Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India V.S. Sampath cautioned the people against underestimating the importance of electoral rolls by flagging the tremendous scope for its manipulation that can impact the election results.
He urged the public to be vigilant about the possible deprivation of their right to vote in the form of erroneous deletion of their names from the rolls or some inadvertent discrepancies.
Delivering the keynote address at the launch of Citizens for Democracy (CFD), a forum led by public-spirited individuals, including retired judges and IAS officers, here on Sunday, Mr. Sampath said India was the only country which was able to conduct elections on its own without monitoring by any foreign observer. Several Third World countries were still availing of the assistance of foreign experts in holding elections, he said.
Constant vigil by electorate
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has been doing exemplary work over the years with the support of dedicated officers and staff. However, the story would not be complete without acknowledging the maintenance of constant vigil by the electorate and the tight security provided by Central paramilitary forces amidst heavy odds.
The CEC was able to continue doing its job excellently only with the cooperation of all stakeholders, especially the voters, whose active participation was essential for democracy to flourish, Mr. Sampath asserted.
‘To create awareness’
CFD chairman and former High Court Judge, Justice G. Bhavani Prasad, said the forum could not do wonders overnight. But, it would help fill the gaps in the democratic setup by creating awareness about the right to vote, which was the cornerstone of electoral democracy.
CFD secretary and retired State Election Commissioner N. Ramesh Kumar and CFD members L.V. Subramanyam (former Chief Secretary), Jandhyala Shankar (former Mayor of Vijayawada) and M.C. Das were also present.
