MANGALURU: Polling Booths at St Mary’s English School and Milagres School will have special voters on Thursday. Starting out early in the morning, 20 nuns from two cloistered convents in the city—one at Kankanady and another at Hampankatta— will come out of seclusion to cast their votes in the parliamentary elections.
These nuns, who spend all year tucked away in their respective convents, only come for two reason, when they have to vote and when there is a medical emergency.
Considering the day of polling coincides with Maundy Thursday, a holy day for the Christian community marking the last supper, the contemplatives will continue their religious rituals in the convent, but will also take time out to exercise their voting rights.
“We will leave at 6:30 am. A benefactor has offered to take us to the polling booth, as we are not allowed to walk outside,” said Sister Margaret Mary, from the cloistered convent of Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. Residents of the convent have been voting since its inception 25 years ago, she added.
Seven contemplatives from between 20 to 83 years of age will go in two turns to the polling booth.
While voting this year is not very different from the previous years, Sr Mary Mable Superior from the cloistered convent of Carmel of the Sacred Heart in Kankanady said, there will be a change in timings. “Considering the Maundy Thursday rituals, sisters will start voting at 7 am, instead of the usual 2 pm, “ she said.
As many as 14 sisters including Sr Mary Francis, who will turn 90 years this year, reside at Carmel of the Sacred Heart convent. Except for one, all others will take part in the voting.