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We look up to our elders to get solution for the many problems we face in our lives. How about seeking their advice in the political decisions that we make? Well, even if we keep our choices secret we can definitely talk about the candidates from our area. There are some elders who help us and actually inspire us for taking part in the democratic process of the country. V Santhanam is surely one of those. He has been voting since 1946 when India’s provincial elections took place in erstwhile Bombay.
101-Year-old Santhaman now lives in Noida and looked determined to vote whenever he gets next chance.
“It is my duty to select the people who will rule the country, and determine how good a leader is. At the end of the day, it is the individuals who make the party, not the party which makes the individuals,” he told TNN.
The centenarian is quite fond of cold beer and a game of cards.
The centenarian gives a befitting reply to anyone who questions his determination to vote. “When my daughter asks him how he hasn’t become cynical about voting, he only says that the younger generation needs to know what it was to be a ghulam, what it means to be independent, and the power of freedom of speech and a vote,” reveals his son-in-law R Rajagopalan.
AFP/Representational Image
According to Santhaman, in all these years, the most memorable election was in 1967 when Congress stalwart SK Patil was defeated by George Fernandes in a shocking turn of events. “Fernandes was the leader of the BEST (Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport) union. That happened because people really wanted change, and believed he could be that change. Patil lost the election, and it was quite a surprise at the time,” he recalls.
Indian elections are full of such anecdotes and footnotes. We need people like Santhaman who can inspire generations to celebrate democracy in this country.
