E-Paper
But, elderly love to vote
NEVER ASK a woman her age, they say. But, looking at Jamila Khatoon, resident of Tilak Nagar at Karbala Malka Jahan polling booth on Tuesday morning, one couldn?t help blurting out, ?Aap ki umr kya hogi??
NEVER ASK a woman her age, they say.
But, looking at Jamila Khatoon, resident of Tilak Nagar at Karbala Malka Jahan polling booth on Tuesday morning, one couldn’t help blurting out, “Aap ki umr kya hogi”?
Her age, as given by her youngest son Nasir Hussain—who claimed to be 70 though his voter ID card said 50—if true, would be a world record.
But, one could not check Jamila’s age on her voter card as the queue outside the polling booth quickly parted to make way for her out of sheer respect.
Amidst the usual polling-day complaints of booth capturing, rigging, frayed tempers and missing voters, the Jamilas of Old City stood out with their enthusiasm and desire to make their vote count in the second phase of the urban local bodies elections.
A few kilometres away, at Yoganand Balika Vidyalaya Booth at Sheetla Devi ward—listed a sensitive center —it was the octogenarian Shyama Devi, who came to the booth with the help of a walker. “It hurts when I walk for long,” she said.
So, why this effort? “Apne adhikaron ka prayog to karna hi chahiye,” she said matter-of-factly before disappearing inside the booth without bothering to notice the surprised look on the faces of those within hearing distance.
Inspired, perhaps, by the old, the young too turned out at the polling booths.
Some like Mohd Salman, who was upset at being asked to produce identity proof looked well below 20 years that the voter slip on their hand indicated. “I am actually 20. I look young,” said Salman at LDA Colony’s Tikait Rai Talaab booth.
Salman didn’t look his age.
But, Priya, 20 and Neha Sinha, 20, did. “Excited” at casting their vote for the first time at the same polling booth both Priya a budding engineer and Neha a CA aspirant didn’t know the difference between urban local bodies’ elections and that for the Vidhan Sabha.
“But, we have come out to vote for everyone must do so in national interest and bring about a change, whatever the election,” they said.
At Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose wards’ Talimgham-e-Niswan polling booth at Golaganj, Congress candidate Safiqun was seen urging women voters to come out and exercise their democratic right.
