My Voting in Assembly Election and Vote Percentage

I cast my vote yesterday (April 6) for the 6th time in this lifetime since my first voting in 2009 general election in India. So far, I have voted in three general elections and three assembly elections each. So far, I have voted in three general elections and three assembly elections each. Though I earned the right to vote in 2003 and fetched my name on the voter list the following year, I started to vote only from the 2009 general election skipping the 2006 assembly election.

I started to use a wheelchair only in 2007, as before that, I could walk barely a few steps, so in that condition, I couldn't think of voting or visit the polling booth. My first polling experience is quite vivid, and I could still catch the images in memory when I look up or close the eyes, and it's the same booth I cast my vote in all the time. Though we shifted to different houses and addresses, my voting had always been at our native address, so it wasn't a problem each time, and I still use the voter ID I fetched for the first time - a b/w photo ID of me took in age less than 20.

We usually cast our vote in the afternoon to avoid the crowd and was in the same idea this time as well, but as my uncle insists, we polled in the late morning, and our polling booth was least crowded, so we quickly polled off. We were given gloves for the right hand after sanitizing the hands and masks made mandatory, and gladly everyone followed the rules despite the social distancing wasn't that satisfying.

The room allotted for us was smaller than last time, so they had to adjust the tables for my wheelchair to get close to the EVM (electronic voting machine), but still, it wasn't in a range I could reach; so, my father voted on my behalf on the symbol I already insist.

EVMs were started to use partially in India from 1998 to 2004, and from the 2004 general election, EVMs becomes a voting system in India in place of the ballot box.

Something that always annoys me after the polling was the question of whom I voted; though I don’t hesitate to say to whom I voted, those who inquire me don't open their mouth when it was their turn; and I don't care about it either; as they have voted at least than those who laze around complaining without doing a thing for the change.

Take the vote ratio in the capital Chennai; it is much lower than other districts in Tamil Nadu. We received less than 60% of the vote in the Assembly election, while the educationally and economically backward districts received more than 75% of the vote. What this really shows me is how indifferent and conscious we are to fulfill our democratic duty.

We (Chennai people) live cozily and get all the development and priorities in the first place, but we aren't even ready to vote in the election that takes place once in 3 or 5 years. People like me in a wheelchair could easily skip from voting, but I really wanted to vote not only because I like to do something for the society and to assert my right (at least this way), but also like to be an exemplar as well! I mostly choose my candidate from the individualistic notification for the volume rather than from the general manifesto his party or organization released to seize power.

Neighbor's Garden Flowers

The temperature has started to storm us here in Chennai, and the hot inland wind blowing stronger than the sea breeze has increased the heat. Heat is a common thing during the summer, but I feel it's early for the season, and I terrific what it holds further travel into the season.  Anyhow, I wish it wasn't severe as predicted.

Coming Tuesday, we are going for the state assemble election; the propaganda by the political leaders and candidates are rocking the state at every nook and corner, as the last date for the propaganda being tomorrow. The two main political parties are scorning each other rather than announcing the core activities they supposed to do.

Like how the temperature rises, covid 19 cases in the state and country is rising to an extreme level; the election field has become a hub for spreading the virus. We expected severe restrictions to implement on post-polling, but I don't anticipate a lockdown again, instead, there would be some enforcement to bring down the virus.

Oleanders along the driveway of the neighbor

Coming to the post, I share some of the photos of hibiscus and other flowers I shot from the neighbor’s house opposite us. I hope you remember the post I did here on the neighbor's rebuilt garden, and his hibiscus continues to bloom daily from his neatly arranged pots close to the gate. I take photos of the flowers whenever I see them clearly for a shot, but lately, the neighbor's father (age 94) wasn't well, so was his hibiscus, as he couldn't take care of the garden like before.

Hope you like the photos.

Red Hibiscus

Yellow Hibiscus

White Hibiscus 

Orange Hibiscus

Some cute roses

Linking this post for Garden Affair 

Summer, why one of my favorites?

Summer is always special in many ways like every other season has its own, and ours is a tropical country, where the temperature rose high during this time turns out to be a holiday season for kids in schools and colleges. And what more special the kids could have in life to refresh from the regular institutional life?

Being a 90s kid, I know how curiously we waited for this time to make some of the best childhood memories.

Though the days are hot enough, the summer breeze is always special, especially to me, and it blows me down with nostalgic memories of the past and a boost to look forward in life. When I think back, many of my poems or inspiration to write wake up during this time, and the silent afternoons are the best to connect with emotions and thoughts.

And also, living close to the sea, the cool breeze that rose from the sea would sway me and flatten the day's hotness!

Beaches are one of the best places to hangout often during the summer, which I guess is the mindset of all over the world, but those living close to one would truly enchant the opportunity. Beaches are my favorite places, perhaps because they're easily accessed here but never close to the water. Beaches provide small amusements watching through the activities of people, stalls, and hand carts and for me, the best time to visit beaches was on the full moon day to see the silvery moon rising over the sea. There was a time where I visited the beach constantly for few full moon days, but it's been a year since I have gone close to a beach.

Summer is also a season where we get to taste ice creams, and this is the time where parents could not deny buying us ice cream when we insist on the sign of summer. On the other hand, there are watermelon, muskmelon, and mangos, the only available fruits of the season to take down the summer heat. 

The vacations are another interesting thing we anticipate over the season and planning mostly for a cold region or hill stations to enjoy the pristine nature and weather. But things aren't the same now as we started to avoid this season esp. to keep away trouble in accommodation, booking rates, and the crowd.  Still, the thought of vacation haunts me whenever the temperature takes a toll or someone reminds me of the time spent together or the mind recollects the moments cherished.

I hope, you guys too have your favorite season that connects you in one or many ways.  If possible, share few interesting things in the comment. Thank you

A walk with youthful memories...

During an evening walk in the neighborhood, the bougainvillea blooming along a street in Besant Avenue couldn't stop me from taking photos. As I cropped one of the photos, I got this beautiful frame of an older man who walked in front of me aside from the bougainvillea, charmed! 

Fields of Marigold, off Veedur

During my Veedur Dam visit in February, we come across a surprising sight of the marigold fields on the dam road, after the Veedur village; and it was a kind of loop road that goes around the backwaters of the dam and links back to the national highway.

It was a refreshing sight of yellow; though it wasn't a large landscape of yellow, I never got to see a marigold field of this much. And it was a great divertissement from the regular and boring sights of the highways and there's also a patch of mixed colors of an orange and yellow and yet un-bloomed bed of dark orange or red marigold. 

It seems it was the dam water that made flourish the marigold. Though the marigold bloomed on both sides of the road, the view towards the backwater (2nd pic above) is scenic, and the blue sky and the sunny day made it glowing. Aside from that, a kind of white wildflowers bloomed in the barren lands, but still, I doubt whether they are wildflowers or a kind of cultivated flowers.

Field of white wildflower

The field of flowers stretched only for a few km on the east bank of the reservoir, and it seems only the land around the dam is fertile, unlike its dry northern part where we drove along before drawing away to Puducherry. This reminds me of the rose fields I saw around Nagalapuram, at the border of Andhra and Tamil Nadu, had Pichatur Dam as its source.

The bed of red marigold ready to bloom

Linking this post for Floral  Friday Foto