Independent Indi’s first voter Shyam Saran Negi passes away

Shimla: The first voter of independent India, 106-yeaar-old Shyam Saran Negi, passed away at his native place Kalpa in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday, He had cast his 34th vote for the forthcoming Assembly polls three days ago.

Deputy Commissioner Abid Hussain Sadiq said Negi will be cremated with full state honours, media reports said.

Negi, who was born on July 1, 1917, was working as a school teacher in Kalpa. He was first to cast his vote on October 25 when India held its first general elections in 1951 after the end of British rule in 1947. Election for most of states took place in February 1952, but Himachal went to the polls five months early before the onest of harsh winter. Being a hilly state, heavy snowfall during that period would have made it impossible for voters to reach the polling stations.

“I have never missed an opportunity to cast my vote since India got its independence in 1947 and I am happy to vote this time too,” Negi had said in Kalpa, some 275 km from the state capital, after exercising his franchise.

Negi exercised his right to frnchise in the Mandi parliamentary bypolls last year too.

Election officials said on earlier occasions Negi went to the nearest polling station to cast the vote.

He would always flash his wrinkled inked finger after casting his votes

Like on previous occasions, the centenarian had requested the young voters to actively participate in the democratic exercise to get their representatives at the helm.

A staunch believer in democracy, the centenarian never fails to cast his vote in any election, be it Lok Sabha, Assembly or panchayat.

Negi, a retired school teacher in 1951, was on election duty and had exercised his franchise in Chini constituency, later renamed Kinnaur.

He had voted for 16 times in Lok Sabha elections. He is also a state election icon since 2014.

Chief Minister Jairam Thakur expressed grief over his death. “Saddened to learn of the sad demise of Shyam Saran Negi ji, the first voter of independent India and who belonged to Kinnaur. True to his duty, he cast his postal vote for the assembly elections for the 34th time on November 2. His memory will always make us emotional. Peace!”, he tweeted.(With IANS input).

—-INDIA NEWS STREAM