A few things I would like to put out on record before we get any further in the coverage of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. 

The posts here are purely my own personal opinion. I am not aligned with any political party and am not trying to push any agenda. I am not an expert on political history, parliamentary democracy, right wing-left wing, authoritarian, libertarian, caste-based, or any other form of politics. As a result, some of these posts might come across as shallow, simplistic and mis-informed. If so, please accept my apologies in advance (or in hindsight, depending on the order in which you read this) 

All I am trying to do is share my own perspective on what is shaping up to be a very interesting few months for the world's largest democracy. As an Indian who currently resides outside of India, my view is both of an outsider as well as a citizen who believes these elections will be a defining moment in our country's history. In the true spirit of democracy and free speech, I am happy to be challenged, corrected, or contradicted. In fact, that is the whole point. 

For the few loyal followers of this blog, posts on topics besides these elections will continue, but may be less frequent that usual. How can once-in-a-blue-moon posts become more infrequent, you may be asking. It is a good question. All I will say is that in this new year I have resolved to do a bit less sleeping (except on Mon-Wed and weekends) and a bit more writing. And so I will endeavour to enthral you with even more stories about cricket, chicken, jackfruits, life, death and Mohanlal, to name just a few topics. Please don't delete me from your bookmarks just yet. Thank you. Jai Hind.