Mumbai: This has been a big year for young voters in the city. Some voted for the first time on Wednesday; others for the second time after the Lok Sabha elections. And, in another first, college students were allowed to volunteer at ballot booths.
For many, it was an eye-opening introduction to electoral democracy. Some 600 students from the National Service Scheme (NSS) and the Department of Lifelong Learning and Extension (DLLE) across Mumbai University and its affiliated colleges were tasked with helping elderly and disabled citizens at the voting booths. The election commission conducted workshops for these volunteers, assigned them duties in two shifts, and will also be giving them a token sum of Rs 150 for their participation.
At R Jhunjhunwala College in Ghatkopar, NSS students turned a routine voting experience into a moment of care. They guided senior citizens up the ramp, served water and tea with quiet attentiveness, and made sure benches were available to sit on. The students were surprised to find some elderly citizens coming from old-age homes, said college trustee Dr Rajendra Singh, and that “though they had no one to bring them to the booth, yet they came.”
Titiksha Borkar, a student of Kelkar College in Mulund, escorted a senior citizen to the booth and also arranged for an auto home. “We are just doing a service and feel good about it,” she said. Taniya Dandekar, a student at Anandibai Damodar Kale College in Borivali, helped people look for their names in the voting list. She and others from her college were trained twice, including by the election authorities, she said.
Two students from Bedekar College, who were assigned to a polling centre in Kopri-Pachpakhadi, found the experience enriching. They found it challenging to placate panicked voters who came in with questions about missing names or mistakes in the electoral rolls. “Apart from the certificate and additional marks that we will get, we got first-hand training in understanding and handling tough situations and man-management,” the students said.
Roping in young volunteers made a difference to the effectiveness of the polling process, said a voter in IC Colony, Borivali.
Meanwhile, first-time voters were also excited to share their experiences. Anvita Prasad, 22, a first-time voter from Hiranandani Estate, Thane, said she looked at the educational qualifications of candidates in deciding who to vote for.
Bandra resident Mannat, who turned 18 only a few months ago, also chose her candidate well in advance. “I want someone who can do good for society,” she said.
For young Anu Yadav, it was her second time voting–-she’d cast her ballot for the first time in the Lok Sabha elections in May. A resident of Pimpripada in Dindoshi constituency, she and her friends want their elected representative to ensure regular water supply for their locality—some days, she has to stay awake till 2-3 am to get water. “We want our elected representatives to fulfill their promises,” she said.