Bengaluru, Sep 11 (IANS):Karnataka Rajyotsava Award recipient and senior NRI community member Mohamad Meeran Saheb has urged the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka to provide a one-year window for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to complete voter list verification and submit the required documents.
In a representation to the CEO, Meeran, who has been residing in Dubai since 1974, said several young NRIs, particularly from Udupi and Karwar districts, had approached him seeking guidance after their names were deleted from or kept under objection in the electoral rolls.
Meeran said some NRIs had already contacted Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in their respective areas and were reportedly advised to travel to India before September 20 and produce additional documents and proofs relating to their citizenship and other particulars.
While acknowledging the need to maintain accurate electoral rolls and comply with Election Commission requirements, he said NRIs, who had lived abroad for several decades, faced practical difficulties in producing old documents at short notice.
“Many NRIs have been living outside India for several decades. During this long period, they may not have retained, or may no longer have easy access to, some of the old documents now being requested by the authorities,” he said in the representation.
He pointed out that several NRIs had recently returned to their countries of residence after summer holidays in India, while others were living with their families and school-going children.
Travelling to India at short notice would also involve considerable expenditure, he said.
Meeran also cited the difficulties posed by the present geopolitical situation and said some NRIs might only be able to travel during the winter holidays in December, while others might have to wait until their annual leave in June or July next year.
He proposed that NRIs whose names had been deleted, kept under objection, or whose electoral particulars required verification should be given at least one year to complete the process.
Instead of requiring them to appear in India before September 20, he suggested they be allowed to submit an initial application or representation online through the appropriate Election Commission or BLO mechanism and upload the documents currently available with them for preliminary verification.
He further suggested that authorities provide NRIs with a clear list of additional documents or deficiencies, allowing them to personally appear before the concerned BLO or election authority during their next visit to India within one year.
Meeran also requested the authorities to explore, wherever legally and administratively permissible, verification through Indian Missions and Consulates abroad or other authorised mechanisms.
He stressed that no genuine eligible voter should be permanently deprived of an opportunity to restore their name merely because they could not travel to India within a few weeks.
“The objective should remain the same: to maintain a genuine, accurate and legally compliant electoral roll while ensuring that eligible citizens are given a fair and practical opportunity to establish their identity, citizenship and eligibility,” he said.
Meeran said providing a one-year facilitation and verification window would help thousands of NRIs from Karnataka and other parts of India complete the required formalities during their normal annual leave without undue hardship.
Meeran, the trustee of Green Valley Institute, has contributed enormously to the development of Shiroor by providing services such as ambulances and garbage trucks to the city.
He has also helped several Indians to relocate back home from the UAE during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. He also facilitated several Indians to fly back.
