Every vote matters this time, say first timers who became eligible years ago

Kolkata: Several people who have not voted in the past despite being eligible — either because they never bothered to or felt their vote would not matter — are determined to exercise their franchise this time because they feel this election is too important for them to just sit aside and be passive onlookers.Suman Goswami could have cast his first vote three decades ago. But he finally voted for the first time on April 10 in the fourth phase of the assembly election. Film-maker Aniket Chattopadhyay, who had treated election days in the past as holidays and enjoyed mangsho-bhat, said he felt the urge to exercise his democratic right after a gap of 37 years. Bharatjyoti Roychowdhury, 73, also voted for the first time since 1977. Goswami has always believed that elections cannot change society. But he has cast his vote this year because he feels Bengal is standing at the crossroads of history. “This election is more important than any other in the past because our lives can fundamentally change if one party wins,” the Alipurduar resident said.Chattopadhyay had not voted till now because he felt “all political parties were the same — they are the different sides of the same coin”. But this time, he chose to vote because the times are different now. “I chose to register my protest against divisive politics and against the government’s interference in personal issues, like food, clothing and love,” said Chattopadhyay.Once actively involved in the Naxal movement, Roychowdhury recounted the reason why he voted in 1977. “I was released from jail just before the Emergency so the 1977 election was a referendum for me. This time, I chose to vote because it is again a referendum against communalism and fascism,” he said. For Chhandak Chatterjee, the reason to exercise his right to vote after 10 years was so that he could make sure that every vote mattered at this critical juncture. Some in the state, though, stood by their beliefs and chose not to exercise their democratic right. “Fascism cannot be defeated by election,” said Tarun Basu. Echoing him, septuagenarian Krishna Bandhopadhyay added that she does not vote because she does not find any candidate appropriate.