity on your poor articles who are ignorant of the fact that their very own Principal is making use of them, wasting their golden time to make personal and monetary benefits out of these elections. Sir, you could have hired some people for this job. kindly spare us, your articles and yourself too from this disgraceful campaigning.
How can you people ignore that you are a part of such a reputed organization. You don’t even realize the value of the strict codes, ethics and standards set by an ICAI.
How can I expect you people to understand the value of your organization when you are not ready to value yourself…
Sir, You are not ignorant of the fact that during the seminars, conferences, study circles when you distribute your cards having your so-called reputed photos on them, more than 50% of them just lay on floor like anything and the rest goes in a dustbin within a couple of seconds. If you can see yourself on floor how can you expect us to believe you to raise our profession high.
At last I would like to request all the candidates to please stop wasting your time, money and respect on this kind of campaigning. Neither the content of your manifesto nor my reading of it is going to change my perception for you. Don’t waste your time in buttering rather waste it in some productive manner for betterment of our profession. Words and money do not speak but actions will.
Thank you and will wait for this VIP treatment from your side in next election year 2021… Two minutes silence for next 2 years.
Author Bio
This is the voice of all the members who are not contesting the elections and are bothered like pre TN seshan era voter in the Country for general elections.
Well written and very well articulated.
Why do not you write on professional subjects as well. You have good writing skills, use them.
Our institute is slowly becoming just another Govt. department subordinated to the babus of the government. Nothing is being done/ promised to reverse this trend. The comments in the newspaper articles about CAs are so insulting and irritating that one feels annoyed wondering “what’s happening?” While the negative articles about CAs are published by newspapers with big headlines, the refutal by the Institute is never published.
“Perfect post at perfect time”
At least being a professional election candidate, one should not waste time in distributing copies of their great deeds and visiting cards.If one is qualified surely would get a vote.
Nice promotion of the real meaning of “elections” Mam.
Warm Regards,
CA Aakash Soni.
२ minute silence to whosoever spent his/her precious time to write this rant! It is just ranting on all random issues that he has with everything..there are multiple other issues with the ICAI system- which the person is completely oblivious to. Just my opinion..Campaigning is a natural process.. one can’t have a problem with that.. a candidate will be a fool to stand in an election and not market himself.. and in doing that if he is using ethical means then i dont think there is an issue.. if some one is being sissy about getting 6 e-mails or 5 friend requests or 7 messages on whatsapp- then its a complete rant with no meaning as he has an option to ignore all of these things..
The only issue which i have with this is article is that- it completely looses focus on the key issues that are ahead of the profession- like there being no transparency in marking system, or pass percentages , or the declining value of The profession in the job market! And if the manifesto or agenda of these candidates fail to address these- then one should definitely raise a point and stand in the election instead.. but you can’t have a problem with the campaigning process
It clearly means that they get a lot of undue benefits / unscrupulous gains like politicians and I wonder what would be the quantum.
Excellent and bold views.
WIRC and ICAI should arrange a meeting of all contestants and allow them to speak for about 5 minutes as to how he or she is going to improve the profession and video should be available on you tube then possibly no pamphlet or visiting card or letter or personal visit would be required.STPAOM used to have such meetings in their library.
A Nail – right in to the Head !!!! You just voiced our feelings!
Heartening to read your comments. Very few professional can come out openly and criticise such acts. Thanks a lot for voicing your views which echos that of others as well.
Hi Sakshi
You have just blown them away. Feeling were common across the horizon but you have put it through in supeb shape.
Thanks
Dharmveer Shah