BAN ON TWO EPIC CARDS

BAN ON TWO EPIC CARDS

9-AUG-ENG 1

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA------------------------India's democracy is the largest democracy in the world, but its health depends on how clean and correct the voter list is. One person, one vote - this is its basic principle.

But in reality, even today many people keep two or more voter IDs (EPIC). One at a permanent address and the other at a temporary address. This is not only a violation of the law, but also a direct tampering with the sanctity of the electoral process.

Both the technical system and the law are present, yet catching and punishing those who have two EPIC cards is slow and lax. This has created a perception among the people that "even if caught, the name will just be deleted, there will be no jail."

If the Commission really wants to end this trend, then it will have to focus not just on technical improvements, but on action that creates fear.

Identify cases of duplicate EPIC, In the first phase, select 10 strong cases, File an FIR immediately and run the case in a fast-track court, Punish the culprit and publicize it widely in the media, If this happens, a clear message will go to the society - keeping two EPICs means jail, Technical support is also necessary, Mandatory linking of Aadhaar and EPIC, Real-time data matching of voter lists across the country, Online portal where citizens can surrender duplicate EPICs themselves.

Democracy is not just the right to vote, but also a responsibility. If the Election Commission balances both strictness and technology, this problem can end in a few years. Sometimes just 10 examples are enough to improve the entire country.