|
The election process is on in 5 Indian states to elect the representatives for respective state assemblies. Ours is a largest and unique democratic system in the world. It has several unique features; divergent fabric of its voters being its most significant aspect.
The democracy in Indian Polity can be traced back to Pre-Vedic and Vedic Eras when Mahajanpads had semi-democracy. First ever workable democracy was established in Vajji Ganarajya of Vaishali district in Bihar in Buddha's period. At that time a council of ministers was voted in by the people. Instead of ballot papers, wooden sticks or Shalakas were used to cast votes.
Our great constitution makers had selected democracy as a form of governance in India. Since holding first election in 1951 , India has witnessed a sea- change as far as the face of our public representatives is concerned. In Uttar Pradesh, over 1.6 crore voters elected 347 representatives of the state assembly in 1951. At that time over 3.1 crore people were registered as voters. Now it is whopping over 12 Crores.
 The Election Commission of India is responsible for the superintendence, direction and control of the entire process for conduct of elections to Parliament and Legislature of every State and to the offices of President and Vice-President of India. It came into existence on 25th January 1950. The commission's prime responsibility is to conduct free and fair elections and to provide such an atmosphere in which every eligible voter can cast his or her vote.
 In recent times, the voting percentage declined due to passive role of voters. This gave rise to a need to make the people aware of their voting rights and to motivate them to vote. Honestly speaking, we have no right to comment on as to what public representatives were doing when we do not bother to vote. The voting in India, till now remained a process in which political parties rather than voters played active role. The political parties tend to enlist voters of their choice by providing services like filling up of Form 6 (for inclusion of names in electoral rolls) and distributing voters' slips at their doorstep.
 Naturally, they did it selectively to benefit themselves. Common voters seldom took pain to get the names of them or their family members enlisted on electoral rolls as an important task. This inactive role of genuine voters also prompted interested parties to get fake names included in the electoral rolls of a particular area. This in turn defeats the very purpose of democracy. The inactive role of a common voter also leads to several types of irregularities. Rigging or fake voting in the name of a registered voter is one of them.
 The commission is recent years has cleansed the system of fake electorate and voters' list and took concerted effort to enlist genuine voters. The Electors Photo Identity Card, EPIC was a great step towards checking fake voting. Now, the electoral rolls also have voter's photo apart from his or her name and address. Voters' list in vernaculars has also helped the voters to find their names in electoral rolls. The Commission has, this time ordered distribution of voter's slip by the government machinery rather than by political activists so that the latter may not influence the voter in their favour.
 Information Technology is being extensively used by the Commission. For the first time in the history of Indian elections, the Commission has arranged live webcast of polling from some selected polling booths in five states where assembly elections are currently going on. Not only the Commission's officials but general public will witness the poll process in his/her home. The SMS is being used to register polling percentage every hour of polling on Commission's website.
All these measures will go in vain if the voter is not aware of his or her right. To make people aware of their rights; the commission has appointed noted folk singer Malini Awasthi as its brand ambassador in UP. Several dance and drama troupes have been formed to visit villages and make people aware to vote. For past one year, the Commission is celebrating its foundation day i.e 25th January as voters' awareness day. This year, the commission felicitated new voters and pledges were administered to them to vote on voters' awarness day. A helpline number coinciding with Commission's foundation year, i.e. 1950 has been established to help the voters. The toll free number is 1XXX-XX-1950.
Multimedia campaigns were launched with the help of National Service Scheme and Nehru Yuva Kendra volunteers. The Field Publicity Directorate of Information and Broadcasting Ministry also launched intensive campaign targeting women and youth voters to come forward to exercise their voting right.
This year, the Election Commission had given special emphasis on inclusion of women and young voters. This proved very fruitful as number of these two sections of voters has increased considerably.
More than 54 lakh voters have been added during the revision of the list. With a view to encourage more and more women to come out to exercise their voting rights, the commission has issued instructions for arranging for a woman polling officer wherever the number of women voters is high. Also in all such places, one women voter would be given a chance after two men. While the presence of women polling officers will encourage women living in 'purdah' to vote, ramps will also be erected at polling centres to enable differently able persons to vote. Wheelchairs will also be made available to them.
Hope these measures will help to get people of high morale and character elected to assemblies and parliament and ultimately help strengthening our great democracy.
Salman Haider, AIR Correspondent, Gorakhpur. |
