What does the first-time woman voter want? That was the question at the centre of The Quint's "Me, the Change" campaign, in partnership with Facebook. Over the course of six-odd months from October 2018 to March 2019, The Quint reported on the first-time woman voter, including achievers who were changing their world, one day at a time. As the country voted in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, these first-time women voters too participated in the elections. And they have a message for you!
Sweta Shahi: The Rugby Player from Bihar
An international rugby player from Nalanda district in Bihar, Sweta Shahi learnt how to play the sports through YouTube videos. Her demand from the incoming government in 2019 was for a rugby field to be constructed in her village, so she could practice the sport properly. Sweta voted in the last phase of the 2019 general elections on 19 May 2019.
Speaking on the experience of voting for the first-time, Sweta said,
“I felt very happy to vote for the first-time. I would like to appeal to all young people in the country to participate in democracy. If for some reason, you haven’t been able to vote this time and have been unable to understand the importance of voting, then please do so in the future. And strengthen India’s democracy.”Sweta Shahi
Sweta also posted photos on Facebook, writing of her joy to be able to cast vote in the "festival of democracy."
Shikha Mandi: The Santhali RJ from West Bengal
Shikha is a RJ from West Bengal, with a twist. She is the first person in the country to host a program in Santhali and her radio show is another attempt by her to popularise & propagate the Santhali language in the country. Shikha cast her vote on 12 May 2019. Expressing her thrill at being able to vote for the first time, she said,
“I felt great after casting my vote for the first time. I have cast my precious voter after a lot of hope; the exam of the voter is over, now I am waiting for the election results. I want that whoever gets elected from my constituency as an MP, doesn’t look at caste, religion but should focus on service to the country. Every vote is precious. It’s the public which determines who becomes the MP and no political leader should forget that. It happens every time that the MP doesn’t work to even one-fourth of the public’s expectations. I hope this changes this year.”Shikha Mandi
Anshu Rajput: The Voice Against Acid Attacks
When Anshu was 15 years old, her life changed forever. She was sleeping outside her home in Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh, when a 55-year-old neighbour threw acid over her face. Now Anshu is 21 years old, and is an activist, working as a motivational speaker and as a Library Manager at the Sheroes Hangout cafe in Lucknow. "Humko bahut hi accha laga aur bahut hi alag si feeling thi," Anshu said on her experience for voting for the first-time.
Jahan Geet: The Dhol Player from Punjab
“Play like a man.” That’s what Jahan Geet was told when she first started learning how to play dhol. “I will play like a girl,” she reiterated, and that’s exactly what she has done. Playing dhol is usually considered to be a male activity, but Jahaan Geet persisted, and since then has been featured on TV and in magazines, with her dhol in tow.
When she voted on 19 May 2019 in Chandigarh, she was elated. She said,
“Voting for the first time, for Lok Sabha Elections, felt a bit overwhelming for me. I had this strange as well as a good feeling about it. I could feel myself as the part of the change. I could feel the responsibility and the burden at the same time. Till now I had been seeing problems around me, in the society, with the people, in the system. And today, I had the opportunity to decide for MYSELF. I had the opportunity to silently raise voice for my demands. I had the power within me.”Jahan Geet
Did you vote for the first-time in 2019 too? Let us know in the comments below!
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