Mangaluru: The number of exclusions rather than inclusions has taken place at an alarming rate, and the fact that a large number of them are women is a matter of grave concern, Janavadi Mahila Sanghatane said in a memorandum submitted to the Dakshina Kannada district administration, seeking women-friendly measures during the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.Prameela Shaktinagara, secretary of the organisation, said the SIR is under way across the country in the name of ‘purification’ and is in its third phase in Karnataka.“Based on the experiences of states where this has already taken place, we are bringing the following points to your attention and demanding appropriate action. Under the Constitution of India and the Representation of the People Act, 1950, there are provisions for conducting intensive revision, summary revision, and, in some contexts, partial summary and partial intensive revision of electoral rolls as required; this has been carried out until now,” the forum said.Citing reports, members said a large number of women voters were deleted in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal. They urged that inconsistent details and “illogical” discrepancies should not be applied during the intensive revision scheduled in Dakshina Kannada from June 30.They also sought the provision of necessary documents for women, noting that a majority are deprived of education, and urged the administration to take measures on behalf of the common people.Maintain transparency: MLCMLC Ivan D’Souza urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure complete transparency during the SIR process in Karnataka.He said the Congress would cooperate fully with the ECI. “The ECI must ensure that the SIR is conducted in a fair, transparent and accountable manner. Nearly 10% of the total electorate, totalling around 5.2 crore voters, was reportedly wiped from the electoral rolls during revisions across 12 states and Union territories. An exercise of this magnitude demands full public accountability and complete transparency. The ECI should publish detailed constituency-wise data before commencing the SIR process in Karnataka,” he said.He added that Congress would remain vigilant and would not allow any wrongful deletion or addition of voters.
