E-Paper
Lok Sabha elections 2019: In South Delhi seat, a polling station that is special, different
Monika Dhankhar is excited with her new assignment — she will be one of the four persons who would be officiating a polling station, Ambedkar Nagar in South Delhi, the only one in the capital where persons with disabilities will conduct the election.
This Sunday would be a bit different for 30-year-old Monika Dhankhar, a nurse at a government-run hospital. Unlike other weekends, when she usually relaxes and spends time with her husband and family, this time, she has volunteered to work for a cause, knowing fully well that she would have to work for nearly 16 hours at a stretch, unmindful of her physical disability.
But Dhankhar is excited with her new assignment — she will be one of the four persons who would be officiating a polling station, Ambedkar Nagar in South Delhi, the only one in the capital where persons with disabilities will conduct the election.
“This is a huge responsibility as even a minor error can make everything go haywire. I am not only ready for it, but looking forward to it,” said Dhankhar, who would be second polling officer. She has been suffering from spinal deformity since adolescence.
The other members of the team are Mohit Arora, a bank officer, Ameer Ulla Siddiqui, a computer assistant at Jamia Millia Islamia. They would perform the function of polling officers. Satendra Singh, associate professor of physiology at University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, would be presiding officer.
Such is the motivation that Arora has decided to stay at an NGO office near the polling station the previous night. “I live in Bawana and work in a public sector bank. It would be difficult for me to reach Ambedkar Nagar by 4am as no buses or Metro would be available at that hour,” said Arora, who suffers from cerebral palsy and needs the support of a crutch when walking.
Right from conducting the mock poll, to managing the entire voting process throughout the day and at the end of the day, handing over the EVMs and VVPATs to the poll panel after the voting is done, these persons with disabilities have been trained by the ECI to perform functions, which many able bodied persons often shy from.
“There is an ECI guideline that no person with disability shall be sent for election duty. But these persons have voluntarily offered their services. They have been trained and will manage the entire polling station,” Nidhi Srivastava, returning officer of South Delhi constituency, said.
While a few persons with disabilities from various government agencies have volunteered to work as polling officials on May 12, they have been posted in other polling stations along with abled persons. “We had received many applications including from those with visual impairments. They were first briefed about the nature of the work and schedule as not many persons would be able to work for 16 hours at a stretch,” Singh, who suffers from the after-effects of polio, said.
