SIR aimed at creating 'savarna Hindu Rashtra', says Parakala Prabhakar
Parakala Prabhakar says the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls targets minorities and marginalised voters and should be opposed fundamentally.
Economist and author Parakala Prabhakar has argued that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which led to the removal of several thousand entries across the country, forms part of a larger effort to reshape India into a "savarna Hindu Rashtra".
Speaking at a brainstorming session titled 'Ban EVM, Reject SIR', organised by the Movement for Retrieving Voter Rights at Periyar Thidal in Chennai, he said the deletions were not merely an administrative exercise. "By deleting these people from political society, the aim is to make India a Hindu Rashtra, a savarna Hindu Rashtra. Please understand that SIR is not just an electoral issue," he said.
Mr. Prabhakar contended that those removed from the rolls were largely Muslims, Christians, minorities, Dalits, Adivasis and other marginalised and voiceless sections. Addressing the argument that these communities still appear on the rolls, he asked whether anyone could claim the current exercise would be the last such revision.
He stressed that the SIR must be opposed at a fundamental level, with that opposition rooted in an understanding of where the process could lead the country. Warning that little time remained to protect democracy, he called on political parties to stay united and mount a strong fight against the revision.
He also urged parties not to contest elections, arguing that participation would only legitimise what he described as a fraud. Reiterating his opposition to Electronic Voting Machines, he said questions about their use remain unanswered, and claimed that the 2024 Lok Sabha mandate was "a stolen mandate".
Political commentator V. Ponraj cited instances of voters being removed from electoral rolls in different parts of the country. "If someone kills some 100 people, we call him a terrorist, what do we call someone who kills the voting rights of several thousand people?" he asked.
Journalist Ayyanathan questioned the revision, arguing that a voter once enrolled should remain on the rolls until death. He contended that the rights of voters had been snatched away and that 13 crore voters were removed due to the SIR, while asserting that paper ballots were essential for democracy.