From mpisgplanner at yahoo.com Thu May 6 00:28:00 2004 From: mpisgplanner at yahoo.com (Gita Dewan Verma) Date: Sat Dec 4 15:38:54 2004 Subject: Right to responsibly refuse to vote Message-ID: <20040506052800.82320.qmail@web42006.mail.yahoo.com> For an elector who decides not to vote, Chapter XX in Handbook for Presiding Officers on Election Commission website says he shall not be compelled, the remark 'Refused to Vote' shall be entered against his name with signature of Presiding Officer, and the elector's signature or thumb impression shall be obtained against the remark. It appears we do have, individually, the right to responsibly not vote and, collectively, the right – or at least opportunity – to know how many exercised it. On account of NGO demands and PIL and EC proposal for none-of-the-above, I had the impression that such an option was not available. Following references to some Forms in media this week I went yesterday to check at EC, where Legal Secretary confirmed what is on the website. >From today we will be requesting EC to inform all voters in this regard through media. Letter of yesterday about this is at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mpisgmedia/message/83 This much is for information of all, please do circulate widely. --- The following is for information of those bothered by the growing trend of wilful schemes and wilful evictions in the city and its increasing importance, even determinism, in elections. Through the tenure of 13th Lok Sabha many have been seeking lawful planned development of Delhi and opposing illegal schemes (and illegal evictions for illegal schemes) that are environmentally and institutionally unsustainable, besides infringing settled legal entitlements (not vague human rights) of those directly affected. In municipal elections some of us tried to draw attention to this concern by fielding a proxy candidate to seek a vote for planned development. A few of us have now decided to use our right to refuse to vote to the same end, since illegal development in the likeness of patently myopic world class paradigms seem central to all election campaigns. It is not so much a none-of-the-above message that we seek to convey to candidates as an all-of-the-above-one to all parties and independent ideologies. We will draw up a detailed statement to all members of 14th Lok Sabha later about our concerns, illustrated by three recent engagements against unlawful schemes that have a bearing on the present election. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mpisgmedia/message/85 DERC order of 26.03.04 allowing private Discoms to recover 100 crores for development already done while covering up the larger scam by contractors affects all electricity consumers as well as the election... http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mpisgmedia/message/84 After unlawful dispossession for unlawful riverbed development, proposed Pushta polling plans, reported on 03.05.04 with statements of expectation of violence, are most worrying... http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eebill/message/28 Developments following recent court orders about free seats in schools are drifting from its legal context of common school system in ways that aggrieve all students and parents while abetting class conflicts in the same ways as in the above… Today and tomorrow a few of us will be at EC and a few of us with others who have been synergising on the above. On the weekend we might meet to decide polling day plans. Tentatively, we plan to 'refuse to vote' at our respective booths and then meet at a central place in Delhi. If inclined to do the same or similar, please mail mpisgplanner@yahoo.com so we can synergize. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Win a $20,000 Career Makeover at Yahoo! HotJobs http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/careermakeover From mpisgplanner at yahoo.com Thu May 6 10:05:12 2004 From: mpisgplanner at yahoo.com (Gita Dewan Verma) Date: Sat Dec 4 15:38:54 2004 Subject: Right to responsibly refuse to vote - ask for EC public statement Message-ID: <20040506150512.39365.qmail@web42004.mail.yahoo.com> In continuation of, please see, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mpisgmedia/message/86 The request for a public clarification of procedure for refusing to vote was formally made to EC today. (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mpisgmedia/message/87) Both officials spoken to have said they will consider it urgently. More people plan to ask tomorrow, translated text of one of the letters is below. We think it might help for more or media to ask. Please ask tomorrow. Nirvachan Sadan, Ashoka Road. Letters are efficiently received, reception staff is helpful, officials are accessible on phone from there and there is media outside. There are still three days before the poll. Please circulate this. --translated text of request some will make tomorrow-- On 05.05.04 Deputy Election Commissioner was quoted in news reports saying that voters can 'discard' their vote by using Form-17A. In February Chief Election Commissioner was quoted in media about EC proposal to include 'none of these' in EVMs. We wish neither to 'discard' our vote nor to 'reject' all candidates. We wish only to use our right to refuse to vote to draw the attention of 'all of these' to issues we have been raising for long and believe should be on the political agenda. We request immediate public clarification of procedures for this so there is no confusion at the polling booths and we and others who wish to can 'refuse to vote' as unobtrusively as possible. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Win a $20,000 Career Makeover at Yahoo! HotJobs http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/careermakeover From mpisgplanner at yahoo.com Fri May 7 09:57:39 2004 From: mpisgplanner at yahoo.com (Gita Dewan Verma) Date: Sat Dec 4 15:38:54 2004 Subject: Right to responsibly refuse to vote – simple, please forward Message-ID: <20040507145739.14979.qmail@web42007.mail.yahoo.com> Citizens from a dozen places in Delhi were at EC today to seek clarification / public statement about procedure to refuse to vote. It is not clear if EC will issue a statement, but the procedure is clear. There are no forms to be filled, no letters to be written, no demands needed. Just go to the polling booth as usual, get identified as usual, get the ink mark as usual and go to sign the register as usual. Then instead of signing and going to the EVM tell the official you wish to refuse to vote and that remark will be recorded against your name, the officer will sign and then you sign and come out. Simple. Please forward. Form 17A being referred to in media is nothing but the register of voters, which all voters sign at the booth. To suggest to voters to fill Form 17A sounds to me like a suggestion to capture the booth. We think this none-of-the-above business needs to stop. This *demand* makes no sense since a more expansive right to refuse to vote exists. Not only do have no basis to reject all candidates since media tells us nothing about any except major players, this rejection amounts to saying our democracy is incapable of throwing up candidates worthy of representing us and, by extension, that we are unworthy of democracy. The letters submitted to EC today capture this concern, see: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mpisgmedia/message/89 On Monday we plan to refuse-to-vote at our respective booths and then gather at a central place – someone suggested Rajghat today – to compare notes and decide how to take this further. Please mail to mpisgplanner@yahoo.com if inclined to synergize. PS. On Pushta, reports of polling arrangements for which led to all this as far as I am concerned, EC is likely to bring out a public notice. I have made today a formal request to be included among observers (law and procedures permitting) on grounds of previous representations, continuing documentation, etc. --- In continuation of: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mpisgmedia/message/86 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mpisgmedia/message/88 __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Win a $20,000 Career Makeover at Yahoo! HotJobs http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/careermakeover From mpisgplanner at yahoo.com Fri May 7 10:03:34 2004 From: mpisgplanner at yahoo.com (Gita Dewan Verma) Date: Sat Dec 4 15:38:54 2004 Subject: [redevelopment] Right to responsibly refuse to vote – simple, please forward In-Reply-To: <20040507145739.14979.qmail@web42007.mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <20040507150334.82459.qmail@web42005.mail.yahoo.com> --- Gita Dewan Verma wrote: > Citizens from a dozen places in Delhi were at EC > today > to seek clarification / public statement about > procedure to refuse to vote. It is not clear if EC > will issue a statement, but the procedure is clear. > > There are no forms to be filled, no letters to be > written, no demands needed. Just go to the polling > booth as usual, get identified as usual, get the ink > mark as usual and go to sign the register as usual. > Then instead of signing and going to the EVM tell > the > official you wish to refuse to vote and that remark > will be recorded against your name, the officer will > sign and then you sign and come out. Simple. Please > forward. > > Form 17A being referred to in media is nothing but > the > register of voters, which all voters sign at the > booth. To suggest to voters to fill Form 17A sounds > to > me like a suggestion to capture the booth. > > We think this none-of-the-above business needs to > stop. This *demand* makes no sense since a more > expansive right to refuse to vote exists. Not only > do > have no basis to reject all candidates since media > tells us nothing about any except major players, > this > rejection amounts to saying our democracy is > incapable > of throwing up candidates worthy of representing us > and, by extension, that we are unworthy of > democracy. > The letters submitted to EC today capture this > concern, see: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mpisgmedia/message/89 > > On Monday we plan to refuse-to-vote at our > respective > booths and then gather at a central place – someone > suggested Rajghat today – to compare notes and > decide > how to take this further. Please mail to > mpisgplanner@yahoo.com if inclined to synergize. > > PS. > On Pushta, reports of polling arrangements for which > led to all this as far as I am concerned, EC is > likely > to bring out a public notice. I have made today a > formal request to be included among observers (law > and > procedures permitting) on grounds of previous > representations, continuing documentation, etc. > > --- > In continuation of: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mpisgmedia/message/86 > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mpisgmedia/message/88 > > > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Win a $20,000 Career Makeover at Yahoo! HotJobs > http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/careermakeover > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > redevelopment-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com > > > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Win a $20,000 Career Makeover at Yahoo! HotJobs http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/careermakeover