After independence, the framers of our constitution granted the Election Commission complete autonomy and independence, ensuring that every Indian had a stake in power. Democracy is defined as a government chosen by the people, and the Election Commission fulfills this by ensuring every Indian can participate. Traditionally, before each election, the Election Commission would campaign to encourage every eligible voter aged 18 and above to vote, urging maximum participation. However, for the first time, the Election Commission is seen removing names from the voter list, citing reasons only after a Supreme Court order. This situation has occurred in Bihar, where 6.5 million voters' names have been removed. The Election Commission stated it is conducting a special voter revision campaign in Bihar. This action faced opposition from the country's political parties, who claimed it violated the law. Consequently, several petitions were filed in the Supreme Court, which is currently hearing the case, with the next session scheduled for September 8.
The Election Commission said that for a valid voter, Aadhaar card, ration card and voter card issued by him himself are not such documents which are proof of his being a valid Indian citizen. Therefore, it handed over a list of 11 such documents which are needed by the common man only in times of trouble. These included birth certificate, caste certificate and resident certificate. But the Supreme Court directed the Election Commission to consider the Aadhaar card as proof of the validity of any citizen and also take cognizance of the voter card issued by itself. Now the Election Commission wants to run a voter revision campaign on the lines of Bihar in the whole of India, while this petition is pending in the Supreme Court whether the Election Commission can run such a campaign. After all, what is the hurry for the Election Commission?
The question is why the Election Commission does not want to wait for the final decision of the Supreme Court? When the Constitution of India clearly states that only the Home Ministry can check the citizenship of any person living in India, then why does the Election Commission want to interfere in this area? The Election Commission has just called a meeting of the Chief Election Officers of the states in Delhi on 10 September. The purpose of this meeting is believed to be that it wants to run a voter list revision campaign across the country from January 1, 2026. Obviously, the opposition parties of the country will oppose this move because they are saying that under this pretext the Commission wants to do the work of national citizenship registration in the country. Certainly, this is not the work of the Election Commission. It only has to see that the vote of any adult Indian citizen does not remain uncast. Apart from this, its job is to ensure that every election in the entire country is held in a completely free manner and the voters exercise their right without any fear or threat. No one can take their vote by intimidating or luring them.
But if the Election Commission starts checking the citizenship of citizens, it will deviate from its goal and unnecessary fear will spread throughout the Indian society. In democracy, fear should be only of the law. Those who are not legal citizens of India and are voters should have fear of the law. But this fear should not be there in the legal citizen of India who does not have a birth certificate for some reason. There was no tradition of getting birth certificates made in the older generations of India and all the work was done in the name of their parentage. We should accept this reality. The tradition of having birth certificates has definitely developed in the new generations, which is due to the growing education system in the country. Now if the Election Commission is calling a meeting of the Chief Election Officers of the states for the purpose of revision of the voter list in the entire country, then it will be hasty on its part because the census is to start in the country next year in 2027.
Citizenship can also be identified during the census. This will only make the work of the Election Commission easier. The way the Election Commission has deleted the names of 65 lakh voters in Bihar has created an atmosphere of apprehension in the entire country, which can lead to people's anger towards the Election Commission. Till now the Election Commission is considered a friend of the people. Its image is like Lokmitra. Hence the Election Commission should also worry about its image because it is a constitutional institution.