NRIs return home in Pune just to cast their ballot

Ahead of Pune going to polls in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha (LS) elections on May 13, some non-resident Indians (NRIs) who have moved abroad either for education or profession/business are returning home specifically to cast their ballot as part of their fundamental duties (and rights) as Indian citizens.

Of the 1.34 crore NRIs who live across the length and breadth of the globe, nearly 1.2 lakh have their names registered in the 2024 electoral rolls, and are walking the talk in finding their way back home to cast their vote.

Among these returning NRIs is Hrishikesh Pangarkar, who stays in London, United Kingdom, and is coming to Pune for three days only to cast his franchise. Cliched as it may sound, absence has made his heart fonder for his motherland and he says voting is a fundamental right and duty of every Indian citizen.

“I love my country and its people. That is one of the primary reasons why I am coming back. Whatever I am today, it is because of my country. I want to make sure my country is in safe hands. It is my duty as a citizen to come and vote,” Pangarkar said.

The voter turnout in the third phase of the 2024 LS elections across India was 64.4%; down from 67.33% in the corresponding phase of the 2019 LS elections. With the drop in voter turnout percentage at every phase of the elections, news of these NRIs returning home just to cast their vote comes as a breath of fresh air amid the general atmosphere of voter apathy in the country.

Like Pangarkar, Rohit Kulkarni, a businessman based in San Francisco, United States of America, is also coming to India just to exercise his right to choose the right government for his country. “Voting is how you keep democracy alive. You have freedom to express for whom to vote for the betterment of India. We are seeing that the voter turnout has dropped recently. But if we don’t vote, we also don’t have the right to criticise the elected government or what is happening in the country. I hope this will also encourage the locals to come and vote,” Kulkarni said.

In a similar vein, Sandeep Lele, who lives in Tokyo, Japan, is coming to India to ensure that all four votes from his family go to the most deserving candidate/political party. He and his wife have made sure that their daughters understand the importance of exercising their franchise and that no matter where they are, they do not forget their roots.

“I think that there should be some provisions for people living abroad to be able to vote for the government back home, maybe through their respective embassies or countries. But until that happens, people who travel to India during the election years should try to align their travel to the voting in their constituencies,” Lele said.

Voting is not only a right but also a responsibility of every citizen, regardless of their location. Through active participation in elections, individuals contribute to the collective voice of the nation, ensuring that their interests are represented in governance.

Dr Gautam Govitrikar, part of the organising committee of ‘Viksit Pune’, an event aimed at creating voter awareness, shared his insights on the subject. “As someone who has lived abroad for 13 years, I know first-hand that it is not always logistically possible to make a trip back just to vote, which is why I cannot condemn those who could not come back. However, those who are able to do it deserve the highest praise,” Govitrikar said.