India at Crossroads Q&A: Who Should I Vote For?

Student: How should a voter decide what to choose? Student: What decisions should be made Student: when they go to the voting panel? Amartya Sen: Lesser of two bad things. Amartya Sen: That's what it is. Amartya Sen: That's what choice is about. Amartya Sen: More of good things, Amartya Sen: less of bad things. Amartya Sen: So, there's nothing surprising... Amartya Sen: I would like him to also count, Amartya Sen: I think the count brings out quite clearly, Amartya Sen: that at this time, Amartya Sen: Modi's bad influences are much stronger Amartya Sen: than his good influences. Ruchira Gupta: I would vote along the lines of choosing an approach Ruchira Gupta: and thinking of whose approach Ruchira Gupta: is going to help me more. Ruchira Gupta: Do I want freedom of speech? Ruchira Gupta: Do I want freedom of association? Ruchira Gupta: Do I want to be able to go to a university Ruchira Gupta: and study freely of all the textbooks, Ruchira Gupta: which are full of facts and not full of mythology? Ruchira Gupta: Do I want to have a love marriage Ruchira Gupta: across caste or religion? Ruchira Gupta: Do I want people who are poorer than me Ruchira Gupta: to have at least basic food, Ruchira Gupta: a free education and healthcare? Ruchira Gupta: I would choose an approach Ruchira Gupta: rather than thinking about Ruchira Gupta: the lesser of two evils. Ruchira Gupta: And in that approach, Ruchira Gupta: I would not think about the leaders that, Ruchira Gupta: you know, is it this leader versus that leader? Ruchira Gupta: Because, ultimately, it's going to be Ruchira Gupta: through consensus and hopefully Ruchira Gupta: a parliamentary democracy will prevail. Ruchira Gupta: And, so, people will come to some consensus together. Ruchira Gupta: I would look for the approach Ruchira Gupta: and vote for the right approach. Prabhat Patnaik: We are having a situation where Prabhat Patnaik: students in JNUniversity Prabhat Patnaik: are charged with sedition. Prabhat Patnaik: We have people who are civil rights activists Prabhat Patnaik: who are in jail, in solitary confinement at this moment. Prabhat Patnaik: All kinds of trumped up charges. Prabhat Patnaik: This is very serious. Prabhat Patnaik: That being the case, Prabhat Patnaik: my approach would be to vote for the person Prabhat Patnaik: who you think is the strongest to defeat the BJP.