Teen crusader is teaching voting rights to children

Hriday Tulsiani, a student of Dhirubhai Ambani School, started his NGO to further his cause. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Seventeen-year-old Hriday Tulsiani might have to wait for the next general elections before he votes, but he is already setting an example for other eligible first-time voters. For the last few weeks, Tulsiani, a Class XI student of Dhirubhai Ambani School, has been visiting schools across the city, to create awareness about voting rights.

"I always wanted to do my bit to help bridge the social gap. And, understanding one's rights and duties [as a citizen] is the first step towards this," he says. Tulsiani decided to talk about the 'right to vote', because he felt that people did not know how important this right is, for a democracy to function smoothly. "Only 66 per cent people in India, and just 51.5 per cent in Mumbai, vote. But this is our first duty as citizens."

Recently, Tulsiani started his NGO, Dil Se, to further his cause. He has already completed workshops in 17 schools, reaching out to around 3,000 children. But why is he reaching out to students, when they still do not enjoy voting rights? "Low voter turnout is a serious issue, and it's not a problem that can be solved overnight. This kind of education needs to imparted at a very young age. Yes, right now we are not going to vote, but we youngsters can play an important role in influencing adults at home," he says.

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Tulsiani avoids giving speeches at the workshop. He instead takes efforts to make the sessions more interactive to keep children engaged and entertained so that the learning is effective. "There are also games and quizzes," he says.

Currently, the workshops are being held for secondary school students. Speaking about his experience, he says, "It is interesting how these sessions with non-voters already highlight the perception of general people. Many asked us about what happens if they do not like the parties or candidates on the list." He adds, "Hence, children are also told about how 'none of the above' (NOTA) works and why it is important to turn up to vote, even if one does not find a suitable candidate." While as of now, he is only focusing on the upcoming elections, his NGO will continue taking up other social empowerment projects in the future.

Also read: Elections 2019: Maharashtra disappoints with 57.22 per cent voter turnout

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