Sarvdalya Manch takes out rally against alleged SIR excesses in Mahuadnr

THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK

Daltonganj, September 11: The Sarvdalya Manch took out a massive rally in Mahuadnr town of Latehar district on Thursday, protesting against alleged tampering and excesses in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and accusing vested interests of attempting to influence the process of deletion of voters’ names.

The rally, led by civil society activist and Sarvdalya Manch leader Ajit Pal Kujur, 46, witnessed the participation of a large number of men and women voters, mostly from the Muslim and Christian communities.

The protesters alleged that the electoral roll revision exercise was being communalised and demanded that the SIR process be conducted in a fair, transparent and impartial manner.

Allegations over deletion of voters’ names

Mahuadnr, which falls under the Manika assembly constituency in Latehar district, has witnessed allegations of attempts to facilitate the deletion of voters’ names during the SIR exercise, with Booth Level Agents (BLAs) at the centre of the controversy.

Sources alleged that some BLAs were encouraging and promoting biased filing of claims seeking deletion of voters’ names and raising objections to the inclusion of names in the electoral rolls.

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The role of BLAs is to assist in creating awareness among electors and help them verify their electoral credentials during the Special Intensive Revision. However, allegations that some BLAs were allegedly using the process for partisan purposes have raised concerns over the sanctity of the electoral roll revision exercise.

BLAs are associated with political parties, but allegations of misuse of Form 7, which is used to seek deletion of names from electoral rolls, have become a contentious issue in Mahuadnr.

‘SIR should unite, not divide’

“The rallyists denounced communalisation of SIR. SIR should unite. It should not divide and disintegrate the community on vote line,” said Ajit Pal Kujur in a telephonic conversation with this correspondent on Thursday.

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“It’s most despicable, disgusting and revolting to see that some elements of a particular political party are not only vitiating the atmosphere but are targeting the minorities in Mahuadnr and in other parts, all for the deletion of names of voters from the electoral rolls,” reiterated Kujur.

“We have proof as to how resident voters are presented in Form 7 as absent or permanently shifted by vested interests who are, in fact, damaging the spirit of democracy and the Constitution for not having even a short-term political gain,” added the Sarvdalya Manch leader.

Kujur questioned whether a voter’s political affiliation could be determined merely from their identity or circumstances.

“I have a question. Is the forehead of a voter any mirror of his or her political affiliation?” he quipped.

“Then why a cry for deletion? The names that the vested interests want to be struck off may be their silent supporters,” he said.

He further said, “Those who are making exaggerated declarations for deletion of names of voters in electoral rolls are harming their own political bosses and parties. They must shun doing this kind of fissiparous acts and separatist deeds.”

Latehar DC assures voters over SIR process

District Election Officer Sandip Kumar, who is also DC Latehar, sought to allay concerns over the Form 7 process and said that a request for deletion does not automatically result in removal of a voter’s name from the electoral roll.

“A filled Form 7 asking for deletion is no ultimate thing. There is a well-laid protocol for deletion or objection. So there is no room for any panic,” Sandip Kumar said when contacted by this correspondent over the phone.

He said the administration was already taking steps to identify and rectify discrepancies in the electoral rolls.

“We have already published a list of ASDD (absentee, shifted, dead, duplicate) electors. Anomalies are being set right. Unmapped electors are getting mapped. It’s time to arrange necessary papers and documents on the part of the electors to get rid of any flaw in the electoral rolls,” added the Latehar DC.

Eligible voters urged to complete enrolment process

Sandip Kumar also said that some pockets had initially witnessed reluctance among eligible voters to fill the Enumeration Forms, with some citing the Fifth Schedule.

“There were some pockets here where eligibles had refused to fill the Enumeration Forms citing their 5th Schedule. I tell you many who were reluctant then are filling Form 6 for enrolment. This is the right spirit of SIR,” he said.

The administration’s comments came amid growing concerns among voters over the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls in Jharkhand, particularly regarding the verification, mapping and possible deletion of names.

A tribal girl pursuing a degree course in Mahuadnr also questioned the perception surrounding Form 7.

“Form 7 for deletion or objection is no Red Card of any football tourney which expels a player out of the playground,” she said over the phone.

DC warns political leaders against electoral malpractice

Administrative sources said the DC had warned political leaders to refrain from indulging in any electoral malpractice during the SIR exercise.

The administration has maintained that the electoral roll revision process follows a prescribed procedure and that voters should submit the necessary documents to address discrepancies in their electoral records.

Meanwhile, SDPO Mahuadnr Puja Oraon described Thursday’s rally as peaceful and disciplined.

The rally has brought renewed attention to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, the use of Form 7 for voter deletion, the role of Booth Level Agents (BLAs) and concerns surrounding the SIR process in Latehar and Mahuadnr.