ANKOLA: At times when many youngsters try skipping voting, here is an 87-year-old man who never missed voting and says he will vote till his last breath.
Even at this age, Shiva Naik, a resident of Belekeri village in Ankola taluk has not lost enthusiasm for voting. On Tuesday he came to polling booth at Government Higher Primary school of Banglewada along with his elder son on a two-wheeler and returned after casting his vote without anyone’s help.
For him, voting was not just another day. On the eve of election day, Shiva Naik, who had earlier earned his livelihood through a provision store, demanded his family members to iron his clothes and he also went to the salon to get a shave, especially for the voting day.
Incidentally, Naik forced his son Harish to come with him for voting. “He was not interested in voting today. But I told him I have never missed voting and he also has to come with me. After I forced him he came along,” Naik said.
“Many people including my son do not know the importance of voting. Therefore they neglect it. It is a right of everyone to elect leaders of their choice and hence voting becomes important to all. I never missed voting in my life and won't miss till am alive,” he said.
Harish Naik, elder son of Shiva said, his father is aged man and find difficult to walk especially during noons. “Therefore I asked his father to go for voting in the evening. But my father who is very enthusiastic to vote, forced me to go in the noon itself, therefore we both came for voting at 1 pm under the scorching sun,” he said.
“My father was a young guy when India got independence. Since the second general elections, my father has been voting and he is very proud to vote,” he added.