ROCKED THE VOTE!!
Finally, I have indelible ink on my left index finger. After 2 previous futile attempts, during the last Lok Sabha elections and the Corporation elections, I finally succeeded. When I turned 18, I had stood in a long queue outside a registration camp and given the necessary documents. Yet, my name did not feature in the rolls. The next year, some government servants were making rounds of our houses, during which I gave them my name again, this time before the PMC elections. Again, the same story.
This time I had almost given up hope, because this time too, my name was taken by fellows doing rounds of my house. I went to the polling booth where my parents and everyone else from my building was listed. Nope, name not there. I went to another polling booth. Sorry, ain't happening, they said.
I felt like giving up, but then one fellow said that I should go to a computerised booth near Paud Phata where they have records of all Pune voters. So I reached there, and voila!! My name was listed in a booth about a km from my house.
All this happened before 7:30 a.m. in the morning. I reached the booth wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants. the polling officer gave me a disapproving look asif to say "Couldn't you at least dress up for voting?". A lady marked my finger with the indelible ink, and I pressed the relevant button on the sleek looking EVM.
I have made my first official contribution to the electoral process, despite the government machinery making it difficult for me. :)
Finally, I have indelible ink on my left index finger. After 2 previous futile attempts, during the last Lok Sabha elections and the Corporation elections, I finally succeeded. When I turned 18, I had stood in a long queue outside a registration camp and given the necessary documents. Yet, my name did not feature in the rolls. The next year, some government servants were making rounds of our houses, during which I gave them my name again, this time before the PMC elections. Again, the same story.
This time I had almost given up hope, because this time too, my name was taken by fellows doing rounds of my house. I went to the polling booth where my parents and everyone else from my building was listed. Nope, name not there. I went to another polling booth. Sorry, ain't happening, they said.
I felt like giving up, but then one fellow said that I should go to a computerised booth near Paud Phata where they have records of all Pune voters. So I reached there, and voila!! My name was listed in a booth about a km from my house.
All this happened before 7:30 a.m. in the morning. I reached the booth wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants. the polling officer gave me a disapproving look asif to say "Couldn't you at least dress up for voting?". A lady marked my finger with the indelible ink, and I pressed the relevant button on the sleek looking EVM.
I have made my first official contribution to the electoral process, despite the government machinery making it difficult for me. :)
