Missing voters – By Divya Trivedi
Abdul Rahmat, 28, from Kolkata was shocked and confused when his application for enrolment in the electoral rolls was rejected with the comment “not an Indian citizen”. Born in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, he had moved to the city a decade ago and held a white-collar job with an Indian corporate house. “Our family has lived here for generations. It feels odd to have my name struck off the voters list with this comment,” he told Frontline over the phone.…
The right to vote is an important prerogative of a citizen in a democracy. Shockingly, in the past few months it was found that crores of Indians were no longer eligible to vote. While the problem of names missing from the electoral rolls might not be new, the extent of the problem in this election is alarming. A large chunk of those disenfranchised overnight belong to communities that have suffered under the present regime and are unlikely to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In a tightly contested election where both the BJP and the opposition are desperate to secure a victory, the possibility of foul play cannot be ruled out. The unasked question that even political parties are afraid to raise is whether the BJP is orchestrating a targeted removal of communities at the booth level to ensure a win for itself.…
https://frontline.thehindu.com/cover-story/article26781550.ece
SEE ALSO:
- The uneasy silence of Muslim voters – By Anuj Kumar (Apr 11, 2019, The Hindu)
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/the-uneasy-silence-of-muslim-voters/article26810110.ece - Vanishing Muslims from India’s political landscape – By Syed Obaidur Rahman (Apr 8, 2019, Sify.com)
http://www.sify.com/news/vanishing-muslims-from-india-s-political-landscape-news-columns-teincoahgfcia.html - Closure on cynicism: SC order on VVPAT verification – Editorial (Apr 10, 2019, The Hindu)
https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/closure-on-cynicism/article26785459.ece - Travels through the Hindi belt: In Yogi Adityanath’s Uttar Pradesh, unemployment beats national rate; sports goods industry takes hit – By Parth MN (Apr 8, 2019, First Post)
https://www.firstpost.com/india/travels-through-the-hindi-belt-in-yogi-adityanaths-uttar-pradesh-unemployment-beats-national-rate-cricket-industry-suffers-6406701.html
