Chizokho Vero
Kohima | October 31
The need to have a clean electoral roll for a clean election was stressed at the second meeting of Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) campaign for Kohima district held today at DC’s Conference Hall in Kohima.
Representatives from Angami Baptist Churches Council (ABCC), Council of Rengma Baptist Churches (CRBC), Angami Youth Organization (AYO), other organizations and also including media persons at the meeting have endorsed the need to work together to meet the necessity for free and fair elections.
The meeting was a part of SVEEP activities to deliberate on awareness campaign on voters, maintenance of clean Electoral Rolls and free and fair election.
Deputy Commissioner of Kohima W. Honje Konyak in his address called upon the NGOs to involve actively in the ongoing campaign in order to have free and fair elections. He asserted that a clean election cannot be possible without a clean electoral roll.
He said that during this exercise the matter of double entry, bogus voters and correction if any on particulars, deletion or inclusion of genuine and eligible voters will be taken into account.
Stating that the Election Commission of India (ECI) stressed on clean electoral roll particularly for Nagaland this time, stating that electoral roll are not perfect and not clean at all.
He said the Commission wants the state of Nagaland to rectify it. Of which the DC has sought the co-operation of NGOs and individuals in the exercise of SVEEP campaign so that the state would come up with a clean electoral roll.
Regretting that there are many lapses in the electoral roll in the form of double entry, bogus voters etc, he desired that the SVEEP campaign result a clean electoral roll and let all genuine and eligible voters be included in the electoral roll and also see that the state achieves the target set by ECI.
Also calling for ensuring electoral roll free error, he stated that many people do not bother whether they are included in the electoral roll or his particulars are correctly entered. In this, he said it is the responsibility of the concerned individual to check and get the information corrected. He also stated that one must also check the double entry in the polling stations.
The meeting requested the church leaders to take the platform of church services to educate the members on matter of clean electoral roll and at the same time to include the related matter in their preaching during home visitation programme as well to hold meeting with political parties and village councils and also to discourage the practice of youth camps during elections.
Representative from ABCC made a clear stand that the current NBCC campaign on clean election is not against the intending candidates or political parties but the movement is primarily against the election malpractices.
ABCC told the meeting that on its part, series of seminar on clean elections has been conducted in all the villages. It also assured that through the church platform it will continue to propagate the message of clean elections in the state.
Representatives from CRBC said that the Council has conducted series of meeting at the village levels pertaining to clean elections and also had consultation meetings with intending candidates and political parties. It stated that its next plan is to have a prayer and fasting programme on clean elections. Also communicating its effort in distribution of pamphlets pertaining to clean elections, CRBC said that it had already directed every village to form Election Sub-Committee.
The meeting also expressed the need to involve Angami Youth Organization (AYO) and Angami Students’ Union (ASU) in the ongoing exercise to reach out to the student community and faculty in all colleges of Kohima district.
In this, the house desired that the two organizations organize debate/ quiz/ seminar/ workshop in every college within Kohima district to propagate a clean electoral roll. Responding to the call, AYO president Khrielievi Chusi approved the suggestion, however, he said the exercise of a clean electoral roll should not be focus only on 2013 elections but it should be based on 10 years perspective.
Regarding the need to discourage the practice of youth camps during elections, AYO told the meeting that it will first consult with the colony youth and village youth organizations within its jurisdiction and try to see that it is avoided.
The meeting also stressed on the need to use the platforms of All India Radio (AIR) and local media to create massive awareness on SVEEP campaign and to educate the community on clean electoral roll.
It may be mentioned that SVEEP Plan for special summary revision of Electoral Roll was launched at Kohima on September, 2012.
