CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo turned singer on National Voters’ Day on Thursday to encourage the youth to actively participate in the democratic process of electing their government.
The 1997 batch IAS officer from Odisha lent his voice to a 3.18-minute song that targeted first-time voters among the State’s 6.18 crore electorate. “My friend spurred me on and helped me. Many liked it and a few also shared it on social media,” said Sahoo, who received a national award for best performance in election management in the 2021 State assembly polls.
The song became an instant hit after it was shared on WhatsApp by some journalists. Some on social media lauded Sahoo’s efforts to sing the song that brings back the 1980s melodies to their mind. “His voice was soothing and the message strong and bold,” said a senior journalist.
Comparing the young voters to birds that flap their wings and fly high, the officer appealed to the 9.18 lakh first-time voters (according to the recently published integrated voters list) to give paramount importance to participating in elections and exercising their franchise.
The song also dissuaded money-for-vote and encouraged first-timers to vote with integrity and truthfulness to turn into role models.