There is nothing more valuable than the power of voting in a democracy like India. The mark made using the indelible ink on your left pointer is indeed a mark of pride as well as power of the common man. People have been sharing pictures of their fingers where the indelible ink mark could be seen, on their social media pages. Marking a voter’s index finger with indelible ink prevents the risk of electoral fraud like multiple voting. Every citizen has the responsibility to use the right to vote wisely. Removing the mark on the finger before the voting process gets over is unlawful. So, even if you wish to remove it, you should do it only a few days after the election.
Unlike regular inks, indelible ink cannot be rubbed off easily. Interestingly, Mysore Paints and Varnish Limited, a Karnataka government undertaking is the sole manufacturer of the indelible ink in India. This year, around 26.55 lakhs small bottles with a capacity of 10 ml each has been produced for the Lok Sabha elections. The colourless ink becomes visible when it is exposed to ultraviolet rays. The quality of the indelible ink improves as the amount of silver nitrates in it increases. This ink can efficiently fight the cleansing properties of soap, liquids, cleaning agents and detergents for up to seventy - two hours after it has been applied on the finger.
Alcohol too is used in the ink to make it dry easily. It was in the Lok Sabha elections of 1962 that indelible ink was used for the first time in India. Today, the indelible ink that is produced in India is exported to more than twenty-five countries including Canada, Ghana, Nigeria, Mangolia, Malaysia, Nepal, South Africa and Maldives.
In India, the mark is made on the left index finger, close to the nail. However, some people may be allergic to this ink. Moreover, those who wish to keep their nails well- manicured with a pop of colour may find this ink annoying as it takes ‘forever’ to fade. In case you aren’t able to remove this ink, seventy-two hours after applying it, you could try the following tricks.
» Nail polish bleaches contain a bleaching agent called acetone. In order to remove the ink, soak a cotton ball with nail polish bleach and rub gently over the mark. You could wash you hand and apply some moisturizer too. Make sure that the bleach is used moderately.
» Antibacterial wipes that are easily available in the market could be used to remove the indelible ink. After dipping the finger in the bleaching agent, wipe using antibacterial wipes. Do not forget to apply moisturizer after removing the ink.
» Harsh dish-washing liquids could be applied on the ink and scrubbed gently using a sponge. After the ink has been removed, wash the hand in lukewarm water.
» You could use hair removal creams too to remove the ink. Apply some cream over the mark on your finger, wipe off using cleansing water and a cotton pad after three minutes.
