On Wed, Nov 26, 2008 at 10:58 AM, Ramakrishnan Sundaram <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > 2008/11/26 Srini Ramakrishnan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > >> The voters who matter are being systematically disenfranchised. How >> many in Silk have voted ever? In the recent past? >> >> Registering to vote, and then exercising it is such a huge effort that >> most people who are gainfully employed, educated and busy are just >> unable to get their vote. > > I tried, recently. Turns out that to register in Gurgaon, where I > live, I need to produce _two_ proofs of address. The only thing I can > produce is a telephone bill. My (court registered) house lease is not > acceptable, deems the bureaucrat in charge. My passport has the > address of a house I rented in Bangalore between 1999 and 2001, after > which I have changed residence within India three times and once > outside. I simply have no way of proving, to the bureaucrat's > satisfaction, that I actually live in Gurgaon. > > And so I can't vote. > > Exactly the same situation as you.
In contrast, 2-3 months before the last assembly election (ie state legislature), some bloke came by my flat and asked how many adults lived there. My wife told him and we were duly enfranchised. I carried my passport when I went to vote and did so without incident. Total effort expended: 1 hour, half of which was spent figuring out which polling station to go to. I guess if you pretend you don't actually want to vote it'll be easier. -- b
