More than 100 representatives from civil society organizations, political parties, trade unions, women’s groups, and student unions convened in Bengaluru on Friday to oppose the Election Commission’s decision to implement the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka.
The participants gathered at the Legislators’ Home and adopted a resolution to initiate a state-wide campaign titled “My Vote, My Right,” aimed at resisting what they termed an “NRC-like” process that could disenfranchise marginalized voters.
Speakers at the meeting highlighted that similar revisions in Bihar had led to the removal of over 6.8 million voter names, disproportionately affecting Dalits, Muslims, women, and migrant workers. They argued that the SIR imposes the burden of proving eligibility to vote on citizens, reversing the previous requirement wherein the Election Commission had to justify deletions.
“The SIR follows the same logic as the NRC,” stated Vinay Sreenivasa of Bahutva Karnataka. “It shifts the burden onto citizens and risks large-scale disenfranchisement.”
Clifton D’Rozario of the CPI(ML) Liberation emphasized that many disadvantaged voters do not possess the documents now required by the Election Commission of India (ECI), such as birth or matriculation certificates. Activists also voiced concerns that the SIR grants election officers the authority to refer “suspected foreign nationals” to authorities under the Citizenship Act of 1955, raising fears about its misuse against minorities and the economically disadvantaged.
“This gives unbridled powers to local officials and can be weaponized against minorities and the poor,” a statement from the meeting asserted.
Indudara Honnapura, a founder member of DSS, urged for mass mobilization against the measure, arguing, “Voters choose their leaders, but now the Election Commission wants to choose the voters.”
Participants appealed to the Karnataka government to pass a resolution opposing SIR, following the example set by Kerala regarding the NRC-CAA, and demanded that the ECI engage in consultations with civil society.
The roundtable discussion included representatives from various organizations such as PUCL Karnataka, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, AICCTU, AIPWA, AISA, the All India Lawyers Association for Justice, and the Students’ Federation of India.
Tags: Karnataka, civil society groups, Election Commission, campaign, Special Intensive Revision
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