Caste a vote- From the mouth of a Story Teller

2004, April. Somewhere in a corner cubicle of an esteemed organization:

Abhishek ! Do you want to vote? Do you have the eligibility?

It was 2 pm and just when the office chores seemed to become boring, this question excited me. I turned around. It was my Manager who rather looked damn straight.

Why? I said, then realizing that I had to answer the question. I quickly added; Of course, I am 22 and I do have the eligibility.

Do you want to vote? He asked me again. I raised my eyebrows, Here is the guy who never allowed deviations from work and a certified stickler for timeliness, asking me if I am intrested to leave office to caste a vote. I still deliberately sounded confusing "Do we have the polling booth in our office premises? I wanted to pun this line but failed miserably.

No..if you are intrested you may go cast your vote. My Manager replied. However, you please finish your work. He was quick to add that too. The man is asking me if I have the interest to caste the vote! How ridiculuous? Its my bloody birth right to vote. Now, the last thing I wanted to do was wring his neck and throw him out.

Sure, I'd finish my reports and leave. I said this as if I had a choice. But I was happy though, for the first time I felt like a CITIZEN! I am going to vote!! I rose from my seat.

So... Abhishek who are you going to vote for? My colleagues asked me. Do I need to tell you that? Its either shame on me or the government. I have got the voting rights 4 uears ago But I haven't casted the vote till now. I remembered years ago, my dad's friend warned me never reveal about your vote. I threw this back at them feeling conceited about it. I knew I was just an ordinary guy without any powers, however I just wanted them to make me feel important. Afterall, I am going to vote for the first time. I rose from my seat. So long buddies! I am going to vote. I sounded as if I am going to Rashtrapati Bhawan to take an oath of President of India.

I pulled my bike and started off. It was hot summer afternoon and my bike seat felt like a tandoori. Anything for my first vote. I thought. On my way through deserted road, I saw those colorful banners, policemen showing their presence, RAF personnel sipping tea under a shade, the noise from my engine made me nervous. I sometimes felt as if my vote will decide the election!

"UNIVERSAL ADULT FRANCHISE"...During my school days, I never was able to remember these 3 little but powerful words! However, it didn't take me long to realize that the meaning of these 3 words can be so simple, but yet so powerful. "Right to vote after the age of 18 years". Democracy is for the people, of the people and by the people, I got a bonus mark in every civics paper where I quoted this line.

Maa.. where is my voters ID card? Abhi..you are back..I told you its a holiday today. Little my mom thinks office the way office is meant to be. However, only I knew the reality, else we all do! She managed to find my voters card and was happy to see her son being a part of democracy of this great nation!

I marched towards the polling booth which was put up very close to my home. I glanced at a group of policemen who sat on a wooden bench with their weapons pointing towards the sky. I do not know wht they must have felt after looking at me. I never wanted them to feel that its my maiden voting session. I Somehow thought will paint a rosy picture at the booth. I had anticipated a big queue at the polling booth. Surprisingly, it was deserted. Perhaps the citizens of my colony had already casted their respective votes in the morning.

I entered an old room with walls full of cracks and a dusty flooring. There was a tubelight too but I was confident that it will not work. The ceiling fan made noise as it rotated slowly trying to provide soothing relief for the officials who were present in that room. A man wearing big glasses, was seated across a table. He looked up and said. Aapka ID card dijiye"

The photograph on my voters card was pathetic and somehow I tried my best to convince myself that the photo resembled me. I was embarrassed to give the ID card to him. He then browsed through a paper that had a lengthy list. I wondered how many names it contained..probably some people must have alredy left this world and even their names existed in that list! That's bureaucracy
for you!

I stood there impatiently. Aapko mera naam mila list mein? Abhishek hai mera naam. I asked in a low tone. Haan ..Yeh raha...aapke pitaji kahan hai unhonne nahi daala vote? I was pleasantly surprised when the man asked about my dad. I never thought they'd care about people who did not vote yet. I said " Mere Dad Mumbai mein rehte hain. I muttered. Accha accha...teek hai koi baat nahi. He then marked my name in that list to confirm my attendance. I wondered if that shoddy little paper would be a substantiate evidence of my existence. He then shouted my name to the person sitting next to him as if I was the criminal brought in the courtroom. His voice was deafning.

Aap is taraf aayiye. The man sitting next to him finally opened his mouth. When I looked at him I never thought he'd speak. The voting process now began to speed up. I wasnt aware whet else I have to undergo. This man looked at me and asked my to give my hand as if its an engagement ceremony and he'd present me a ring! However, I knew he'd mark my finger with some solution that would remain for 2-3 days. I was excited because I wanted to show my proof of voting to people who never had this Privilege. This little solution does the trick of identification or may be emancipation!

Hmm... Now whats next? I asked myself.. Abhi aap wahan jaaiye aur vote kariye. He said timidly. I saw a very familiar customized compartment built with cloth and iron stand. I saw this in many movies and the ay had actually arrived when I had to go there to caste my vote. There was a voting machine that read 'Assembly elections and Parliament elections. I had read about voting machines in newspapers and how politicians tamper these machines for rigging purpose. For strange reasons, I remembered TN Seshan, once the Chief Election commissioner of India. I thought maybe if that man was in power this would never have happend.

I looked at the voting machine..and I knew who to vote for. I didn't even bother to look at the other "CONTESTANTS". As soon as I pressed the button against the political party name, it gave a loud beep like a burglar alarm!! I then had to caste my vote for the prime minister's seat. While I was doing this process, I thought how tensed those contestants will be and if they realized that I had voted for them, how would they react? Will I be attacked from the other contestants for whom I didn't vote for? I discarded all these when I reazlied that I was exercising my rights as a citizen.

It was finally done. My quest was over! I had casted a vote for the first time. I felt as if I had done a great service to mankind!

© All rights reserved with Abhishek Naini. No form of this may be reproduced without prior permission from the author.