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Bhanu P Lohumi
Tribune News Service
Shimla, May 19
Centenarian Shyam Saran Negi, independent India’s first voter, yet again did not fail to keep his date with polling as he exercised his franchise for the 17th time in the Lok Sabha elections at Kalpa in Kinnaur district today.
He was brought to the polling station in a vehicle. However, despite failing health and impaired hearing and vision, Negi (103) refused to use a wheelchair and walked to the booth escorted by Deputy Commissioner Gopal Chand and polling staff.
Negi revisited his past memories when he reached Government Primary School at Kalpa to cast his vote as it was the same place where he had voted for the first time on October 25, 1951, and got the sobriquet of the first voter.
Negi has never missed even a single election and has been a witness to the poll process starting from putting a stamp on ballot papers to EVMs and now VVPATs.
Recalling his first experience as a voter, Negi said it was a coincidence that he was a school teacher then in 1951 and was deputed on poll duty at the Kalpa booth. Being a member of the polling party, he had reached the booth early and was the first to exercise his franchise. Elections in the tribal area were held in 1951 ahead of poll in other parts of the country in 1952.
Negi, while talking to The Tribune, said there were limited employees even for conducting the elections and one polling official covered five-six villages and polling continued for 10 days.
He vividly remembered the first elections in which he had cast his vote and counted the polling booths covered by him on fingers. “We started from Shonthong- Purvani– Ribba–Moarang–Nesong and completed polling in 10 days. We had to trek long distances as the road network was invisible. Separate polling boxes were provided for each candidate and people were scared of voting as it was easy to find out that which village voted in favour or against of any particular candidate. Villages which did not vote for the ruling party suffered discrimination,” he said.
A frail Negi advised voters to exercise their franchise for development, good governance and nation building. “I wish to cast my vote till I’m alive,” he said.
Earlier, Negi was received by the Deputy Commissioner, Kinnaur, and accorded a red carpet welcome at the Kalpa polling booth with band, traditional folk music and honoured with Himachali cap and shawl.