CONSPIRACY TO DEPRIVE THE POOR OF THEIR VOTES WILL NOT SUCCEED: CPI-ML

CONSPIRACY TO DEPRIVE THE POOR OF THEIR VOTES WILL NOT SUCCEED: CPI-ML

3-JULY-ENG 2

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA---------------------------The conspiracy to deprive the poor of their votes will not succeed! Withdraw the special intensive verification process! Save Voting Rights-Save Democracy Save Voting Rights-Save Democracy Jan Abhiyan (1-31 July, 2025) The voting rights violation caused by this special intensive verification will endanger the very foundation of our democracy - universal adult franchise. This is a direct attack on the basic spirit of the Constitution and the rights of crores of citizens. Friends, just two months before the Bihar Assembly elections, the Election Commission has issued a directive that has put the Constitution-given voting rights of crores of voters in danger. According to this, about 8 crore voters of the state will have to undergo a special intensive verification process, in which they will have to prove their Indian citizenship. For this purpose, the Commission has required 11 types of documents, most of which are not available to the common man – especially the rural, poor and underprivileged sections. The initial order stated that citizens born between 1987 and 2004 will have to submit proof of identity as well as citizenship of either mother or father. Citizens born after 2004 will have to submit proof of citizenship of both parents along with their identity. Common documents like Aadhar Card, MNREGA, Ration Card have been declared invalid. The list of valid documents includes: Government issued identity card, pension payment order, residential certificate, birth certificate, caste certificate, land ownership document, passport, 10th or other educational certificate, forest rights certificate, National Register of Citizens (NRC), family register etc. Can the government tell how many of the 8 crore voters in Bihar actually have all these documents? What do the figures say about the documents demanded? As per survey 2022, less than 2 percent people have government job documents. Only 2.8 percent have birth certificate (NFHS-3, Bihar) Only 45 percent of men in the age group of 18-40 years are high school pass, even less for women (NFHS-2) 20 percent of SC and 25 percent of backward class people have caste certificate (IHDS 2011-12) Only 1.3 percent people have forest living data (2011 census) Family register is not applicable in Bihar, there is no national register of citizenship. In such a situation, how can the majority of voters prove their citizenship? What else can be this exercise of the Election Commission other than to benefit the ruling party by sorting out voters, especially the youth, poor and people from the Muslim community, just before the elections? Instead of opposing this exercise, BJP-JD(U) have supported it and made it clear that everything is happening at the behest of Modi-Nitish. Clarification of the Election Commission: Whatever clarification the Commission is giving now under the pressure of the CPI-M, IDA alliance and the civil society, the matter is becoming more complicated and worrisome. Now it is saying in its new order that 4.96 crore voters of Bihar, whose names are in the 2003 list, do not have to submit any type of document. Their children also will not have to submit any certificate of their parents. Confusion created by 2003 voter list Election Commission says that 4.96 crore voters whose names are included in the 2003 voter list have not provided the documents. What is the reality? More than 1.1 crore voters have died and 70 lakh people have permanently settled in other states. This means that only 3.16 crore current voters' names will be there in the 2003 list. Then the question arises whether 1.8 crore people who died or settled in other states have also been considered as voters? This data of the commission is very misleading. People cannot be fooled by showing the 2003 list. Is it necessary to oppose the election process? Special Intensive Voter Verification is not a normal process: Why does the Election Commission want to prove the 'Special Intensive Verification' as a trivial process under the guise of annual update of voter list? Whereas the truth is that the last time Special Intensive Verification was done was 22 years ago. This is not a normal process that happens every year. The concept of citizenship has been reversed: Everyone knows that only citizens of India can vote. But since independence, no document has ever been asked from any voter to prove his citizenship. It has been the responsibility of the state to prove if there is any doubt on someone. Now every voter is being suspected and such documents are being asked, which even today crores of Indians do not have. Keeping records is the responsibility of the state, not of the public: It is the responsibility of the state to get every birth registered. Lack of registration does not make a birth invalid. Instead of forcing people to search for their birth records, states should ensure universal registration of births and deaths so that the records are automatically updated. Why sudden announcement without consultation: Why does the Election Commission not tell why there was no consultation with any political party before starting such a big exercise like 'Special Intensive Test'? Why was it implemented so suddenly? When demonetisation was implemented suddenly, the government had said that black money holders have to be cheated. Does the Election Commission also want to trap the voters of Bihar in the same way? What will happen to migrant workers: According to the latest data of the Labor Department of the Government of India, 2 crore 90 lakh workers from abroad are working in other parts of the country. How will they be able to update their records within 1 month? The July season in Bihar is a busy time for farming. Floods have started in North Bihar. The Election Commission should withdraw this arbitrary, arbitrary and opaque order. Elections should be conducted on the basis of the normal process of updating the voter list for the last two decades. The job of the Election Commission is to facilitate the voters, not to create new obstacles and exclude crores of people from democracy. To protect the right to vote and democracy, CPI-M has decided to launch a Save Voting Rights-Save Democracy campaign from July 1. Come, let us start a movement in Bihar against this dictatorial order!