| Proxy votes
Proxy voting and other electoral malpractices like rigging are very much a part of the electoral process in the State. The exercise has never been that democratic when it comes to the voting. During the last general elections a correspondent based in Guwahati, in a writeup published by an Imphal based daily had claimed that he had cast his vote in a polling booth in Imphal in the name of some other voter. This is only one example of what had been happening in the State.
The situation is worse in the hills particularly in those booths located in interior areas where security personnel manning the polling centers do not call the shots. It is common knowledge that is some cases only a few voters will cast almost all the votes of a particular polling station. What can the unarmed polling official do when those guarding the booths with arms can do little against such mal-practices?
While it is true that some of the candidate hired goons to cast votes in his or her favor it is also undisputable that many of the voters have to walk miles to cast votes that too in steep hilly terrains. Naturally the poor voter, who thinks that his day's work which will keep his heart burning is more important than taking the trouble of trudging miles to stamp the seal in favor of any candidate, who do not bother about the existence of the poor fellow, will never turn up at the polling booth.
It is natural then that someone will definitely cast the vote in the name of such person. Of course if any candidate is kind enough to dole out a few hundred notes he may take the trouble. So proxy voting in the hill constituency is not done by only musclemen. The voters themselves encourage it, by not turning up to exercise his democratic rights. Under the circumstances it will be very difficult job to check the menace.
It is good news that the election authorities have taken some measures to ensure that proxy voting is minimized as far as possible. For instance it was announced that candidates will have to produce his or her identity cards or any other document to prove the voter's identity. Without the identification papers the voters will not be allowed to cast votes. The authority also said that this would be strictly enforced in both the hill and valley constituencies. The intention of the election authority may be good, but it is feared that many of the voters will be denied their democratic rights.
If the code is strictly enforced then it is a foregone conclusion that many will be able to cast their votes. For those, who have the identity cards of any kind it will be no problem. But what about those old and illiterate who do not have any papers that can establish his or her identity? Now he or she will have to take the trouble of getting identification papers.
It is unlikely that those who have not already possessed such papers will ever try to get one. And who will issue such an identification paper? The intention of the authority is well meaning, but it may eventually turn out to be encouraging the very menace they want to check. Majority of the voters who were issued identity cards a few years back do not own them any longer.
(Courtesy: The Sangai Express) |
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