Kohima, August 26 (MExN): The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has welcomed the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Nagaland, while calling for a transparent and inclusive exercise that protects eligible voters from wrongful exclusion.
In a statement issued by Dr Villo Naleo, Secretary, Social Concern, NBCC on August 26, it said the integrity of an electoral roll should be measured not only by the removal of ineligible names but also by whether every eligible citizen is protected from wrongful deletion.
It said Nagaland's distinctive history of village-based communities, customary institutions, clan relationships and traditional landholding meant that many families may possess records that do not fit neatly into modern bureaucratic categories. A rigid documentation-based approach could therefore disadvantage genuine indigenous voters, it said.
The NBCC also pointed out that many residents study, work, serve in government or live temporarily outside their native villages, while others move to Dimapur, Kohima and other urban areas. Determining whether a person has shifted residence, is temporarily absent or remains ordinarily resident can be complicated, it said, adding that incorrect classification could result in the deletion of genuine voters.
"A democracy is not strengthened when questionable names remain on the roll; neither is it strengthened when genuine citizens lose their names from it," the council said.
It said the true test of the SIR should not simply be how efficiently names are removed, but how faithfully every legitimate citizen is protected. While a technically accurate electoral roll is necessary, democracy also involves participation, conscience, equality, accountability and justice, it added.
The NBCC noted that SIR is a large-scale exercise involving mapping, house-to-house verification, data entry, claims and objections. While speed is important, accuracy should take precedence over deadlines, as excessive pressure on field-level officials could increase errors in enumeration and verification, it said.
The council also cautioned against rumours and urged that bureaucratic indifference should not become a barrier for citizens seeking assistance.
The NBCC made four specific appeals
First, it called upon the administrative machinery to take a proactive role in the process, cautioning that electoral irregularities could range from technical administrative mistakes to deliberate voter suppression and fraud. It said actively supporting or institutionalising such practices would violate citizens' constitutional rights.
Second, it appealed to Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and village authorities to play their role in maintaining clean and honest electoral rolls in every constituency. It said they had been entrusted with an important responsibility to ensure clean politics.
Third, the council called upon Christian families not to include the names of deceased or otherwise ineligible persons on electoral rolls. It urged families to choose "truth over manipulation, righteousness over expediency, and conscience over political gain", describing the cleansing of electoral rolls as an act of moral responsibility before God and the people. It cited Proverbs 16:8: "Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues with injustice."
Fourth, it urged every voter to remain vigilant in safeguarding against wrongful deletion, exclusion, intimidation or manipulation. The right to vote, it said, is not a favour granted by those in power but a fundamental expression of citizenship and democratic participation. Every eligible voter has the right and responsibility to ensure that their name remains on the electoral roll and that their eligibility is established through a fair and lawful process.
The NBCC appealed that the intensive revision should not become an "intensive exclusion", stressing that Nagaland's unique context, including questions of identity, indigenous rights, migration and historical records, requires the process to be careful, inclusive, transparent, non-discriminatory and rights-protective.
