95% elderly, PWD deprived of voting right through postal ballots in Assam

GUWAHATI: Pratibandhi Suraksha Sangstha, Assam (PSSA) secretary Nripen Malakar alleged that 95% elderly and disabled people deprived of voting through postal ballots.

He said, despite the Election Commission(EC) has taken special measures to ensure that the elderly and the disabled vote through postal ballots, about 95% people with disabilities in the state are deprived of this facility since the postal ballot process was completed.

He said that the two-phase of the postal ballot process concluded on March 26, although a large number of people with disabilities could not cast their ballots.

"We have 9 lakh people with disabilities but the turnout has come down significantly after the Election Commission took such action," Malakar said.

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According to the state administration, the number of people with disabilities in the previous elections was 130,000.

Since the door-to-door voting on ballot papers was said to have taken place, “we thought that at least this time the turnout would increase, however, nothing such happened,” he added.

People with disabilities in Jorhat, Titabar, Nalbari, Baksa, and Darang in the first and second phases did not get the opportunity to vote.

“We are shocked that even 100 % blind people are not allowed to vote on the ballot paper,” he said.

Moreover, they demanded the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take necessary steps to ensure that persons with disabilities are not deprived of their right to vote like in the first and second rounds.

Otherwise, they would be forced to protest democratically against the commission in the coming days.

Pranab Bezbarua and Nikutin Basumatary, who were present at the press conference, said, " We are around 100 % blind people. Despite the fact we have not received any good response after requesting district elections officials for this facility."

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Therefore, it has become clear that the drums for 100 % voter awareness is being played by the Election Commission have turned into bear music, the added.

He also said that he would be forced to protest democratically against the commission in the coming days. Pranab Bezbaruwa and Nikutin Basumatari, who were present at the press conference, said,

"We have become 100 % blind people and we have not received any good response after requesting district elections for this facility."

Therefore, it has become clear that the Election Commission is playing the drums for 100 % voter awareness by spending crores of rupees, in fact, it has turned into bear music.

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