‘Right to vote in place of origin’

SHILLONG, JULY 10: The Meghalaya government will be suggesting to the union government to allow the citizens, who are outside their state, to vote in their place of origin instead in the place where they are temporarily residing. The state government felt that the right to vote in place of  ‘temporary residence” to a migrant from within the country creates ‘trust-deficit’ with the local populace and impact social harmony.

The state government on Thursday approved the suggestion and will soon sent it  to the union government under the Recommendation of the Commission on Centre-State Relations to consider it.

Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma told newsmen after the cabinet meeting, “We are suggesting that people, the citizen of this nation must be allowed to enjoy their rights to franchise in their place of origin and not in the place where they temporarily reside or migrate for some of their professional activities.”

Stating that the issue is not specific only to Meghalaya but is true of all the NE states, Sangma said, “Therefore, we are making a very frank and blunt suggestion that there is a need to relook at the manner in which we actually allow our citizens to exercise their right to franchise.”

Sangma was of the opinion that voting right of those who resides in “temporary place” has an impact on the trust, mutual understanding and social harmony between the migrants and the local population.

Sangma also felt that as the migrant will not have any stake on the outcome of the result of the elections in the place of his “temporary residence” therefore the union government should have a look at the policy.

Urging the other NE states to also articulate this suggestion, Sangma said, “We have seen number of unfortunate incidents whether it is ethnic strike or other things which are resultant of this mistrust, a fallout of this electoral battle.”

Informing that the suggestions would  be immediately submitted to the union government , Sangma, however, said, “Some fine tuning has to be done and the political department has been asked fine tune one or two paras and the cabinet has authorized the chief minister to approve the fine tuning and sent it to the union government.”

Sangma hoped the union government looks at this particular suggestion of the Meghalahya government and arrives at a methodology and mechanism where everybody right to franchise are fully utilize in the true spirit of democracy.- By Our Reporter