Tuesday, 15 February 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
Women shared their experiences of casting votes amid Covid protocols and how this election was different for them than the past ones. Long queues of voters were seen outside polling booths as voting began at 8 AM across the state on Monday. Many women said that they voted this time with the hope that the new government would address the issues like poor health facilities, poor quality of education in government schools, damaged roads, employment opportunities and inflation. “I expect the new government to provide quality education in our village and construct roads so that we can easily travel during emergencies. I have voted with the hope that the new government will address these issues,” said Pushpa Rawat from Pauri.
Many also shared their experiences of casting votes in Sakhi booths for the first time. Sakhi booths are polling booths where the administration deployed women polling booth staff members and security personnel who conducted the whole polling process in the booth. Tripti Negi who voted at the Sakhi booth in the Salalwala area in Dehradun said that voting in this booth was quite a different experience for her. She said, “I felt like I had entered some local fair where everybody was so enthusiastic and welcoming. The place was decorated with balloons and tents and I had to confirm twice that it was a polling booth. Every staff member in the booth was a woman which actually felt good.” However some women stated that having all women employees makes no such difference to the polling process. “I actually do not consider the Sakhi booth concept useful. Some booths were overly decorated while some Sakhi booths did not even have chairs for senior citizens to sit while waiting in the queue. It might be a way to attract some attention towards the initiatives being taken by the authorities concerned but I do not think it has any practical value,” said Avni Sahni, who cast her vote at a Sakhi booth in Old Dalanwala in Dehradun.
Some women, especially those aged above 55 years, stated that they felt slightly uneasy while putting on the gloves before the elections. Geeta Singh from Raipur assembly constituency said, “It was easier to cast a vote in the past as this time, I had to fit my hand in the glove given by booth staff which felt uncomfortable. I am 58 years old and I know how hard it was to fit that glove in my hand due to my ailments. Nobody helped me, probably due to Covid-19 but it certainly made things difficult for some women like me.”
