Happy-go-lucky officers.

The polling booth and the constituency where I cast my vote on Thursday for Fifteenth General Election to the Parliament, is not a significant matter, nevertheless, the manner in which the polling officer asked me to do in the polling booth matters a lot. When I approached the second polling officer, he asked me to write my name on the register placed before him. As I was seen reluctant to write my name on the register instead of putting signature, the officer raised his voice and asked me to do as he said and seen worried about the delay of my ears. I, with my previous experience as Presiding officer, told the officer that it would be more convenient for me to put the signature as per the election rules than to write my name on the register. The officer was then seen annoyed and advised me to follow the footprints of my predecessors in the booth that all of them had written their name and it is quite pointless and obviously disturbing if I refuse to write my name. Still then I insisted on putting signature and refused to write my name on the register. I had not taken a mobile phone to polling station as per Election Commission stipulation, but many were seen with that gadget. As I do not keep the habit of hiring a mobile phone I was not able to contact Election Observers to tell them about my difficulty in the booth. However, may be noting my weight and height the officer finally heeded to my stance.

The stuff is all voters in that booth have only names and none possess a signature. The register of my polling station contains only names except my signature and a few thumb impressions of the blind and the illiterates. This I say because election has to be completed in a few more States in subsequent phases and there are happy-go-lucky officers.

K A Solaman