They vote, hoping against hope

Gurvinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 19

Two persons carried 95-year-old Mahinder Kaur of Threeke village to the polling booth as she could not stand straight, let alone walking on her own. When asked why she came just to vote, she replied succinctly: “Everyone should vote”. Her 65-year-old son Tara Singh said she had been telling for the past 10 days that she had to go to vote.

Several elderly voters who could barely walk trudged their way to polling stations to cast their vote. They have seen the years pass by, as their vision has blurred over decades, and gait has become unsteady, and many of them have seen no change. Now having reached the fag end of their lives, they may never see a change, yet they vote, hoping against hope.

Banta Singh of Daad village, who could not stand for long with his walking stick, was sitting in the street near the polling centre. “I know most of the elected members only use the funds allocated to them to feed themselves. And there will be no difference in our living conditions, but what is to be done. Not voting is not the solution to this,” he said.

Another villager, Surjit Singh (72) said: “Though there is no amelioration of our condition, some miracle might happen and someone might hold the hand of our villages and Punjab,” he said.

Several of the elderly persons feel that even if someone appears promising before the elections, once he enters the system, he too become the same.

Several times, there has been a feeling of remorse that why he voted for a candidate who turned out to be the wrong person, said Gurdial Singh (68) of Threeke village. “But voting has to be done for the sake of democracy even if it is turning out to be an exercise in futility because there is little positive change,” he said. 

Balwinder Kaur (80) said there was no place for the poor and voting was just a tool. “I am an indigent woman and water enters our home whenever it rained heavily. I visited the Panchayat as also the Samiti members several times with my complaint. Their only excuse was there were no funds. Where have the funds gone?” said Balwinder Kaur (80), from Lalton village. 

The spirit of Harjinder Kaur (80) remains stoically strong. She says she votes no matter what because she has to choose whom she feels is a better candidate. “You raise your children hoping they will support you in old age even though it is never sure. So, I vote with similar hope that an honest candidate might ameliorate our condition,” she says.

Election highlights

• A lull prevailed in most villages as no political gathering was noticed. 

• People were moving freely on polling booth premises as minimum restrictions were imposed by the authorities.

• At some places, Akali Dal supporters accused the police of allowing Congress supporters into the polling booth premises.

• Posters of candidates were found pasted on doors of the Sidhwan Bet polling booth.

• A few policemen were deployed at most polling booths.

• Some candidates were seen roaming with bouncers near the polling booth. Ricky Chauhan, Congress candidate from Sidhwan Bet, was one of them. 

• Some candidates entered polling booths with a few supporters.

• A ‘churan’ seller had a special target audience on Wednesday — those sitting at polling booths. After the busy pre-noon hours, the seller was seen making good business. 

• Several posters in Khedi village, even outside the polling centre, irked people. “The parties think pasting the pictures of candidates will have the voters in their favour,” said Kulwant Singh. 

• Candidates and their supporters had nervous moments. In case of several male candidates, the nervousness manifested as a swagger. For women candidates, it manifested as an obsequious exchange of greetings with voters.