Electoral Democracy- Opposing Forces
The village revolutionary vigilance committe's members went on the campaigning of negative voting to send a strong signal to the politicians and political parties, that they can't take them for granted for any more
Team Nishan volunteers on campaigning for Negative voters on 7th May 2009
Voting in Bairsal village was interrupted yesterday following a dispute between local police and negative voters. Misinformed police officers rejected a group of young village men attempting to caste negative votes. Local constituent Garvinder Singh reported police efforts to force his vote, instructing him that negative voting was not a legally valid option. The Village Revolutionary Vigilance 
Committee confronted the police with the proper provisions legitimising negative voting. Following consultations with superior officers, Bairsal voters were allowed to cast their votes. Section 49.0 of Electorial Rules 1961 envisages that any voter who doesn’t want to cast his vote or cast a negative vote must appear before the presiding officer of the polling booth, identify himself and make his endorsement. 
Gurinder Singh, leader of the Village Revolutionary Vigilance Committee, photographed the paper given to the presiding officer identifying the 22 of negative voters in the village. “Politicians never ask or bother about us” stated fellow committee member Harinder Singh. “Today the village had electricity for the entire day (because of the election), tomorrow there will be none again”. The committee agreed unanimously that ignorance towards their village needs and government and police corruption fuelled their votes. “This is just a trailer for the whole movie” said Sahab Singh, who wants to encourage all of his village to join the negative voting movement in the following elections until corruption is abolished and the village needs are met.
Justice Agrawal from the Supreme Court stated that “They [senior officials] don’t apply their mind, rather they don’t have a mind. They don’t have guts to differ with the opinion of the clerks.” The situation yesterday in Bairsal village endorsed this statement. Police ignorance and village complacency can lead to forced voting and a misunderstanding of voters rights. In the world’s largest democracy, the will of the people needs to be heard and these mistakes made by law enforcers must be amended.
------------------------------------------------------------------
Press Coverage
