Shyam Saran Negi never failed in his democratic duty
India’s first and most enthusiastic voter died on November 5th, aged 105
As the video began, snow was falling. It fell on the orchards, the pine-nut forests and the huddled wooden houses of the village of Kalpa, high in the Himalayas. In one of those houses, an ancient man picked up his watch from beside his mala beads and boiled up a kettle on the stove for a glass of tea. He smiled as he sipped it. It was early morning on a very special day.
This article appeared in the Obituary section of the print edition under the headline “The joy of voting”
Obituary November 12th 2022
From the November 12th 2022 edition
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