Soldiers and elections (English Version) Rakshak News 08 May 19
http://www.rakshaknews.com/vishesh/soldier-and-election
Soldiers and elections (English Version) Rakshak News 08 May 19
For decades armed forces personnel had almost no voting rights, despite being Indian citizens. They were only permitted to register themselves as service voters and could exercise their franchise through the postal ballot. This exercise was almost a waste as neither ballots reached on time nor could their votes arrive at the concerned place to be of any value. This matter was placed before the apex court for consideration of upholding democratic rights of military personnel who are invariably away from their home towns during elections.
In Feb this year, based on the recommendations of the Election Commission, a bench headed by the Chief Justice disposed the Public Interest Litigation that had asked for an effective mechanism to ensure voting rights for soldiers. It permitted those posted in peace stations to register themselves as general voters and exercise their franchise in the constituency in which they are posted. This facility would not be applicable to those posted in field areas.
The reason is logical. In peace stations, service voters exercising their franchise would be a miniscule component of those voting, whereas in most field areas, with low civil population, their votes could tilt the balance. Those in field areas would continue to follow the postal ballot procedure, however instead of being sent the ballot paper by post, they could now download the same, thus saving time.
In an incident in Jabalpur during the fourth phase of voting on 28th April, army personnel from the local based Grenadier Regimental Centre, registered to vote, had proceeded for voting. To enable the voters to move to the polling booth, the army had organized centralized transport. As per police directions, the vehicles had halted over a Km from the booth and the voters went ahead on foot.
Members of the Congress party came to where the vehicles were parked and made video’s claiming that the army was being used by the BJP to garner votes and soldiers were being sent to illegally vote. They missed the fact that unless their names are listed in the voter’s list, they cannot enter the polling booth. The drivers of the vehicles were seen in the video’s but maintained silence.
The accusers also ignored that those who went to vote did so in civil dress and the drivers remained in uniform away from the polling booth. This video was then spread across social media with claims of the army now being politicized and directed to vote for a specific party, mainly the BJP.
For the first time, since the commencement of elections the army responded to an accusation of politicization. The reason was that these accusations touched the very core of the apolitical nature of the army. The local Congress candidate even claimed that a Colonel of the army in Jabalpur was close to the BJP and hence was pushing army personnel to vote.
It is sad that individuals making these accusations remain unaware of the orders of the supreme court and hence the fact that army personnel were only fulfilling their national obligations. The army in its angry reaction stated that it supports the government in power and is not akin to the Pakistan army, which chooses the party and the PM in every election.
It added that the army has and will remain apolitical and its members must be respected as they have pledged to lay down their lives to defend the Indian democracy and the national constitution. It ended by stating that it has never been cowed down by any enemy or terrorist organizations and hence would not be cowed down by those who seek to accuse it. It would continue to exercise its democratic rights granted to it by the supreme court. The last sentence of the army comment was ‘we request you to become so good that it becomes a pleasure to die for you.’
Surprisingly, those who indulged in this act are the same who have accused the BJP of politicizing the armed forces. Are they any better?
It was a sad day when members of the nation accuse the one force which has remained away from politics and political parties of being biased. It is even worse when the most respected apolitical organization is accused of being political. The uniformed and veteran military community has been more hurt when no leader from the Congress has criticized the actions of his followers. The message being conveyed is that the military is only there to be exploited for political gains by every political party. Is this what we are heading for?
About the Author
Maj Gen Harsha Kakkar
Retired Major General Indian Army