Even as the Election Commission last week informed the Supreme Court that it could allow non-resident Indians to vote through either proxy or email instead of travelling physically to their constituencies, it did not mention any such provision for the millions of migrant workers within India who remain removed from the voting process.
Internal migrants cannot vote unless they travel back to their home constituencies. The expense of this prevents a great many migrants from voting.
In this context, it might have been out of the Election Commission’s brief to address the issue of internal migrants. It was only responding to a petition filed early this year by an NRI in the United Arab Emirates, Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, who wanted to ease the process of voting for overseas Indians.
The commission’s report will have to be accepted by parliament before its recommendations can be implemented.
Act was amended
Indian passport holders living overseas gained the right to vote in 2010, when parliament amended the Representation of Peoples Act for this purpose. In 2011, the government issued a notification permitting overseas voters to apply to have their names included on the electoral rolls at their place of residence.
But because these passport holders had to travel back to India to cast their votes, only 11,328 Indians living abroad had availed of the offer by the end of 2013.
The Election Comission's new proposal indicate that the process of voting could soon become much easier for India’s one crore NRIs.
However, this still doesn't solve the problems of India's 40 crore internal migrants, who still cannot vote in the temporary homes in which they live and work.
“The government has to be clear about it and it cannot just make special arrangements only for NRIs,” said Sharit Bhowmik, a professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. “What about the hundreds of thousands of people who migrate within the country? If they are Indian citizens, they should be able to vote.”
Several disadvantages
Internal migrants are usually far removed from the social and structural framework of the government. They cannot access social welfare benefits either in their homes or in their current places of residence, they are often contract workers who have no job security and they also often cannot vote.
“Internal migrants are a neglected community,” said Parimal Sudhakar, programme coordinator at the Society for Labour and Development in New Delhi. “In their source place, their representatives don’t pay attention to them because they don’t come back to vote. But where they have moved also, representatives don’t pay attention to them because they don’t have voting rights.”
It isn't as if they lack the requisite documents. “At least 65%-70% of internal migrants have voter ID cards,” said Sudhakar. “Since their families in the villages will need their ration cards, they travel with their voter ID cards instead.”
However, migrants usually make their ID cards with the name of their native places, partly because of job insecurity forces them to move for work frequently and partly because it helps them to safeguard any property they have may have at home.
“Forget about internal migrants, what about election staff and policemen [who are too busy to vote on election day]?” asked Bhowmik. “Nobody makes arrangements for them, but we are suddenly worried about NRIs.”
Madison Square Garden votes
Even if the Election Commission makes it easier for all Indian passport holders abroad to vote, this may not necessarily result in changes for an overwhelming majority. The largest number of NRIs are in the Gulf, working largely as domestic employees, drivers and construction workers.
Many of them would not be able to prove their citizenship because their employers take away their passports, ostensibly for safekeeping, said Bhowmik. “Ultimately, only the kind of people who showed up at Madison Square Garden will be able to vote," he said.
Rajeev Sharma, a regional policy officer with the Building and Wood Workers’ International added, “If the government is thinking of implementing this, they should give equal importance to workers who go for a temporary basis and come back They are more connected to the country.”
Over 100 countries have allowed external voting for their citizens abroad, Sharma pointed out.
The Philippines targets its programme at overseas contract workers who are likely to return home. Overseas Filipinos are only allowed to vote if they submit an affidavit saying that they will return to the Philippines within three years after their registration as overseas voters.
“Let the government give voting rights to NRIs,” said Sharma. “But the thrust should also be at migrant workers who do not have the NRI status.”
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Internal migrants cannot vote unless they travel back to their home constituencies. The expense of this prevents a great many migrants from voting.
In this context, it might have been out of the Election Commission’s brief to address the issue of internal migrants. It was only responding to a petition filed early this year by an NRI in the United Arab Emirates, Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, who wanted to ease the process of voting for overseas Indians.
The commission’s report will have to be accepted by parliament before its recommendations can be implemented.
Act was amended
Indian passport holders living overseas gained the right to vote in 2010, when parliament amended the Representation of Peoples Act for this purpose. In 2011, the government issued a notification permitting overseas voters to apply to have their names included on the electoral rolls at their place of residence.
But because these passport holders had to travel back to India to cast their votes, only 11,328 Indians living abroad had availed of the offer by the end of 2013.
The Election Comission's new proposal indicate that the process of voting could soon become much easier for India’s one crore NRIs.
However, this still doesn't solve the problems of India's 40 crore internal migrants, who still cannot vote in the temporary homes in which they live and work.
“The government has to be clear about it and it cannot just make special arrangements only for NRIs,” said Sharit Bhowmik, a professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. “What about the hundreds of thousands of people who migrate within the country? If they are Indian citizens, they should be able to vote.”
Several disadvantages
Internal migrants are usually far removed from the social and structural framework of the government. They cannot access social welfare benefits either in their homes or in their current places of residence, they are often contract workers who have no job security and they also often cannot vote.
“Internal migrants are a neglected community,” said Parimal Sudhakar, programme coordinator at the Society for Labour and Development in New Delhi. “In their source place, their representatives don’t pay attention to them because they don’t come back to vote. But where they have moved also, representatives don’t pay attention to them because they don’t have voting rights.”
It isn't as if they lack the requisite documents. “At least 65%-70% of internal migrants have voter ID cards,” said Sudhakar. “Since their families in the villages will need their ration cards, they travel with their voter ID cards instead.”
However, migrants usually make their ID cards with the name of their native places, partly because of job insecurity forces them to move for work frequently and partly because it helps them to safeguard any property they have may have at home.
“Forget about internal migrants, what about election staff and policemen [who are too busy to vote on election day]?” asked Bhowmik. “Nobody makes arrangements for them, but we are suddenly worried about NRIs.”
Madison Square Garden votes
Even if the Election Commission makes it easier for all Indian passport holders abroad to vote, this may not necessarily result in changes for an overwhelming majority. The largest number of NRIs are in the Gulf, working largely as domestic employees, drivers and construction workers.
Many of them would not be able to prove their citizenship because their employers take away their passports, ostensibly for safekeeping, said Bhowmik. “Ultimately, only the kind of people who showed up at Madison Square Garden will be able to vote," he said.
Rajeev Sharma, a regional policy officer with the Building and Wood Workers’ International added, “If the government is thinking of implementing this, they should give equal importance to workers who go for a temporary basis and come back They are more connected to the country.”
Over 100 countries have allowed external voting for their citizens abroad, Sharma pointed out.
The Philippines targets its programme at overseas contract workers who are likely to return home. Overseas Filipinos are only allowed to vote if they submit an affidavit saying that they will return to the Philippines within three years after their registration as overseas voters.
“Let the government give voting rights to NRIs,” said Sharma. “But the thrust should also be at migrant workers who do not have the NRI status.”