North-west Delhi sees low turnout of young voters
6 Dec 2013 5:11 AM IST
However, a huge number of elderly and physically challenged people were seen queuing up to cast their votes in north-west Delhi.
The officials who were deployed at the polling stations, including the police personnel, were seen helping the elderly voters. Relatives of old voters were allowed to drop off elderly citizens at the door of the polling booth in their vehicles and pick them up. Senior citizens were also not made to wait in long queues.
The 82-year-old Suggo Devi, a resident of Timarpur, was accompanied by her 16-year-old granddaughter Priyanaka to the polling booth at Government Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya early in the morning to cast her vote. ‘My grandmother has been asking me to get ready for election day. She is enthusiastic about using her democratic right,’ Priyanka said.
Om Parkash, a 72-year-old physically challenged man, was brought by his relatives on a plastic chair as he came to vote at the Timarpur polling station. Parkash claimed that he has never missed the opportunity to vote in any election. ‘Since yesterday (Tuesday), I had been asking my sons to take me to the polling station. Seeing my enthusiasm, they just couldn’t say no,’ Parkash said.
His 35-year-old son Ajay said, ‘I couldn’t say no when he insisted on using his democratic right to cast his vote.’
‘If we old people don’t vote it will be a bad example for our grandchildren,’ said Parkash. ‘As long as I can walk, I will go and vote. Voting is a right, which must be practiced by all. It is an important right. If we have to keep the nation strong, every person needs to vote. It is sad to see some youngsters skipping this right, it should be kept above everything else,’ he added.
The officials who were deployed at the polling stations, including the police personnel, were seen helping the elderly voters. Relatives of old voters were allowed to drop off elderly citizens at the door of the polling booth in their vehicles and pick them up. Senior citizens were also not made to wait in long queues.
The 82-year-old Suggo Devi, a resident of Timarpur, was accompanied by her 16-year-old granddaughter Priyanaka to the polling booth at Government Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya early in the morning to cast her vote. ‘My grandmother has been asking me to get ready for election day. She is enthusiastic about using her democratic right,’ Priyanka said.
Om Parkash, a 72-year-old physically challenged man, was brought by his relatives on a plastic chair as he came to vote at the Timarpur polling station. Parkash claimed that he has never missed the opportunity to vote in any election. ‘Since yesterday (Tuesday), I had been asking my sons to take me to the polling station. Seeing my enthusiasm, they just couldn’t say no,’ Parkash said.
His 35-year-old son Ajay said, ‘I couldn’t say no when he insisted on using his democratic right to cast his vote.’
‘If we old people don’t vote it will be a bad example for our grandchildren,’ said Parkash. ‘As long as I can walk, I will go and vote. Voting is a right, which must be practiced by all. It is an important right. If we have to keep the nation strong, every person needs to vote. It is sad to see some youngsters skipping this right, it should be kept above everything else,’ he added.
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