Congress is not putting up an effective Opposition to ECI SIR, says activist Mavalli Shankar

“Congress is not putting up an effective Opposition to Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. There is an urgent need for a people’s movement to demand its cancellation,” Mavalli Shankar, Dalit Sangharsha Samiti leader, and thinker said in Hubballi on Sunday (May 17, 2026).

Speaking from the Naragund-Navalagund Raitha Bandaya Vedike at the May Sahitya Mela, Mr. Shankar said that it is time to build a people’s movement around the issue. “There is no doubt left in our minds that SIR is an anti-people, anti-poor exercise. The agitation against SIR cannot be left to any political party. It seems only a people’s movements can shoulder this responsibility. We need to make the common people understand the conspiracy behind SIR. It is a dangerous exercise that has the potential to destroy Indian democracy by undermining the principle of ‘One person one vote’,“ Mr. Shankar said.

“The Prime Minister has installed the Sengol on one side of the Speaker’s seat in the Parliament and there is a copy of the Constitution on the other side. We should ponder over this. What does the Sengol represent and what does the Constitution represent? It is a clear indication that religious symbols are over riding on our constitutional system. We need to spread awareness among the people on their choices. They should be educated about which of the two to choose- Sengol or the Constitution?,’’ Mr. Shankar said.

Later, a resolution was unanimously adapted at the Mela to oppose ECI SIR and demand its cancellation. The resolution was moved by writer K. Phaniraj.

“A systematic strategy has been devised through SIR to exclude specific categories of eligible voters from the electoral rolls. A large-scale public movement should be formed with students, women, youth and deprived classes. We need to demand abolition of the unconstitutional SIR,’’ Prof. Phaniraj said.

CPI State Secretary K. Prakash said that the ECI had made it increasingly difficult for the poor and marginalised to enter and maintain their names in the electoral rolls.

“It is true that the Election Commission has been conducting SIR since 2002 and claiming that it was a natural process. If that was the case, what was the need for SIR? What is the Constitutionality of the whole process? The ECI is not giving proper answers to such questions. However, we have strong suspicion that the SIR is aimed at excluding the poor and marginalised, women and minorities. This is nothing but an attempt to exclude about 10 crore voters in the 16 election going States. But the ECI has not clarified our doubts. It has failed to provide a foolproof system to ensure that those the deleted voters are included again. ECI has released a list of 11 documents, that are extremely difficult for the poor and marginalised to obtain. Those who do not agree with the Constitution of India, the Republic, secularism, and the basic principles of the Constitution are implementing such initiatives. It is impossible to accept it’’, he said.

Activist Noor Sridhar said that the consequences of SIR in Bihar and West Bengal were for everyone to see and that it was the responsibility of everyone to ensure it isn’t repeated in other States. The only way towards that was to abolish ECI SIR. The people of Karnataka should be aware of this. Awareness should be created through a pan Karnataka anti-SIR agitation. Activist Sati Sundaresh said that the anti-SIR movement should be taken to every polling booth level. Resource persons S. S. Harlapura, Babajan Mudhol, Chandrashekhar Gorebal and others were present.