Port Blair, Jan 25: Along with the rest of the country, the 7th National Voters’ Day was celebrated in these Islands too today. To celebrate the occasion, a function was organized in the auditorium of the JNRM here this morning. The Lt Governor, A&N Islands, Prof Jagdish Mukhi was the chief guest on this occasion. He administered the National Voters’ Day pledge to the people present in the auditorium and handed over Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC), to some of the newly enrolled voters on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, the Lt Governor said, this day marks the foundation day of the Election Commission of India on 25th January, 1950, and is an important day as on this day the people of the country reiterate their belief in our democracy. “We are proud of our vibrant democracy and reaffirm our commitment to follow the democratic path”, he said.
The celebration of this Day is a new and unique initiative of the Election Commission to involve the voters and motivate them, especially the youth, to vote. Observing this Day in colleges brings awareness about the duties of citizens as a voter and encourages youth to register as voters, he observed.
Referring to this year’s theme, ‘Empowering of young & future voters’, the Lt Governor said, participation of youth in electoral process is the key for a healthy democracy. “Our country is the world’s largest functional democracy and the success of democracy lies on the fruitful political participation of population; and one of the effective ways of participation is voting”, he said.
The Lt Governor said, elections play a crucial role in developing and strengthening democratic set up and through the conduct of free, fair and participative elections, our democracy has become one of the most vibrant in the world. “The Voter is the central actor in any democratic election” he said, also appreciating the Election Department for making the process of enrolment easier and convenient. The electoral roll of this UT has been purified and made error free by the Election Department, the Lt Governor commented adding that during the General Elections to Lok Sabha, in 2014, there was an average voters’ turn out of 70.71percent in A&N Islands Parliamentary Constituency. Of which, 82.65 percent was highest polling in Car Nicobar Tehsil. “This is very healthy as compared to rest of the country and speaks well of the democratic Institutions here”, he said.
The Lt Governor, while acknowledging that the roots of democracy are very deep in our country and our brothers in rural areas are very much aware of their rights in a democracy and are capable of making appropriate decisions, reminded the gathering about how the people voted for change soon after emergency in India.
The Lt Governor also urged everyone to take conscious steps to make democracy really meaningful, successful, vibrant and strong. He stressed the need for spreading awareness among the people of India so as to make them more responsible, disciplined besides encouraging them to actively participate in the democratic process which is the essence of democracy. He called upon the people, especially youth, to exercise their franchise with pride in every election. Through increased participation, the electoral process and democracy in India will continue to grow in strength and vibrancy.
The Lt Governor also felicitated Booth Level Officers, Shri Subhash Mandal, (Port Blair Tehsil) and Smti Urvasini Bala (Ferrargunj Tehsil), for their performances, with certificates and cash awards. The winners of essay writing contests were also awarded by the chief guest.
Earlier, welcoming the gathering, the Chief Electoral Officer, A&N Islands, Shri Udit Prakash Rai, informed about the significance of the day. In the last 66 years, our democracy and election process has evolved and elections today have become transparent, giving level playing field to all people and political parties, he said. Shri Rai also informed that in A&N Islands, Electoral Rolls have been revised and published. The number of polling booths has gone up from earlier 386 to 401 now, with 2.78 lakh total voters.
The students of JNRM also presented a cultural programme on the occasion.
