To

The Editor October, 08, 2004
TIMES OF INDIA, INDIAN EXPRESS
ASIAN AGE, FREE PRESS JOURNAL,
AFTERNOON, MID-DAY,
HINDU, HINDUSTAN TIMES
REDIFF.COM

A PIL in the Supreme Court seeking fresh delimitation of constituencies reserved for SC and ST by a “Federation for Upliftment of Depressed classes” has been filed. One of the demands of the federation in the PIL for “separate polling booths for SCs and STs be set up for them to cast their votes in a free and fair manner” is outright ridiculous and the Supreme Court should dismiss it ad limine.


Indeed SC/STs in rural India are threatened, browbeaten when it comes to voting. Election is the time to empower them. Instead of making them bold and vote by standing in the same line, such a measure called by this federation will make the SC/STs “electoral untouchables” ! Has the “federation for depressed classes” forgotten or are ignorant about the special clause in the prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989 (Central Act) which prosecutes a person for preventing an SC/ST person to vote or stand for elections. Is not the federation aware of the Representation of the people’s Act, 1950 and 1951 and the model code of conduct which states that politicians and their parties would be committing an electoral offence if they “appeal or refrain from voting any person on ground of his religion, race, caste, community or language”

The argument that separate polling booths will enable them to cast their votes in “a free and fair manner” is fraught with more danger. It is a solution worse than the problem. Because separate polling stations will be marked. They will know the voters numbers in advance, who is going where in advance, and entire villages or ghettoes of SC/STs may be attacked much before the voting dates. If not in this manner, higher castes and political zealots are known to sabotage SC, ST votes by luring them away with liquor (which is widely consumed by SC,ST) and hence it makes no difference if they have a separate polling booth.

Federations such as these should network and mobilize people, media, government bodies in strengthening and calling for effective implementation of the present laws rather than measures such as separate polling booths which isolate the depressed classes further. I have worked for the empowerment of SC, ST and understand their predicament, but I am firmly against such a measure which would make them “electoral untouchables.”


RONALD REBELLO
Human Rights Activist)


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Cc: Copy to Supreme Court of India, when taking into consideration the prayer for setting up separate polling booths for SCs and STs.