THRISSUR: For every voter exercising their franchise, the ink mark applied to their index finger as they visit the polling booth is a symbol of their democratic privilege. But for PR Rajan, 70, democracy lies in the choice not to get his finger inked.
The Manalur native, who realised he had an allergic reaction to the indelible ink after he cast his vote during the 2016 assembly polls, was armed with a medical certificate for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, which allowed him to put his foot down and tell the polling agents to refrain from applying the ink on him.
This time too, he carried a certificate and cast his vote without getting his finger inked.
“The ink had become a huge problem for me in 2016. I felt a burning sensation soon after it was applied. Soon, rashes broke out on my arm and I consulted a doctor. That’s when I realised the ink was the villain,” he said. Rajan is glad he had the privilege of getting the stringent rule changed for him, allowing him to cast his vote once again.