A long-held dream came true for R. Gokuleswaran, 39, a resident of the Sri Lankan Tamils Rehabilitation Camp at Kottapattu, Tiruchi, when he cast his vote for the first time as an Indian citizen in the State Legislative Assembly elections on Thursday (April 23, 2026).

“Most first-time voters are in their early 20s. I am almost 40. But I feel as if my life as an Indian has just begun, and my the future of my children as Indian citizens is assured,” Mr. Gokuleswaran, a father of two who works at a store in Kattur, told The Hindu on Thursday.