Kamal Haasan Sounds Alarm Over Electoral Roll Revision in Tamil Nadu
In his maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha, actor and parliamentarian Kamal Haasan expressed grave concerns on Wednesday about the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Tamil Nadu. The veteran actor-turned-politician warned that approximately 1 crore electors in the state could potentially be declared as "living dead" on paper due to this process.
The "Spell-Check Story of the Living Dead"
Speaking during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address, Haasan drew parallels with the situation in Bihar, where the SIR of electoral rolls commenced in June last year. "My imminent concerns are the forthcoming elections...I call it the spell-check story of the living dead," he stated emphatically.
The actor-politician elaborated that while citizens simply want to exercise their fundamental right to vote, election commissions are scrutinizing their eligibility through what he described as "erroneous" methods. "We want to cast our votes and commissions are checking our right to vote. They are checking the spellings and addresses, and that too erroneously," Haasan remarked.
Technical Discrepancies Creating Voter Exclusion
Haasan was specifically referring to the Election Commission's utilization of a centralized software system that generates notices to electors based on five categories of "logical discrepancies" identified in their documentation. One such category includes spelling mismatches in voter records.
"We just want to cast our vote. Spelling mistakes are a curse only for languages. Modern literature forgives these in favour of content, as does the internet. The Election Commission obviously does not. EC does not mean English coaches," Haasan pointed out with characteristic wit.
Warning Against Nationwide Spread
The Makkal Needhi Maiam founder expressed apprehension that the situation witnessed in Bihar might replicate across India. "As it is, Bihar has become a land of many living dead. We don't want this disease to spread across the country...EC is surely facilitating the spread of this disease," he cautioned.
Haasan specifically highlighted the potential impact on Tamil Nadu, stating, "We fear that there could soon be nearly 1 crore living dead on paper in Tamil Nadu." He urgently appealed to the House to take immediate action, while affirming his faith in India's democratic resilience: "the juggernaut called democratic India will roll on."
Electoral Roll Statistics and Timeline
The draft electoral roll published in December revealed significant voter deletions in Tamil Nadu:
- 97 lakh electors marked as deceased
- Voters identified as shifted/absent or registered elsewhere
- An additional 1.70 crore electors flagged for notices
The final electoral roll is scheduled for publication on February 14, with Assembly elections anticipated to follow shortly thereafter.
Other Parliamentary Perspectives
During the same parliamentary discussion, former Prime Minister and Rajya Sabha MP HD Deve Gowda offered a contrasting viewpoint. He suggested that while the Opposition has questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "silence" on various issues, this very silence possesses the power to achieve significant accomplishments, citing the Indo-EU and Indo-US trade agreements as examples.
Gowda asserted that had the government compromised on agricultural and dairy sector interests, he would have been among the first to approach the Prime Minister. The JD(S) chief concluded his address by advocating for solutions to Karnataka's drinking water challenges.
