One of my strong desires has been to get my name see in the voters list and be a 'jimmedar' shahari of the nation. Watching the election affairs from across the fence was like, what I thought, tasting the coffee from a table away from the coffee pot placed on another table.
But it appeared to me so cumbersome a process that, frankly speaking, I shuddered in taking a pro-active step in getting myself enrolled till I had a helping hand from senior journalist and politician Ratan Dixit in Allahabad to get the journalists in Allahabad to get their voter ID cards and get their names added to the voters list.
Gleefully, many a journalist including myself lined up to get ourselves photographed at the Public Relations Office, Allahabad, the thing specially arranged for us. Certainly a big smile was on our faces, for we were soon going to be proud owner of voters I Card which was to remind us for long in future of our duties of a 'jimmedar shahri' to the nation. I kept on waiting for the I-card. Months passed and so the years. I inquired about the same but the card never came.
Frankly admitting I was at fault too as I did not take a pro-active step in pursuing the authorities and obtaining the card. The reason being, which may be dubbed as a lame excuse as well, I had to move regularly to rural areas first for coverage of elections at the time of almost every election.
When I came to Bhopal the urge of being a jimmedar shahari in me once again called me upon to get my wife and my name enrolled as voters. One of my office colleagues and myself once even went to the collectorate too to inquire how to get forms and where to be submitted. We got forms from there also which were to be filled at the time of voters lists revision.
Not to let the chance go this time I took two forms from the government perosonnel who came in my colony for survey. My wife and I filled the forms and submitted it to the office concerned by the specified time. We were on the cloud nine when we received our voter ID Cards. Obviously, my joy and excitement had no bounds. But soon the taste of the sweetness turned sour. There were mistakes galore in the cards. I had become 'Rajat Kumar' in place of 'Ranjan Kumar'. Address was wrongly mentioned too.
Unflinching in my commitment in being the proud owner of the voter I-card I was ready to go extra miles. I obtained the forms for correction of mistakes, filled it up and submitted it. We received our new cards. I cannot explain in words how privileged we felt in standing in the queue for casting our votes at the time of assembly elections in November, 2008. After casting our votes we thought we performed our duties of responsible citizens after a long time. This gave a sense of relief and pride in us.
In the same mood we proceeded again to cast our 'valuable' votes in Lok Sabha elections this year. Exuding confidence I asked the political party workers to give our voters slips, at a party's voters assistance booth. After putting in some effort they succeeded in finding my wife's name along with her blurred photo. But much to my surprise, my name was missing, not to say of my photograph. I was at fault again that I relied too much on the government machinery and got relaxed. I should have checked the voters list to see if my name was still there.
Though I missed the opportunity of casting my vote I still have the sense of satisfaction that my card is there with me. At least my wife could cast her vote. For which party????? Why should I tell you?
But it appeared to me so cumbersome a process that, frankly speaking, I shuddered in taking a pro-active step in getting myself enrolled till I had a helping hand from senior journalist and politician Ratan Dixit in Allahabad to get the journalists in Allahabad to get their voter ID cards and get their names added to the voters list.
Gleefully, many a journalist including myself lined up to get ourselves photographed at the Public Relations Office, Allahabad, the thing specially arranged for us. Certainly a big smile was on our faces, for we were soon going to be proud owner of voters I Card which was to remind us for long in future of our duties of a 'jimmedar shahri' to the nation. I kept on waiting for the I-card. Months passed and so the years. I inquired about the same but the card never came.
Frankly admitting I was at fault too as I did not take a pro-active step in pursuing the authorities and obtaining the card. The reason being, which may be dubbed as a lame excuse as well, I had to move regularly to rural areas first for coverage of elections at the time of almost every election.
When I came to Bhopal the urge of being a jimmedar shahari in me once again called me upon to get my wife and my name enrolled as voters. One of my office colleagues and myself once even went to the collectorate too to inquire how to get forms and where to be submitted. We got forms from there also which were to be filled at the time of voters lists revision.
Not to let the chance go this time I took two forms from the government perosonnel who came in my colony for survey. My wife and I filled the forms and submitted it to the office concerned by the specified time. We were on the cloud nine when we received our voter ID Cards. Obviously, my joy and excitement had no bounds. But soon the taste of the sweetness turned sour. There were mistakes galore in the cards. I had become 'Rajat Kumar' in place of 'Ranjan Kumar'. Address was wrongly mentioned too.
Unflinching in my commitment in being the proud owner of the voter I-card I was ready to go extra miles. I obtained the forms for correction of mistakes, filled it up and submitted it. We received our new cards. I cannot explain in words how privileged we felt in standing in the queue for casting our votes at the time of assembly elections in November, 2008. After casting our votes we thought we performed our duties of responsible citizens after a long time. This gave a sense of relief and pride in us.
In the same mood we proceeded again to cast our 'valuable' votes in Lok Sabha elections this year. Exuding confidence I asked the political party workers to give our voters slips, at a party's voters assistance booth. After putting in some effort they succeeded in finding my wife's name along with her blurred photo. But much to my surprise, my name was missing, not to say of my photograph. I was at fault again that I relied too much on the government machinery and got relaxed. I should have checked the voters list to see if my name was still there.
Though I missed the opportunity of casting my vote I still have the sense of satisfaction that my card is there with me. At least my wife could cast her vote. For which party????? Why should I tell you?
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