With just a few days left for the National Voters Day to dawn which falls on January 25 the Haridwar district administration is finalising the preparations and there is excitement in the air regarding the first time voters who shall get some token award from the district administration. Becoming a major, at 18 years of age, is something that deserves to be celebrated. A day dedicated to those born in the year 2000 who completed 18 years this year on January 1 will become new voters and such voters shall be given a token award at some districts level by the states across the country.
National Voters Day celebrated throughout India in over seven lakh locations is a day to rejoice when Indians celebrate their right to vote. The entire nation reverberates with the festivities of democracy. This year marks the eighth celebration of NVD. The bedrock of any democratic setup, the NVD aims to disseminate information about the importance of voting.
Notably, January 25 is also the foundation day of the Election Commission of India, which came into existence on this day in 1950. National Voters day coined by Election Commission aspires to reach out to every adult citizen of the country and promote ethical and aware participation in the electoral process.
At the administration level, activities to promote electoral participation like essay writing, declamation competitions at block, district and state level, rallies, street plays by school and college students would also be held on January 25. The district magistrate of Haridwar Deepak Rawat said, “The list of first time voters is being finalised.
The objective is that no voter should be left behind. We would register each and every eligible elector in the electoral rolls. A voters pledge would be administered to the staff working in different departments on this occasion.”
Matdaata Mahotsav 2018 marks completion of 8 successful events of the National Voters Day and launch of the Systematic Voters' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme.
The significance of this day is to encourage youngsters of the country, who have reached the age of 18, to participate in the electoral process, by enrolling or registering themselves in electoral rolls and to exercise their franchise.
Democracy allows people to speak their minds and shape their own and the future of the nation. Ayurvedacharya VK Agnihotri, principal of Haridwar Ayurvedic medical college said, “It is a privilege given by the election commission of India to every citizen who is eligible to be a part of the electoral process and choose our representatives in the governing bodies to bring stability in the nation. The parents and family members must come forward in letting their children get voters identification cards who have reached the age of 18 years and thus fulfill their responsibility.”
Ever since 2011, when the Election Commission of India decided to observe January 25, its foundation day as the National voters day, it is celebrated by the citizens with gusto.One of the first time voters in the district, Manisha Bansal said, “It is a chance to participate in the democratic revolution and show my inked finger that I have the power to elect leaders of my country.”
Haridwar-based Muskan foundation and its members administered a voters pledge amongst the teenagers in Indira Basti, a slum dwelling by holding a voter awareness camp. Neha Malik of the foundation said, “We ensured that these slum dwellers had Adhar card or Voter’s identification card and pledged the eligible teenagers to exercise their vote in the elections.” The foundation announced some gifts possessing Aadhar cards for those who ensured maximum participation in the celebrations to mark this day.