Empowering Dalits &

Adivasi Voters

N
D
E
W

Access to Democratic
Rights & Promoting
Democratic Reforms
Dr. V.A.
Rameshnathan,
General Secretary
NDMJ-NCDHR & NDEW

Best Practices: National Election

Commission
(NEC)
1. NEC in its electoral guidelines, press releases and
notifications mentions the articles of SCs and STs
(PoA) Act, 1989
2. NEC keeps vigilant from the time the code of
conduct is imposed.
3. Reservation to SC & ST in the house of people vide
provision contained in Article 330 of the Constitution of
India read with Section 3 of the R. P. Act, 1950 is given.
4. Vulnerability mapping and identification of critical
booths and critical clusters done by the DEO/SP and
finalize and list of critical polling stations and critical
clusters

Towards Contextualization
Dalit and Adivasis are deliberately made POWERLESS
VIOLENCE

COMMUNALIS
M

POWE
R

ATROCITIES

DISCRIMINATI
ON

How does caste operate in Indian Democracy?

Denial of access to Right of franchise
PMK Cadres marked the forefingers of the Dalits voters with the indelible ink, took
photographs and sent them away without casting their votes. (TN)
Willfully omission of Dalit voters from the voters lists (Sarnath UP; East Champaran-BH)
Discrimination in accessing Right to vote
Polling booths situated 10kms away from the voters village (Chandraprabha UP)
Polling booths put up in the dominant caste location (Bihar)
Restrictions in behavior
Negative personal comments (Mayawati was said to be not contesting the election
among Dalit communities)
Violence as backlash on assertion of the democratic rights
Mr Mundhe (Adivasi activist) murdered for campaigning for BJP (earlier worked for NCP)
Dhaka (Bihar) in order to threaten dalit voters, an attempt to murder of a Dalit destroying
his house by dominants (FIR is registered)

Election Reforms Discourse:

Missing
Inclusion
The deliberations centered around
1.Various options for voting systems
2.Institutionalization of Political Parties - Need for a comprehensive legislation
to regulate party activities Problems of Party Funding
3.Steps to check criminalization of political parties, bribery, coercion, and
conflicts of interest
4.Review of present voter and contestant eligibility and vote counting
procedures; Nomination procedures of candidates; Electoral constituencies;
Ballot design and voting equipment
5.Measures against Financing of candidates and referendum campaigns
6.Caste based fragmentation of political parties and votes
Not viewed caste as factor of segregation and denial of people for equal
political and electoral rights of a large community

Reasons for Violence against Dalits

Dalit candidates
Candidature of assertive Dalit
leaders who have the potential of
working independently of the
diktats of the dominant castes
Putting up Dalit candidates in
reserved seats, who may not be
the choice of the dominant castes

Dalit voters
Refusal by Dalits to support candidates
of the dominant castes

Dalits developing alliances with

different groups in the village that
might go against the interests of the
dominant castes
Dalits contesting on open/general Exacerbation of pre-existing conflicts
seats
between Dalits and the dominant
castes on issues like land, common
property, government schemes, court
(atrocity) cases etc. during election
time, to create tension and immobilise
the Dalits through threat, intimidation
and violence.

Purpose of National Dalit

Election Watch (NDEW)
Bringing in a measure of fairness to the
overall election process to overcome fear
from the oppressive caste and
communal equations in many areas of
the country which still prevent Dalits,
Adivasis and minorities from exercising
their right of franchise.

National Dalit Election Watch (NDEW)

Goal:
1. To diligently watch the elections in order to identify and report to the
authorities concerned, such impediments to the free and fair
exercise of franchise of Dalit communities, so that they can vote
without fear of threat, intimidation and violence.
2. To mobilize civil society organizations, leaders and activists and
community based volunteers to conduct this diligent watch of the electoral
process so that any violation of this fundamental right is reported and
appropriate preventive punitive and corrective action is enabled.
3. To support the State Agencies and the civil society at large to ensure that
the fundamental, constitutional and democratic rights are enjoyed in a
free and fair manner

National Dalit Election Watch

(NDEW)

Diligently watching the Violence/ Discrimination/

Exclusion/ Atrocities against Dalits and Adivasis
During, Pre and Post Elections
Drafting of Dalit Election Manifesto and submitting
them to the major political parties for inclusion of
Dalit agenda in the party manifestos
Monitoring
election
discrimination

related

violence

and

Making immediate representations of the CBD

perpetrated during the entire electoral process.

National Dalit Election Watch

(NDEW)

Election related violence and discrimination observed

Dalits not allowed to vote by the dominant caste and some

political parties.
Dalits voters names were not included in the voters list (Orissa-in
Raikia block 1000-1500 dalit voters excluded from voters list)
Dalits identity is being challenged & not allowed to vote
Dalits are forced to vote for certain specific political parties or
casting bogus votes in their name.
Intimidations before the elections by dominant caste and are
threatened and forcibly expelled from the election booth.
Dalits not allowed to vote, because the polling booths being
situated in the upper caste area.
And physical attack and caste abuse on Dalits.

Significant 9 different reasons

for not voting

Inadequate civic and voter education /Lack of awareness

Dissatisfaction with their elected leaders who had failed to honour

or fulfill their promises to the electorate
Dissatisfaction with the performance of government and its
leadership
Fear due to threat of possible violence, insecurity and intimidation
at polling place
Some registered voters had their voter ID lost, stolen or misplaced
Missing names and related anomalies in the voter list
Some voters were discouraged by corrupt practices in
nominations and campaigns
Some registered voters did not consider that elections would
make a difference in their lives

How the EW monitoring

different from last Experiences

Paradigm Shift
From a person or party to issues that concerns
for our betterment
From becoming means to making means who
raises voices on our behalf
From greed to perseverance in contribution
(getting money leads to 5 year being looted)
From only the violation of ERs to the violation of
Human Rights

How???
Mass Awareness Generation Program
Posters/ Flyers/ Radio jingles
Meetings at the village or polling station level

Organizing Consultations of CSOs/ CBOs/

Village or Basti leaders
Mobilizing the Volunteers at the booth level
and training them to monitor the elections

MAKING REPRESENTATIONS
1.0
Communication

2.0
Conversation

3.0
Connection

EC/ NHRC/ SC & ST Commissions mandate that denial of the

right to vote is a serious HR violation
Establish Fast track court to exclusively deal with the
election related violence and impose ban or stringent
punishment
Lay down the procedure for registering electoral offences
and instruct clearly how an ordinary elector can lodge

CAPACITY BUILDING TRAINING

PROGRAMMES FOR YOUTH
VOLUNTEERS

Identifying sensitive
polling stations
Mapping whether the
polling stations set up
are accessible to
Dalits and Adivasis
Knitting the net of
youth volunteers

Legal Provisions
THE SCHEDULED CASTES AND THE SCHEDULED TRIBES (PREVENTION OF ATROCITIES) AMENDMENT Bill, 2015
(Passed in Lower House of the Indian Parliament)

Section 3 (i)
(l) forces or intimidates or prevents a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe(A) not to vote or to vote for a particular candidate or to vote in a manner other than that
provided by law;
(B) not to file a nomination as a candidate or to withdraw such nomination; or
(C) not to propose or second the nomination of a member of a Scheduled Caste or a
Scheduled Tribe as a candidate in any election;
(m) forces or intimidates or obstructs a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe, who
is a member or a Chairperson or a holder of any other office of a panchayat under Part IX of the
Constitution or a municipality under Part IX Z of the Constitution from performing their normal
duties and functions;
(n) after the poll, causes hurt or grievous hurt or assault or imposes or threatens to impose
social or economic boycott upon a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe or
prevents from availing benefits of any public service which is due to him;
(o) commits any offence under this Ordinance against a member of a Scheduled Caste or a
Scheduled Tribe for having voted or not having voted for a particular candidate or for having

Campaign Tactics,
Strategies, Approaches
Perspective
Building
Advocacy with
Political Parties

Advocacy
with
Election
Commissi
ons

Existing
Mechanisms
assessment &
Proposals for
improvement

Promote &
Protect
Dalits
political
and
electoral
rights

Media
Advocacy

Coalition of
organization
s working on
Dalit Rights
& Volunteers

Capacity
building &
Awareness

Election
Observations
& Complaints

Challenges
Educating Dalit and Adivasi Communities about democratic
rights
Opening the opportunities to marginalized community
leaderships
Promoting more participation in democratizing the politics within
its structure
Cracking the impunity (caste biased)
Absence of Dalit politics and Dalit leaders but the presence of
Caste / Fundamental forces
Forming a strong coalition of Dalit and Adivasi CSOs working to
promote Democratic Rights nationally and internationally.

Way Forward

Since democracy is government of the people, by the people,

and for the people, it depends upon the people to play an active
and informed role in their own government.
Therefore:
1. Educate the uneducated,
2. Keep well informed the ill informed,
3. Work towards non political manipulation,
4. Promote an effective democratic government to its survival

So That:
Impunity that is prevailing in Indian political thoughts on the
basis Caste, Class, Ethnic, etc. are cracked and Dalits & Adivasis
can exercise their Right of franchise in a free and fare manner.