4 min readPuneApr 22, 2024 09:05 AM IST
First published on: Apr 21, 2024 at 09:36 PM IST
As many as 120 residents of Niwara, an old age home in Pune’s Navi Peth, aged between 65 and 91, are ready to go to the polling booths for this Lok Sabha elections.
Over the last month, Election Commission officers visited the premises and filled out voter registration forms for those who didn’t have one.
A total of 95 voter ID cards have been issued, of which 10 are for those aged above 85 and 16 are for persons with disabilities.
“We have been trying to get this done for many years now. But nobody was taking the responsibility and we didn’t want to approach any political party for help. But this time, the ECI sent a team and provided all the help that was needed. It shows that if one department genuinely understands the need, it can happen”, said Rajiv Natu, member of the managing committee of Niwara.
The voter ID cards were made based on documents like Aadhar card and a certificate from Niwara stating that they are residents at the old-age home.
But getting voter IDs made was only the beginning as some residents would be voting with EVM for the first time.
Padmakar Narayan Adkar, 67, says, “I have only casted my vote once in life. The last time I voted was during Congress time, when Indira Gandhi was the prime minister. That time we had a voting slip. A few days ago, the officers explained how to vote via EVM and I observed it closely.”
Adkar has only studied till class nine, never got married and doesn’t have a family. He moved in at Niwara in 2019 and has become a member who uses the library the most and reads the newspaper everyday.
“Officers from ECI conducted demonstrations for around three- hours last month. It gave these people confidence that they can all vote at this age too and they are all very excited. The polling booth is hardly five minutes away. The ECI had offered to send a vehicle, but we will be arranging our own, said Ravindra L Marathe, a volunteer at Niwara.
Some of the voters who got registered in this process are the ones who moved out of their hometown to come and stay at Niwara such as the Hanwadikar brother-sister duo.
Residents of Akola, they moved to Niwara two years ago. “We have never missed a single voting in our life. Our dad was 87-years-old, when he last voted before he passed away at 90. Taking voting seriously was a responsibility passed down to us. This year, due to moving out to a new place, we were worried. But are glad it all worked out,” Hanwadikar siblings said.
Living at an old age home, which takes really good care of them, Hanwadikar siblings don’t have anything to ask from the government for themselves, but they will be voting on issues of national interest.
Vilas Hanwadikar (71) said, “My vote will be for the nation’s betterment. For the ones who will solve political and economic problems. This is not me casting a vote as a section of people who live in old age homes, but as a citizen of the country.”
Living at an old age home, which takes really good care of them, Hanwadikar siblings don’t have anything to ask from the government for themselves, but they will be voting on issues of national interest. (Express photo by Ravina Warkad) 
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