Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed concern that the intensive revision of the voter list is a backdoor to the NRC. The state assembly unanimously demanded a withdrawal from this move and the adoption of a transparent procedure.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Assembly on Monday, September 29, unanimously passed a resolution voicing strong opposition to the Central Election Commission’s decision to conduct a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list, warning that the move could be a backdoor attempt to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Presenting the resolution, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said there was widespread concern that the SIR process could lead to irrational exclusions, similar to what was witnessed in Bihar. “The politics of exclusion is evident in the Bihar voter list revision. What happened there was a deliberate and unscientific removal of names, and there is a nationwide suspicion that the same strategy is being extended to the entire country,” the Chief Minister said.
Kerala CM Calls SIR ‘Malicious’
He pointed out that conducting the SIR in haste, especially when Kerala is preparing for local body elections followed soon after by assembly polls, was “malicious.” The last intensive revision of the state’s voter list was carried out in 2002, and attempting another one now based on outdated parameters was, according to him, unscientific and harmful to the democratic process. The resolution also criticised specific conditions under the SIR. It requires those born after 1987 to prove eligibility by producing either parent’s citizenship documents, and those born after 2003 to furnish the documents of both parents. The Chief Minister argued that such requirements would deny citizens their constitutional right to universal adult suffrage guaranteed under Article 326.
Citing expert studies, the resolution warned that these rules would disproportionately affect marginalized communities, including minorities, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, women, poor households, and expatriates. It also expressed concern that attempts to “revive the Citizenship Amendment Act, which makes citizenship religion-based,” could exploit the SIR to undermine democratic rights.
The resolution urged the Election Commission to ensure that the voter list update is conducted transparently and without measures that curtail fundamental rights. U.A. Latheef MLA lauded the Chief Minister for moving the resolution, while A. Shamsuddeen MLA also expressed full support in the Assembly.