Cast Votes Else It Would Be An Offence Against Nation: Xatradhikar

GUWAHATI: If a citizen does not exercise his franchise, he or she commits a grave offence towards the nation. This was stated by Basistha Deva Sarma, the Burha Xattriya of the historical Barpeta Xatra – an epicentre of neo-Vaishnavite culture in lower Assam.

Talking exclusively to The Sentinel, the Burha Xattriya further elaborated, “As a citizen of India, the best time to express one’s opinion on myriad of issues faced by the nation is by casting one’s vote. I appeal to all voters to come out and cast their votes in favour of the right candidate.”

Referring to low voters’ turnout in some Legislative Assembly constituencies, the Burha Xattriya said, “If a person fails to do so then he forfeits his democratic right which goes in waste. This should not happen. All eligible electorates must come forward and vote for the right candidate.”

When asked about his perception of the “right candidate”, Burha Xattriya Basistha Deva Sarma opined, “The right candidate must have the urge to work for the country and the nation. He or she must be a man of principles and should be capable of performing his duties. Not only should he be a person of good character, but the person must also have firm belief in humanity. He should work for communal harmony as well. Such a person must have contributions towards the society as a whole. After all, India is a secular country.”

On the present state of the country, the Burha Xattriya said, “I was born when our country was under the British yoke. Then, I became a citizen of Independent India. However, the pace of development in various sectors of the country has not been up to the expectations.

“Now from media, newspaper reports, and feedback from the public, we have understood that some development schemes have indeed taken place across the country in the last few years.

“During this election time, I pray to the Almighty to help the electorates in choosing the proper candidate who can uphold the rich heritage of Bharatvarsha. May the right candidate be able to offer his ‘sewa’ to the ‘Bharat rashtra’.”

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