Mangalore: 'Citizen Awareness Must for Civic Progress' - Dr Meenakshi Bharath

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (MB)

Mangalore, Sep 25:  A presentation by Dr Meenakshi Bharath of Bangalore on ‘Participative Democracy – Citizens' Role in Elections & Thereafter….’ was held in the auditorium of the School of Social Work, Roshni Nilaya, Valencia here on Wednesday, September 26.

Dr Meenakshi runs her clinic – CART - "Centre for Assisted Reproductive Techniques" in Bangalore, where she provides fertility treatment. But she always makes time for engagement with civic issues around her, especially her passion for enthusing urban citizens to participate in the electoral process.

As secretary of the Resident Welfare Association - Malleswaram Swabhimaana Initiative, she is involved in governance issues in her ward.

The presentation was organized by the Citizens' Forum for Mangalore Development (CFMD). Dr Meenakshi began with the theme 'Vote Mangalore', since the city is scheduled to go to local body polls on Friday, September 28.

The salient points driven home by Dr Meenakshi were:

• It is a citizen's duty to vote
• If we don't vote, we don't have the right to grumble for another five years
• We may have to only suffer in silence thereafter

She further dwelt on the need to vote, with a twin approach of opting for issue-based and not vote-bank politics, and cleaning the electoral system and processes, the latter being a long-term exercise.

She stressed on the 'No vote, no voice' prospect and cited the usual reasons for citizens' not going to vote.

1. Name not included in the voters' list
2. Name missing from the list
3. Presumption that one's vote would not matter
4. Do not have the time to vote
5. No candidate worthy of one's vote

The citizen awareness also entails the following:

1. Are you sure your name appears on the voters' list?
2. If not, now is the time and not on the election day
3. Possession of a voter ID (EPIC) does not ensure you can vote

Other aspects of the polls that Dr Meenakshi drew the audience's attention to were that voters' lists go through an intensive revision every five years and a summary revision every year. It is every citizens' duty to ensure that his/her name appears in the list. Making use of Form 6, one's name can be included and Form 7 is to be submitted for deletion. She said it was a sad thing that people give so much of priority to a gas connection, while inclusion of one's name in the voters' list is also of equal importance.

If the voters think that there is no candidate worthy of getting elected, nevertheless, they should go to vote so that other cannot impersonate and cast votes in place of genuine voters.

What voters are not aware of is a provision and right of a voter to mark '49-O' on the counterfoil and the ballot paper before signing in acknowledgement of having received the ballot paper, which indicates that he/she has no choice. The '49-O' entry represents the voters' showing no choice, as allowed under Section 49- O the People's Representation Act, Conduct of Elections 1961. (The Section in question is 49 - O, i.e. numeral 49 followed by the alphabet 'O' and not the cipher.)

Elaborating further on the need to vote, Dr Meenakshi said that by voting the voter makes the choice of a leader and "by not voting we abdicate our responsibility of making the decision to someone else. Our vote can make the difference," she emphasized. Each voter can make a difference by ensuring that more people go to vote and enthuse one's relatives, friends and neighbours too to vote.

Citizens should get involved in the process as it is everyone's duty, as progress will be under our purview and works can be prioritized by working with the corporators and MCC officials, she stressed.

The voter's aim should be to vote and engage and not vote and forget. An ideal citizen initiative would be to form booth-level committees in each ward, identify development needed in the ward, prioritize ward work and engage the elected representatives.

Mandate

• Holding monthly meetings with elected representatives
• Ensure that the elected representative is available for contact every day
• Representatives should consult the voters on relevant matters

How one can make a difference

• Involving in developmental work
• Ensuring accuracy in the voters' list
• Quality assurance in works undertaken

Dr Meenakshi cited examples of cities like Bangalore and Mumbai where the initiatives of the aforementioned kind have worked well and things have improved considerably. She wished that in a growing city like Mangalore, known for its intelligent people, these steps would be taken and its fruits would be reaped.

In conclusion, she said the responsibility of the voter continues, post-poll. Setting ward vision, fixing the priorities, supervising works and ensuring transparency in public life were the hallmark of good citizenry, she added.

The presentation was followed by an interesting question-and-answer session. Corporate head of the Nitte group, N Vinay Hegde, who was among the audience and was asked to speak, said that for the dishonesty of the elected representatives, the dishonesty of the voters was also responsible. The choice of a candidate while voting should be ruled by quality, and not based on factors like the person being one's friend, neighbour and the like. 

Earlier, Vidya Dinker, coordinator of the CFMD, gave the introductory remarks, with a stress on the haphazard development of the city. Preetam introducted Dr Meenakshi Bharath, the guest speaker.