India boasts of being the largest democracy in the world. But large numbers of Indians have been disenfranchised because of loopholes in the registration process. In the 2014 General Elections, 814.5 million Indians were eligible to vote. 66.4% exercised that right. The facade of egalitarianism hides dark realities. The criteria followed by central and state commissions are far from satisfactory. Prejudices of local policemen and administrators vitiate the process. A ration card, utility bills, educational records and birth certificates are perhaps not sufficient eligibility requirements. Aadhar cards and passports do not remove doubts. In Karnataka, there is a trend of disenfranchising more Muslims compared to Hindus. 15% of adults are excluded from the voters list. Muslims who were left out account for as many as 25 %. Then in many cases only one member of a family of eligible voters is on the voters roll. The rule is that only a lunatic or a convicted criminal can be eliminated. The reason all members of a family are not put on the voters list is due to negligence of family members as well as that of those who prepare the voters list.
The Election Commission prepares the electoral rolls through a process of intensive revision where house-to-house enumeration is done and electors residing in each house are registered by official enumerators who are expected to physically go from door-to-door to collect the information about electors. This process is done normally once in five years. Between two Intensive revisions, summary revisions are done every year during a specified period when persons who are left out of the electoral rolls are given an opportunity to register themselves by applying in Form-6. Voters are expected to get their names deleted from the place of earlier residence if they have shifted elsewhere and get the names included at new place of residence. Short absence from place of residence does not debar one from voting. Similarly, deletions are carried out of electors who have died or have shifted residence from one area to another outside the prescribed part of the electoral roll.
India’s problem is due to laziness and inefficiency of surveyors, corruption and prejudice. This, despite the policy of the government to extend the franchise regardless of faith, wealth or caste. The Election Commission should be up and doing to remove the loopholes. US President Donald Trump’s policy of disenfranchising brown Americans shows an unparalleled narrow-mindedness. Indian policy makers should not be tarred with the same brush.
