THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For 41-year-old Sabeena A, a resident of Kottappuram in Kattakkada, arriving at the polling booth this assembly election was not just about casting her vote. It was also about independence and reclaiming a life that had long been limited to the four walls of her modest home.
An excited Sabeena was seen wading through heavy traffic, leaving the polling booth at the MPM Lower Primary School at Killi after successfully exercising her franchise on her own for the first time in nearly two decades — in her own electric wheelchair. Until now, she had relied on party workers to take her to the booth in an autorickshaw.
A delighted Sabeena, who has lived with the effects of polio since she was six months old and with chronic anaemia since teenage, said: “I wanted to come on my own to vote during the local body elections but couldn’t because of battery issues with the wheelchair. This is truly an amazing experience for me. I have never known a situation where I was confident enough to leave my home without help.”
Sabeena’s life changed for good after receiving the electric wheelchair from the district panchayat. A bright student, she had to discontinue her studies after Class 10.
“I still miss school. I used to walk to school on crutches but anaemia put an end to my academics,” she said.