Dear Friends,
The Mumbai Attacks on 26th November highlighted the ineffective and inefficient State Legislature and Parliament, especially with regards to
- complete lack of co-ordination in organizing an immediate rescue mission,
- preparedness to solicit support of the international community and highlight the country's position in
- complete lack of co-ordination in organizing an immediate rescue mission,
- preparedness to solicit support of the international community and highlight the country's position in
the wake of a national terror strike,
- a totally mismanaged defence budget with the armed and police forces being very poorly equipped
- a totally mismanaged defence budget with the armed and police forces being very poorly equipped
and trained, and
- an extremely indifferent attitude to the way domestic security and national intelligence
- an extremely indifferent attitude to the way domestic security and national intelligence
infrastructure is monitored
These individuals, however, are in the position of power because of our choice - either an explicit choice expressed by our vote or an implicit choice in the absence of our vote. It is thus up to each one of us to ensure that we exercise our franchise and weed out the non performing social servants from our houses of power.
For those amongst us who believe that one vote does not count I would like to highlight the following: In the last Karnataka Assembly elections, in 119-Santhemarahalli Assembly, the winning margin was ONLY ONE VOTE. Hence EACH VOTE COUNTS.
AT PRESENT THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA DOES NOT ALLOW NRIs TO BE ABLE TO VOTE. HOWEVER, THERE IS A BILL IN THE PARLIAMENT FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS WHICH ADDRESSES THIS VERY POINT. THE REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE (AMENDMENT), 2006 BILL PROPOSES THAT NRIs BE REGISTERED AND PERMITTED TO VOTE. THE TERM OF THE 14th LOK SABHA EXPIRES IN MAY 2009. IF THE AMENDMENTS TO THE REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT ARE NOT ENACTED BEFORE THE EXPIRY OF THE TERM OF THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT, THE INDIAN DIASPORA WILL YET AGAIN BE DEVOID OF ITS RIGHT TO VOTE IN THE GENERAL ELECTIONS OF THE COUNTRY, NOT TO MENTION THAT THE BILL WILL GO INTO SUSPENSION. THE NEW GOVERNMENT AND PARLIAMENT WILL HAVE TO TAKE UP THE ISSUE AFRESH ALL OVER AGAIN.
WE, THEREFORE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THE REVISED BILL IS INTRODUCED IN THE PARLIAMENT AND ENACTED AS A PRIORITY IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET SESSION OF THE PARLIAMENT (BUDGET SESSION OF 2009).
To help us get the Bill enacted please sign this petition. Please forward this email to all NRIs you know. (The petition is on http://www.petitiononline.com/VOTENRI/petition.html)
Looking forward to full hearted support from you,
Yours sincerely,
Tanushree
contactus@indiagoes2vote.com (http://www.indiagoes2vote.com/)
PS: The bill can be found on
These individuals, however, are in the position of power because of our choice - either an explicit choice expressed by our vote or an implicit choice in the absence of our vote. It is thus up to each one of us to ensure that we exercise our franchise and weed out the non performing social servants from our houses of power.
For those amongst us who believe that one vote does not count I would like to highlight the following: In the last Karnataka Assembly elections, in 119-Santhemarahalli Assembly, the winning margin was ONLY ONE VOTE. Hence EACH VOTE COUNTS.
AT PRESENT THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA DOES NOT ALLOW NRIs TO BE ABLE TO VOTE. HOWEVER, THERE IS A BILL IN THE PARLIAMENT FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS WHICH ADDRESSES THIS VERY POINT. THE REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE (AMENDMENT), 2006 BILL PROPOSES THAT NRIs BE REGISTERED AND PERMITTED TO VOTE. THE TERM OF THE 14th LOK SABHA EXPIRES IN MAY 2009. IF THE AMENDMENTS TO THE REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE ACT ARE NOT ENACTED BEFORE THE EXPIRY OF THE TERM OF THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT, THE INDIAN DIASPORA WILL YET AGAIN BE DEVOID OF ITS RIGHT TO VOTE IN THE GENERAL ELECTIONS OF THE COUNTRY, NOT TO MENTION THAT THE BILL WILL GO INTO SUSPENSION. THE NEW GOVERNMENT AND PARLIAMENT WILL HAVE TO TAKE UP THE ISSUE AFRESH ALL OVER AGAIN.
WE, THEREFORE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THE REVISED BILL IS INTRODUCED IN THE PARLIAMENT AND ENACTED AS A PRIORITY IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET SESSION OF THE PARLIAMENT (BUDGET SESSION OF 2009).
To help us get the Bill enacted please sign this petition. Please forward this email to all NRIs you know. (The petition is on http://www.petitiononline.com/VOTENRI/petition.html)
Looking forward to full hearted support from you,
Yours sincerely,
Tanushree
contactus@indiagoes2vote.com (http://www.indiagoes2vote.com/)
PS: The bill can be found on
and a copy of the Standing Committee's report can be found on
3 comments:
Even I was thinking on the same lines.Great initiative.
Thanks, I would request you to kindly get support behind this so that the Bill can be enacted.
Regards,
Tanushree
Thanks for the information!
Just a little clarification: the Constitution does not exclude NRIs from political rights. As the Standing Committee rightly states:
"Under Article 326 every person who is a citizen of India and
who is not less than eighteen years of age on such date as may be fixed in that behalf by or under any law made
by the appropriate Legislature and is not otherwise disqualified under the Constitution shall be entitled to be
registered as a voter."
It's a question of a simple law, the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Cheers,
D
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