NEW DELHI: Thousands who gathered at Ramlila Maidan for the INDIA bloc’s rally against alleged electoral irregularities linked the fight to protect voting rights with concerns over unemployment, women’s safety, education and representation of marginalised communities. People joined for reasons beyond the SIR of electoral rolls.
“If the names of crores of eligible voters have been deleted from electoral rolls, does that mean all these people are illegal immigrants? Are they not citizens of India whose right to vote must be protected?” asked Karuna Kurrey, a member of Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress.
Manju Tirki, from a village in Jharkhand, said discrepancies in her documents had complicated her eligibility to vote. “We are not educated; we do not understand English. Nobody listens to us,” she said.
Young protesters said political indifference had strained friendships. “We have lost friends over this. We have tried to persuade people around us to vote and take an interest in what is happening, but many simply do not care,” said a 19-year-old from Bihar.
Students from Kerala raised concerns over education and employment. Rubi, a 22-year-old Jamia student, said education must translate into meaningful opportunities for young people. Transgender activist Simran Sharma, 29, highlighted the declining representation of transgender voters in Delhi.