That some church pastors would manipulate villagers to defy the democratic practice of casting votes merely because they have to be registered as citizens is outrageous. In the 21st century it is unbelievable that people in those villages still don’t have the agency of voice to question such preposterous preaching in the name of God. Or should we say Satan since that word seemed to have been mentioned more often by the pastors to invoke fear in the minds of gullible and blind followers of Christianity. How different are these religious men from those they point their fingers at for being fundamentalists?
Many people do many things in the name of God but if what they do clashes with the fundamental principles of the Constitution which governs our lives as citizens, then question arise as to their intent. Are these religious men turning citizens into non-citizens? Without an EPIC which is required for voting and without a PAN Card which is imperative for all bank transactions today how does a citizen transact business? Granted that there are issues with the Aadhar card also called a unique identity card but is India the only country that has a unique identification system? Don’t other countries have a social security system that helps identify citizens? And if the state is intrusive then so is Google. Are Android or Apple phone users able to cover their footprints? And if Aadhar is linked to Satan then what do you link a smartphone with instant pornography to?
The fact that people can still be brainwashed by men who come in the name of God shows how backward some parts of Meghalaya still are. Perhaps education is yet to reach these dark, dismal corners. And so too the Election Commission despite its desperate attempts to bring as many voters to the polling booth. But what about the MLAs representing such constituencies? Are they too not responsible for creating public awareness on the essence of voting? As for the pastors, they deserve to be questioned by the authorities for instigating people to rebel against the Constitution.
