Shillong, April 6: The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) has made its position clear on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, asserting that its support will depend entirely on whether the exercise genuinely targets the removal of doubtful and illegal voters, a concern that has remained central to public discourse in Meghalaya for years.
At a time when questions surrounding the entry of doubtful voters into the electoral rolls continue to surface, NESO chairman Samuel Jyrwa emphasised that the credibility and relevance of the revision exercise would be judged by its purpose and outcome. Referring to similar exercises conducted across the country, he indicated that past experiences have shown varying impacts, making it imperative that the present effort is carried out with transparency and a clear objective.
Talking to Media persons, Jyrwa said, “Well, this special intensive revision as it happened in different parts of India, we have seen what is the impact of the SIR? And we hope that the election commission is conducting this exercise not only in Meghalaya but in the whole of India. And we hope that through the exercise of this SIR, the doubtful voters or the illegal voters who have been able to enter in the Electoral Roll can be weedout that is the main objective.”
Reiterating that NESO’s support is conditional, the NESO Chairman cautioned that any deviation from the core objective would render the exercise ineffective in meeting the expectations of the people, particularly indigenous communities who have long demanded corrective measures.
“If the main objective of SIR is that then we are all for it. What if the objective of the Special Intensive Revision is for some other purpose, then I don’t think that SIR will serve the purpose that we aspire in the state of Meghalaya. But if the purpose and the intention is to weed out illegal voters. Doubtful voters have entered the Electoral Roll Illegally through manipulation then SIR will serve the purpose that the indigenous people have been aspiring for all these years,” he added.
