Shimla: The introduction of indelible ink or voter’s ink used in all elections in the country, can be traced to Mysore Lac and Paints Limited set up by the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom.
Launched by the Maharaja of Mysore, Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar in 1937 for manufacturing paints and other related products, the firm became a public sector company in 1947.
Mysore Paints and Varnish Limited, a government of Karnataka undertaking, is the sole manufacturer of indelible ink for all state-run elections in the country.
In 1962, it was selected to manufacture indelible ink, which was first used in the third general elections in India.
The process is a closely guarded secret and is based on a chemical formula devised by the National Physical Laboratory of India.
Reference handbook of General Elections 2009 released by Press Information Bureau said the Indelible ink is a not an ordinary ink. Once applied on the finger, it dries up within 60 seconds of its application.
Voter’s ink is applied on the index finger of voters as a line from the top end of the nail to the bottom of the first joint of left fore finger with effect from February 1, 2006. Earlier, it was applied on the joint of nail and skin.
The ink leaves an indelible mark on the finger, which cannot be erased for around 15 days. It plays an important role in conducting fair and impartial elections by ensuring that voters exercise their franchise only once.
According to Wikipedia, the indelible ink is supplied in vials having volumes of 5 ml, 7.5 ml, 20 ml, 50 ml and 80 ml. A 5ml vial can be used for about 300 voters.
It is estimated that around 300 million people have had this ink applied on their fingers over a period of 45 years. It is also exported to countries like Thailand, Singapore, Nigeria, Malaysia and South Africa.
The company has also started manufacturing marker pens having this ink for easy usage.It has also been used in elections held in Afghanistan.
State Directorate of Field Publicity will launch ‘Jago Voter Jago’ campaign to ensure at least 80 per cent polling in the hill state, PIB, Shimla in-charge Rattan Lal Negi told UNI. (UNI)