Full use of latest and most sophisticated information technology in monitoring polling in J&K will lend extraordinary credibility to the system this time. It appears that the Election Commission of India has made deep and comprehensive study of polling process in the State taking into account a number of factors that interplay in the process. Assembly elections in the State have great importance for more than one reason. First of all, the ECI wants to make sure that the election is free and fair in literal sense. International media takes special interest in Kashmir elections and keeps strict watch on the ground situation. Its reportage carries weight with international opinion. Therefore, the Election Commission would want to make it certain that polling is fair, free and without intimidation. No chance has to be given to anybody for even the smallest complaint. Secondly, as we know J&K is a hilly region and polling will take place at the height of winter season. It is apprehended that owing to inclement weather conditions, polling may meet with odds at many places especially in the mountainous regions of Ladakh, Kargil, Gurez, Pir Panchal, Banihal, Reasi, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar etc. Thirdly, security arrangements need to be streamlined so that disruptive forces hatching nefarious designs against the State get no chance of doing any mischief. Deployment of security forces for the conduct of fair and free polling is of great concern to the ECI.
In view of this situation, the ECI has established a special monitoring cell in New Delhi where all latest gadgets of information are provided to monitor each and every single move of polling staff right from the time of their departure for the polling stations to the end of the polling and movement of polling equipment to the safe rooms in the district headquarters. There are more than 10,000 polling stations in the State, around 55,000 officials as members of polling parties and around 1, 35,000 security forces personnel would be deployed and movement of all these parties will be tracked by ECI on real time basis and also placing the same on geographic map of the areas in Assembly segments to ascertain the situation. Polling officers are directed to remain in contact with the ECI through SMSs on every step taken right from their arrival at the polling station, mock trial, status of polling, opening of the polling booth, the queues of voters still waiting to cast their vote after the closing time of the booth and then collection of the ballot boxes and their despatch under escort to District headquarter. Even the return journey of the polling staff along with ballot boxes back to the District headquarters will be monitored so that they do not halt midway for one or the other reason. At the same time, the ECI has obtained commitment from district transport authorities to provide transport facility to the staff making it sure that no problem is encountered by them in discharge of their duty. ECI has also taken into account a situation in which if some obstruction owing to natural or man-made reason surfaces, how it has to be tackled.
The full report on new measures of digitalizing introduced by the ECI into the polling in J&K for the first time, and which have appeared in the print media, is worth reading. It explains how the Election Commission has drastically updated the complicated task of conducting fair and free election in the country as a whole but in sensitive regions like J&K in particular. ECI will be monitoring each and every step of polling in J&K and in all cases where need arises, it will be issuing instructions to the concerned. Personal details of polling staff engaged for each constituency has been documented and will be available to the ECI at any time along with the geographical map of the location under discussion.
Historians and political commentators in our country will note that India has moved many steps forward in streamlining its election process in terms of security, credibility, efficiency and sense of responsibility. This augurs well for our democracy. We shall have to appreciate the vision and understanding of the Election Commission of India to make comprehensive arrangements for making Indian democracy not only meaningful but also prestigious. It is the duty of all eligible voters to come out and cast their vote so as to make our democracy viable and vibrant. Interestingly, the Apex Court has also given the voters the right of casting no vote for any candidate if none of them is up to their expectation. The main purpose is that the State wants to know the trend of the civil society in regard to governance. This is how democratic process can be strengthened by providing opportunity to the citizens to give free expression to their opinion.
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