New Delhi: Nobel Prize winner Amtya Sen expressed concern over the special intensive amendment (SIR) of the electoral role in the pole-bound Bihar, ensuring that without sensitivity, the exercise can “dissatisfied” the poor and the large sections of the margins. He questioned the fairness of a bureaucracy process, requiring strict documentation from citizens who cannot have easy access to such papers. Accepting the need for administrative investigation and periodic amendments, Sen insisted that they should not come to the cost of fundamental rights.“Yes, it is true that there is a need to complete various procedural tasks from time to time. However, in doing so, no one can trample the rights of the poor to make a ‘better system’,” Sen told the news agency PTI.He emphasized the importance of an equitable and inclusive approach, indicating that many individuals still lack proper documentation and, as a result, is often excluded from the electoral process.“Many people do not have documents. Many people cannot vote. If, in the name of trying to improve things a little, the disadvantage is caused by many people, it becomes a serious mistake,” Sen said, “You can’t rightly get seven new mistakes to correct only one”.Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Friday expressed surprise at the lack of political parties in correcting the names of voters removed during the head of electoral rolls in Bihar. The apex court also said that the claim form can be submitted with the Aadhaar card or any other 11 acceptable documents. PTI said, “We will allow the Aadhaar card or any other acceptable documents to be allowed to present the claims of voters removed online.” The bench said, “All political parties had filed a status report by the next date of hearing as a claim, which they had provided the facility to file by the voters excluded.” The case has been posted for hearing on 8 September. During the hearing, the Election Commission informed the court that 85,000 new voters were added to the ongoing amendment, only two objections were filed by the booth-level agents of political parties. A back of Justice Surya Kant and Jolya Bagchi was listening to a batch of petitions challenging the head practice. The petitions were filed by RJD MP Manoj Jha, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), PUCL, activist Yogendra Yadav, Trinmool Congress MP Mahua Motra and former MLA from Bihar Mujahid Alam. The petitioners have demanded the cancellation of ECI’s June 24 directive, which requires a large number of voters in Bihar to submit evidence of citizenship to stay on the role.
