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A little before 11:00 am on 19th April 2024, I stepped into a room at Dilong Government High School, Mokokchung to cast my vote for the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
However within about 10 seconds of handing over my Voter Information Slip (VIS) to the Polling Officer (PO), it was all over. In a very casual, matter of fact, nonchalant attitude I was told ‘it’s done. Yours is already over. You have already voted’.
My immediate shocked reaction was ‘Who has voted on my name? I’ve only just entered this room having stood in the queue for a short duration’.
If my memory serves me well, there were about 9 people on duty in the room and each of them kept bouncing me to go ‘ask that person and not me’.
Part 1
At this point, I stood in the middle of the room facing all on duty and asked if they had checked the identity card and corresponded it to the VIS of the fake voter.
PO 2 responded that the VIS is an identity card and there is no requirement of any alternate id. At this point i read out 3 times what was written on the VIS by the Election Commission (EC) very loudly ‘Voter slips cannot be used as ID proof’.
Shocking and appaling that our PO’s are unaware of rules set by the EC post many hours of training. Or could there be another reason at this ‘lack of knowledge’?
Part 2
While all this was going on, a man stealthily came towards me and handed me a neatly folded paper asking me to use it. It was a VIS: i was being encouraged to use this VIS of an unknown person to cast my vote. This is outright an insult to me aimed to close my voice and cover up a wrongdoing. Remember, two wrongs don’t make a right.
Part 3
I was met by many people within the voting booth room sharing instances of what could have gone wrong in my vote being already cast in my absence. I do not accept any of these nor are those reasons given by you worthy enough to find space here.
Nagaland, Where are we? What has become of us?
I hope other voters did not have to go through this shameful experience. As mandated by the EC, I eventually cast my vote through tendered ballot paper and I hope my vote counts.
Salome Taka,
Mokokchung, Nagaland