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‘Daag ache hai’ (stains are good). This famous punch line from the Surf advertisement may well hold true in the Indian electoral context too. The indelible ink which is applied on the index finger proves that one has exercised their democratic rights and voted. It is estimated that during this poll, as many as two out of every three eligible voters (estimated at 90 crore) will get inked.
What is indelible ink?
It is not the ordinary ink you fill your fountain pen with. Popularly known as Voter’s Ink, it is applied to avoid fraudulent casting of multiple votes. Once applied, it dries in less than 40 seconds and the mark stays on for several days. This ink is being used since India’s third general elections (1962). Every polling booth is supplied with two phials of this ink. As there are 10,35,919 polling stations in this Lok Sabha election, over 20 lakh phials have been supplied.
How is the ink applied?
Once the voter enters the polling booth, his/her identity is established using a valid ID. If no polling agent contests the identity of the voter, then the second polling officer (out of five in each booth) inspects the voter’s left-hand forefinger to see that it does not bear any sign or trace of indelible ink. Subsequent to this the agent marks the voter’s left-hand forefinger with indelible ink. It is applied as a line with the help of brush from the top end of the nail to the bottom of the first joint of the left forefinger (earlier the ink used to be applied between nail and skin only).
Marking with indelible ink is required to be made before obtaining the signature/thumb impression of the elector in the Register of Voters, so that by the time the elector leaves the polling station after casting his vote, there is sufficient time gap for the indelible ink to dry up and develop a distinct indelible mark.
If any elector refuses to allow his left forefinger to be inspected or marked in accordance with the instruction or has already such a mark on his left forefinger or does any act with a view to removing the ink mark, he shall not be allowed to vote. In case it is noticed that an elector has applied any oily or greasy substance on his finger in order to neutralise the indelible ink mark to be put on his finger, such oily or greasy substance is removed by the polling officer with the help of a piece of cloth or rag before applying the mark on the finger of that elector.
Is the marking different for different categories of voters?
There is a standard operating procedure (SOP) for marking of various categories of voters. For example, marking of indelible ink will be done on the middle finger of the left hand of a proxy voter. If the voter is blind or infirm and coming with a companion to caste his vote, then the right index finger of the companion will be marked while the voter will have the mark on the left forefinger. In case of a fresh poll (re-poll)/countermanded poll, the marking with indelible ink made during original poll will be ignored and fresh marking with indelible ink put on the voter’s left-hand middle finger in such a way that a clear mark is left.
Who manufactures it and what’s it made of?
Mysore Paints & Varnish Ltd (MPVL) is the sole supplier of this patented ink which is used not just in India but many other countries around the world. It was established during 1937 by Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, then the Maharaja of Mysore province under the name ‘Mysore Lac & Paint Works Ltd’.
The rationale behind the establishment of the factory was to provide employment opportunities locally and for effective utilisation of the natural resources of the forest. The material called “Lac” was used for the manufacture of sealing waxes apart from the paints that were manufactured and supplied to government departments and the Defence Department, particularly for war tanks during those days.
The above unit was converted into a public sector undertaking in 1947. Now it is one among the prominent government undertakings from Karnataka. This ink has been developed in association with National Physical Laboratory, and National Research Development Corporation. However, the company has never disclosed the exact ingredients used in this ink.
A fortnightly column that unravels poll jargon for first-time voters
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