Lok Sabha Elections: Noida, Gr Noida artists urge residents to get out and vote

Noida and Greater Noida residents cast their vote today, in the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. We speak to popular personalities from the field of arts and culture who are encouraging fellow residents to come out and do their bit.
Shinjini Kulkarni, Kathak dancer, resident of Sector 40, says, “I have a performance at India International Centre today and hence I’ve planned to cast my vote first thing in the morning. This way, by afternoon I will push to my rehearsal, followed by the show in the evening… I’m 31 and have been voting ever since I was eligible, and would bluntly like to say that those who don’t come out to vote today, don’t have the right to crib about what happens in the country later! This is one way in which you can have a say in the decision-making process and this chance must not be wasted.”
Jiten Hazarika, artist, resident of sector 29, says, “It’s been 34 years since I moved to Noida, after my last posting in Andaman as a chief engineer. I’m a retired colonel, and feel that the young should take part in voting otherwise some wrong people will cast their vote and wrong people will get elected… The whole ocean is made of drops of water, so though my vote is just one drop in that ocean and individually it doesn’t mean much but together all the drops can help in the development of our country.”
Runki Goswami, music composer-singer, resident of sector 121, says, “I have lived in Delhi throughout and around one and a half years back I shifted to Noida. So this will be the first time that I’ll cast my vote in Noida! Also, I feel now the voting system is very organised, unlike earlier when there would be long queues and one had to wait in the heat and dust… Now it’s all electronically done and is a 15 minute job, contrary to what people think. This huge change in the voting process has made it a seamless process and encourages me all the more to cast my vote. We are part of the largest democracy in the world and that means nothing if we are unable to exercise our power and choose our government! So I will vote in the morning and then in the evening head to India Habitat Centre for a scheduled performance; given that it’s a voting day I’m sure the traffic will also be less.”