SIR: Forum calls for vigilance and action during the process

The National Humanitarian Forum, a body of intellectuals, writers and public activists in Kerala, has issued an appeal through a press release regarding the implementation of SIR. While making an appeal to the Election Commission and governments concerned, the Forum called on voters and socio-political organisations to be vigilant and act in time to ensure that the voters' list for Kerala is prepared flawlessly without exclusion of any eligible voter.

The body is headed by K Satchidanandan, writer and former Secretary of Kendra Sahitya Akademi.

The full text of the statement is below:

It is learnt that the technical difficulties in carrying out this intensive list revision process at a time when Kerala is busy preparing for the local body elections scheduled to begin in early December, were conveyed to the National Election Commission through the State Election Commissioner. Many states, including Tamil Nadu, have filed cases in the Supreme Court against SIR.

Yet the rationale for forcing Kerala into an initiative that is not being carried out together at the national level at this stage is mysterious and suspicious. If it is being carried out effectively for the good of every citizen, Kerala should have been excluded till mid-December.

The jurisdiction of the Election Commission is vast. Those who believe in democracy have realised that there are flaws in the process right from the formation of the Commission, which should work in the most independent and fair manner. It is as true as daylight that the Election Commission in existence today has made major lapses in maintaining the Model Code of Conduct after the announcement of the election, ensuring that the election process is conducted fairly, and investigating the complaints with commitment and transparency when they are raised, finding the culprits, and bringing them before the law.

Or how can the serious allegations raised by the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, with precise evidence, be ignored in the manner seen? The tradition of the Election Commission of India, exemplified by people like T.N. Seshan, has become a mere legend today.

The doubts and concerns are raised because the Election Commission, which has such a reputation, is conducting the polls in a single month with the least number of workers (BLOs). Moreover, there are no mechanisms to prevent fake votes in the new initiative. Although linking with the Aadhaar card has been implemented in all other government services, it has not been done in the election process.

The hand-wringing that is believed to have been done through voting machines has not been resolved. It is for these reasons that the claims of the Commission, which apparently acts as a puppet of the government, cannot be taken at face value. When we say that this is only to add new members who have reached the age of 18, remove the names of those who have died, and find 'infiltrators', when we say that ordinary citizens have nothing to fear, what comes to our mind are the lakhs of people who were excluded from the list in Bihar and before that, the lakhs who were made criminals through the NRC (National Registry of Citizens) in Assam.

Apart from the inhumanity of criminalising all those who cross the borders of the country and travel across the subcontinent for various reasons to make a living, the truth that those who are labelled foreigners because they cannot produce documents and belong to a particular religion also scares us. Remember that India is the third country in the world with the largest number of recognised Muslim citizens. As was done in Assam, the first phase of the announcement that the NRC will be implemented nationwide is the mysterious implementation of the SIR. It is for such reasons that we have to suspect that it is not.

What seems most unfortunate is that this is already happening in a state ruled by a government that has said that it will not allow the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the NRC - in Kerala. Even if we accept the argument that governments are helpless within the jurisdiction of the Election Commission, does a people-friendly government not have the responsibility to think about how to counter its hidden interests? This is a responsibility that goes beyond siding with Tamil Nadu in court.

The legal action after the SIR has reached the halfway point is likely to naturally fail. Can the process of exclusion, which is feared to be implemented through he SIR, be stopped by the intervention of government institutions and local political elements of the ruling party? The complex form-filling process should be completed with due care to ensure that no single citizen is excluded. People look forward to the help of local political workers who are more certain about the areas and booths than technical knowledge to find their own or their parents' names in the 2002 list.

Of course, although cultural and religious organisations have slowly started to get involved in this, there may be limitations and difficulties. Not only the ruling party’s political activists, but All the political activists who have been interacting with the people to win votes for so long and are still working for the victory of the local elections, have a responsibility in this.

If cultural organisations join hands with them, Kerala will become a model in this regard, as in all areas where rights are being asserted. Efforts can be made from various sources to make those who may be reluctant to fill out the form because they do not understand the seriousness of the matter. The most important thing is that the form is filled out correctly before December 4. In the second phase, cultural organisations and legal experts should also take steps to provide free legal aid to those who are unfairly excluded from the list.

We hereby express our willingness to participate in all efforts to become a national humanitarian platform with only a limited number of activists. Let us forget political and religious differences and participate in efforts to keep Kerala as Kerala. Let us join hands together to ensure that booth-head sabotage and vote-additions do not take place during the election process.

For/National Humanitarian Forum

K Sachithanandan (Chairperson)

Khadeeja Mumtaz (Vice Chairperson

Haridas T (Secretary)

Suresh A (Treasurer)