By Andy McCue, 21 April 2004 14:25
NEWS Indian voters are being spammed by email and text messages from rival political parties in the fiercely contested elections that began this week.
Ruling Hindu nationalist party the BJP and the opposition Congress are fighting the elections that will take place in several phases until almost the middle of May.
In the IT centres of Bangalore and Hyderabad - nicknamed Cyberabad by locals - voters have reported receiving floods of emails and text messages from the political parties.
This election marks the first in which political parties in India have been allowed to use advertising in their campaigns. Canvassing by text and email is one strand of their promotion.
One voter in Hyderabad told silicon.com that she had received several text messages to her mobile phone during the past week, especially from the Congress Party, and that she was "quite irritated" by them all.
She explained that the parties do deals with the mobile operators in India allowing them to send canvassing messages to all the subscribers of that operator.
Andy McCue reported from India
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1. Premdendra Agrawal
Prime Minister Vajpayee’s talk is being heard on mobile. Ten million email ids have been collected by BJP to flood the messages.
ELECTION POLITICS IS LIMITED OVER CRICKET
If you can't sell your party's line within the limited time permitted, your party sees you as a flop. BJP to be a normal party, united on party's line with formidable brand “Atal”. BJP spreads geographically.
Like every ball in Cricket, every point starting ending between of Advani’s yatras towards India’s Pride. Fresher should not think to be Schin suddenly by adopting dynasty as Sonia with her children hoping to be PM.
In limited over BJP united on party's line with formidable brand is waiting for Atal decade to be a normal party. Congress candidates in Bangalore fixed the match "I don't have any problem if you vote BJP in MP seat, but for MLA vote for me".
BJP Spin has coincided nicely with a time when India's standing in the world is at an unprecedented high level. “India shining and Feel Good” became mantra
BJP to be a normal party, united on party's line with formidable brand “Atal”.
Spin doctors are out in full force showing precaution or advance preparation for a possible condition “with in case, in that case, and otherwise” to build a case based on fact and sound philosophical argument.
India was and remains the only place on the face of the earth, which kept its doors wide open for all people, races, communities, faiths and ideas. Hindus cannot be fundamentalists. The Hindu worldview, we must remember, is inclusivist, as opposed to the exclusivist worldview of other faiths. And if 50 years after its independence from foreign rule, India still remains a secular state, it is essentially because the majority of the country's population is Hindu and this nation's culture and traditions are rooted in the Hindu ethos. India shall always remain a secular state. Historically, there has never been any discrimination or favouritism on the basis of religion in India. Indian secularism should draw its inspiration from the concept of “Sarva Dharma Samadar” equal respect for all religions. More importantly, the state should not be seen as tilting the scales in favor of any one religion.
By Premendra Argawal, Raipur, India
Comindia2000@hotmail.com