On the SIR: A Micro Note

[Sukla Sen]

The whole process of SIR is designed to (rather surreptitiously) convert universal adult franchise into some form of limited adult franchise.

The disadvantaged would get eliminated.

The trick is essentially twofold:

I. Ask the voter to prove that she is an eligible voter -- that means that apart from other things she will have to also prove that she is an Indian citizen.

II. For that (i) ask for (nearly) impossible documents and (ii) make the process of determination opaque and thereby arbitrary.

By conducting the whole operation within an absurdly short time-frame, major chunks of migrant workers would get automatically eliminated by being unavailable at that point of time.

That's not the end of it.

The disenfranchisement would most likely lead to selective stripping of citizenship rights -- again on a massive scale. With all its horrendous consequences.

There's very little awareness yet.

Peace Is Doable