By Maitphang Syiem
Is there anyone who doesn’t relish a spicy, juicy chicken, egg roll? Well on a general note, it’s inescapable. Yet as much as we savour the delectables there are other rolls that feed the democratic aspirations in a democratically spiced up country – the “Electoral Rolls”. The Electoral Rolls are without a doubt vital in any democratic buffet. While edible rolls tempt our taste buds, the electoral roll is the true main course of democracy. In the context of general awareness few may really not inquire about the spices, the ingredients of the “Electoral Roll” perhaps because of dwindling interest or not wanting to educate ourselves. The irony is palpable. Everybody goes to vote but none would inquire what spices make up the “Electoral Roll.”
Abraham Lincoln profoundly defined democracy as a government of the people, by the people, for the people. He clearly states that eligible citizens are at the heart of democracy, and legitimate power flows directly from them. Therefore in this context it is imperative that we keep ourselves abreast of things that are part and parcel of a democratic process. Diving more into the subject, it’s fascinating to have more light on the electoral systems and its designs as well. The electoral roll is a fundamental pre-requisite to the electoral system and the electoral system defines the kind of roll management, and the party structure which compliments each other. There are many electoral systems followed by the countries of the world which may not be possible to discuss here. Some are inherited and some have evolved from within. However in the context of Indian democracy we follow the FPTP (First Past The Post) system inherited from the colonial regime.
Prior to independence the electoral system and franchise was limited and restricted as it was framed to suit the colonial palette, therefore the rolls indeed were meant only for the elites. Now sarcastically saying, if we have to prepare delicious rolls there should be a fire to do so else edibility is compromised without the heat. So, technically the fire here reflects the legal frameworks. To have a better understanding history must be revisited. Back then during the colonial regime, Acts were already in place namely, the Indian Council Act 1909, and Government of India Act 1919. However the electoral scope was limited. The only significant legal provision was that Government of India Act 1935, though limited in the nature of the electorate, also staged the comprehensive preparation of electoral rolls. It was a precursor to the post-independence electoral framework. Now after the Colonial era, the fire which lit the way for the “Democratic buffet” is part XV of the Constitution of India through Articles 324 to 329 which laid the foundation for the establishment of the independent constitutional Election Management Body, the ECI to spice up the democratic buffet. Article 324 and 327 of the Indian Constitution define the legal provisions. Furthermore Article 327 empowers enactment of laws, rules and regulations in the electoral roll context and this gave birth to Representation of the Peoples’ Act 1950. The RPA 1950 further gave practical guidelines for various aspects of electoral roll management in the form of Registration of Electors Rules 1960. So, the method to cook the authentic Indian Electoral Roll is comprehensively elaborated in the Registration of Electors Rules 1960.
As reiterated earlier the “Electoral Roll” is fundamental in an electoral system which is undeniably of national interest. The electoral roll is a list of eligible electors just like the items in a menu; therefore, its freshness and authenticity are of utmost importance. To humorously say we wouldn’t want a stale Chicken/Egg/Veg roll ruining our snack time resonates identically in a democracy. We certainly don’t want outdated or incorrect electoral rolls messing with our right to vote. Therefore it is imperative for the rolls to be fresh, updated, and accurate with no expired names or unknown guests. It is in fact a vital recipe that ensures every eligible citizen gets their fair bite of democracy. As it is legally seen, the master Chef here is the ECI who is solely responsible for preparing, seasoning and serving the fresh electoral roll. So, the question here is how is it revised? The driving force is the Representation of the Peoples’ Act 1950, part III section 14 to 25 A. The execution method is defined in the Registration of Elector Rules 1960 in rule number 25 sub-rule (1) which states that the roll for every constituency shall be revised under sub section (2) of section 21 either intensively or summarily or partly intensively and partly summarily as the Election Commission may direct.
Therefore, for our consumption we can infer from the rule that there are three forms of revisions of the electoral roll and it’s at the behest of the ECI (master Chef) to direct the preparation with the core principles and ingredients intact. We indeed have a large electoral base and to prepare the authentic recipe for the democratic buffet is indeed a herculean task that one cannot even imagine. However the tools are well-oiled for the cascaded kitchen brigade -the ECI and the CEO in each state; the DEOs at every District, EROs at every Constituency and the commendable prep Chefs the BLOs at the Booth levels all play a vital role in ensuring every eligible voter is served the right and healthy rolls in the democratic buffet.
In this context, recently we have witnessed that the media is rife with what is called as Special Intensive Revision (SIR). So why is there so much fuss about it? If one were to read between the lines in the RER 1960 rules it points to an intensive form of revision where the electoral roll is prepared afresh following all the recent protocols as directed by the ECI. To reiterate once again the electoral system has a symbiotic relationship with the electoral roll and the roll itself is the foundation for free and fair democracy. We cannot have a healthy democratic process if we don’t have a healthy, pure and inclusive electoral roll. In short the revision process is the special sauce which keeps the kitchen of democracy rolling.
The state of Meghalaya, experienced the last intensive revision in 2005 as per the ECI’s press note dated June 29, 2004, with qualifying date as 01.01.2005. Gone were those days when the roll was in paper format. One can imagine how challenging it was, but as time transcends technology became an indispensable part of the preparation and it has become easier to search, apply for corrections and also to register through a single point interface the ECI NET and for our consumption the ECI has made four qualifying dates 1st January, 1st April, 1st July and 1st October available for enrolment.
On a concluding note, all of us have a participatory role to play when it comes to the health of the electoral roll and on a sarcastic note, whether we’re a fan of chicken rolls, egg rolls, or just plain democracy, the electoral roll is something that binds us all together. It doesn’t care about the taste in food, the language, the religion, or background. It may not come wrapped in paper or dripping with chutney, but it’s the roll that keeps the world’s largest democracy rolling along. If we’re eligible, we’re on the list ready to take a bite out of democracy.
(The writer is a Geospatial Technology expert)