‘My future, career are linked to my vote, unfair I have to miss out’

It was more than four years back, but Geet Pahade still remembers the day clearly. The sunny April morning when he’d woken up earlier than usual, ditched his T-shirt and jeans for a crisp white shirt and formal trousers and joined the queue at the polling booth in Our Lady of Nazareth High School in Bhayander, Mumbai, to cast his first vote.
“I was 20 then.It was like knowing for the first time what it means to be an adult, because you’re granted a power that can impact the country. I felt important because my opinion mattered for something as critical as the Lok Sabha,” says Geet, who recalls meeting up with his age-mates and taking selfies with their inked finger for posting on social media.
“It was a fun day, a day of celebrating the next phase of life. It’s only when you step out and press that blue button that you instinctively develop an emotional attachment with the party or leader you voted for,” he says. But Geet may not be able to relive that feeling when Lok Sabha polls are held this year. A first-year management student at a premier institute in Ahmedabad, Geet left Mumbai last year in June for his studies. “It might be difficult for me to take a break mid-term and travel back to Mumbai. It’s frustrating to think that I won’t be able to vote this time just because of administrative issues. In fact, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to vote again since I don’t know where I will settle after our placements in 2020. It doesn’t feel fair,” he says.

For Geet, a lost vote is not just about constitutional rights but also about his aspirations. “It’s important for everyone in my current batch to vote. Our placements are due in 2020, and since it is government policies that drive the narrative of economic activity, it could directly affect our placements if policies aren’t favourable,” he says.
“Government laws and regulations directly affect the sentiments of investors, and if economic activity takes a hit, no firm would hire more associates or analysts. For that reason, I want to vote for a government that supports economic growth,” adds Geet.
Given the way digital technologies have revolutionised societies, he says, “I wish there was an app or mechanism by which we could vote from wherever we are. I don’t think it’s that difficult when I look at the digital progress India has made in the past five years. It’s all about having the will.”