'Master Shyam', India's first voter, passes away at 106

New Delhi, Nov 5: Independent India's first voter, the 106-year-old Shyam Saran Negi passed away Saturday (Nov 5) morning at his native place in Himachal Pradesh's Kalpa, days after he cast his last vote in the 14th Assembly elections of the state.

 

 

 

 

Negi had cast his first vote in the independent country on Oct 23, 1951, in the Kalpa polling station, becoming the first voter in the country, and he cast his vote for the 34th time on Nov 2 this year which became his last, a feat that was acknowledged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "This is commendable and should serve as an inspiration for the younger voters to take part in the elections and strengthen our democracy," PM Modi had tweeted.

 

The 106-year-old had voted on November 2 through a postal ballot. Chief Minister Jairam Thakur consoled Negi's demise and said that the memory of the first voter of the country casting his last vote "will always be emotional". "Saddened to hear the news of the demise of Shyam Saran Negi ji, the first voter of independent India and who belonged to Kinnaur. While performing his duty, he cast his postal vote for the assembly elections for the 34th time on November 2, this memory will always be emotional," Thakur tweeted.

 

 

 

 

 

Popularly known as Master Shyam, he became the first voter of Indian democracy as the general polls of the country were conducted in January and February 1952. Keeping in mind snow and weather conditions, the polls were conducted in the month of October 1951 in Himachal Pradesh. Negi has participated in every Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha and all local bodies elections since 1951.

 

Born in July 1917 in the tribal district of Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh, Negi had been a state icon since 2014. He had cast his vote 16 times in the Lok Sabha elections. According to the Chief Electoral Office of Himachal, Negi, a teacher by profession, the centenarian has voted in every election since 1951 and has never missed an opportunity to vote.