Canvassing is not allowed within 100 meters of a polling booth, but who'd suspect that a child can make you change your mind?
Canvassing is not allowed within 100 meters of a polling booth, but who'd suspect that a child can make you change your mind?
Young boys had plenty to do on polling day. Serious stuff. Like asking people to vote for the parties that were paying them.
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Smart alec: Mohammed Ashraf |
Twelve-year old Mohammed Ashraf was one of them. He sat with a group of boys, waiting for voters at a polling booth in Neelasandra.
When a voter approached, he showed them a finger from a distance, denoting one. If the person seemed confused, he would run up and say: "Vote for the name against Number 1 on the voting machine." When asked who No 1 was, he said "JDS."
He then offered to help. "Do you know your number in the voter's list? I will help you find it."
He accompanied the voter till the entrance of the booth and asked on the way: "Do you have a voter's identity card? No? Not a problem." He then went on to rattle off all the documents that you could show to be able to vote.
Ashraf and his friends had been at work since 7 am when polling began. The elections seem to have come as an opportunity for them to earn some money during the summer vacation.u00a0
Did he go to school, we asked in Hindi. Pat came the reply in English: "I am now going to the eight standard. I study at St Patrick's School. I have holidays and so I'm here." When we asked if he was paid for the work, he denied it and ran away.
Canvassing is prohibited within 100 meters of the polling booth, but these children throw rules to the winds and manage not to get caught.
