VWB covered by 'The Hindu'

Last we were interviewed by a journalist of ‘The Hindu’.  Voters without borders appreared in an article on NRI voting in the Election page of ‘The Hindu’

Please read 

http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/01/stories/2009050150021400.htm

Out of sight, out of mind
Amritha Alladi

Allowing non-resident Indians to vote in absentia is too cumbersome – Vayalar Ravi

When Suresh Subramaniam visited the Indian embassy in Muscat to find out how he could vote, he was shocked to find that there was no system to include them in the process of electing their leaders. Living beyond the borders of their country, Indian citizens find that once they are out of sight, they are not given a thought by their government. “There is no procedure available,” says Mr. Subramaniam.

He joins millions of others globally who are ‘disenfranchised’ by India. Non-Resident Indians, unlike the Overseas Citizens of India, retain Indian citizenship as they study or work abroad. However, once they have remained outside India for an extended period, they lose their “ordinary resident” status, as laid down by Section 20 of The Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1950. Their names are deleted from the electoral rolls. Even for citizens on the rolls but abroad during the elections, the Act only permits the use of absentee postal ballots by some categories of people, such as members of the armed forces and bureaucrats stationed overseas.

It’s not that NRIs are prohibited from voting per se, says Vayalar Ravi, Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs. It’s just that the RPA does not allow them to use postal ballots. Plus, allowing them to vote in absentia would prove too cumbersome. “What electoral control can there be?” Mr. Ravi asks. “It’s not possible.” While the NRIs argue that this disenfranchises an estimated 20 million people, Mr. Ravi says the task of collecting ballots of such a magnitude is daunting.

Even the existing absentee voting system is inadequate, according to former Army medical corps doctor Major R.S. Rengan. “The ballot doesn’t come in time and there is no online facility,” he says, “Never once could I vote.” After serving in the Armed and Peace Keeping Forces for 15 years, Dr. Rengan says only since he left service in 2001 has he been able to cast his vote.

But Mr. Gupta says the Election Commission distributes ballots as soon as the list of candidates is finalised, although he admitted that by the time the ballots go through the unit officers, there may be some delay. When the absentee voting system has not worked properly for the Armed forces at India’s borders, can the NRIs expect the logistics for overseas voting to be worked out?

Vetri T.V., a brand manager in Shanghai, suggests using an online absentee ballot. “You send an e-mail to the government and verify your information. They give you a password and it’s very secure.” Others like Uma Mahesh V. in the U.S., says having Indian embassies distribute and collect postal ballots according to the electoral roll will make the process feasible.

J.S. Dattakumar, an accountant in Sharjah, says national security is the issue of primary concern for him. “I want to see some young people who will give importance to national security,” he says. “Allowing NRIs to vote would provide a global perspective, because they have seen how issues are dealt with in other countries.” Mr. Mahesh concedes that allowing NRIs to elect local MLAs is not practical. But electing MPs would at least help them have a voice in the Lok Sabha. The option of having a “virtual NRI constituency” has also been suggested by some people.

Remittances sent by NRIs is more than $25 billion, generating about 3 per cent of India’s GDP, according to Shivakumar Jolad of Voters Without Borders, a group of Indian citizens abroad. “This figure varies widely across States, with Kerala and Punjab topping the list,” Mr. Jalod says. Mr. Srivatsava reveals that NRIs have an online petition, urging Indian officials to include them in the electoral process. Mr. Ravi says he hopes Parliament will move to amend the RPA to address the problem of the NRI voter this year.