Nonagenarians go to booths, show the way to others

She hasn’t missed a single election, since the first polls were held. Every time there is a general election or assembly polls, 99-year-old Rukmaniammal, like a ritual, ensures that she casts her vote at the polling booth on Big Street in Triplicane. Monday was no different either for her and her four children, who live under the same roof in their ancestral home on Eswaradoss Street. 

She flashes a child-like smile and her wrinkled face lights up, as her son Alagiri Rao steps in to explain why his mother continues to vote even when she is one short of 100. He says, “It is not like she has any strong leaning towards a particular party. She just wants to continue to vote, she doesn’t know when is her last,” he says. 

Rukmaniammal shows her inked index finger, as her son talks about her long-standing stint with democracy. He adds, “She believes that this is the only way we can get the government to act. She voluntarily voted during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. We only inform her about the polls and she comes along readily,” he adds. 

Originally hailing from Chengalpattu, Rukmaniammal got married when she was eight. She has 10 children-eight sons and two daughters and she has seen five generations after her, including 30 grandchildren. She has been living in Triplicane since 1928.

Rukmaniammal’s movement is now restricted and probably the elections alone bring her outside. She signals to this reporter and tells her flashing a benign smile again, “The first thing I voted in the morning was to vote.” 

Rukmini (98) from Ambattur too is among the eldest in the city who cast their vote in the Assembly election on Monday. Rukmini’s great granddaughter Vaiju says the nonagenarian was very enthusiastic to vote this time since she has moved to Ambattur from Villivakkam recently. “She hasn’t discussed politics with us, but she had been watching news and was updated of the developments,” says Vaiju. Rukmini went to the polling booth at Aacini Matriculation Higher Secondary School in an auto with her family members and was one of the first members to have cast their vote. Vaiju says Rukmini couldn’t recollect her memories of previous elections. 

Paramathal, a 95-year-old woman from Muthukrishnaperi in Alankulam constituency in Tirunelveli district, polled her vote at Muthukrishanaperi. Though she was residing with her family, she managed to walk alone to the polling booth which is located in the next street. 

Though she could not remember how many times she had voted in the past she said, in her faint voice, that she had not missed any election and had voted several times. They were indeed inspirations to others to participate in the election.