SIR’s Pitfalls

The Supreme Court on 28 July told the Election Commission of India (ECI) to adopt a voter verification approach based on “mass inclusion, not mass exclusion.”

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The principal objective of the ECI is to find out eligible voters from every nook and cranny of the country and include their names in the voters’ list. This aim cannot be diluted or compromised under any pretext or at direct or veiled promptings from the ruling dispensation at the Centre. The direction came in connection with the legal challenge to the ECI’s current Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls being carried out in Bihar under controversial circumstances. The apex court has questioned the ECI’s refusal to accept Aadhaar and Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) as valid proof of identity during the ongoing SIR.

The Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi did not support the ECI’s argument that Aadhaar and EPIC cards can be forged, pointing out that “10 out of 11 documents already accepted by the Commission can be equally fake.” The Court said forgery is always a possibility, but that cannot be a reason for summarily excluding widely held documents like Aadhaar or voter ID cards.