By Mohammed Talha Siddi Bapa
Bengaluru: Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan called for wider public mobilisation against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, delimitation proposals, and what he described as weakening democratic accountability during a public meeting organised by Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) Karnataka at the Ashirvad Christian Community Centre here.
Addressing lawyers, civil rights activists, students, and members of civil society, Bhushan said democratic concerns surrounding electoral reforms, voter verification exercises, unemployment, and economic policy could no longer remain confined to discussions inside courts, seminars, or closed-door meetings. He argued that broader public participation and peaceful democratic mobilisation would be necessary in the coming period.
Bhushan stated that constitutional institutions, including the judiciary, were increasingly being criticised by sections of civil society for failing to adequately respond to concerns relating to electoral transparency and democratic rights. Referring to ongoing debates around SIR and delimitation, he observed that many citizens were beginning to feel that institutional remedies alone were insufficient to address emerging constitutional concerns.
“The time for closed-door discussions is over,” Bhushan said, while calling for peaceful democratic resistance and larger public engagement on issues relating to electoral reforms, employment, and federal representation.
He said democratic resistance was increasingly moving from institutional spaces to public streets, with civil society groups expected to play a central role in future mobilisation efforts.
He further said citizens and civil society groups should be prepared for sustained democratic protest, including police action, restrictions on demonstrations, and other forms of state response. Bhushan said democratic rights in many societies had historically been defended through collective public participation and civic resistance.
During his address, Bhushan also discussed the differences in the implementation of the SIR process in Bihar and West Bengal. He alleged that strong grassroots intervention by political workers and civil society groups in West Bengal had prevented wider voter exclusion, while concerns regarding transparency and accountability remained more serious in Bihar.
Bhushan argued that voter mapping, SIR exercises, and delimitation proposals should be viewed together within the broader framework of electoral democracy. He expressed concern that delimitation based primarily on population could disproportionately affect southern states and alter the balance of political representation between northern and southern India.
Bhushan warned that delimitation and voter mapping exercises could amount to what is widely described in political discourse as Gerrymandering – the restructuring of constituencies in ways that favour a particular political or ideological bloc. He alleged that such exercises could be used to isolate minority-dominated constituencies and alter long-term electoral outcomes under the guise of administrative reform.
According to Bhushan, delimitation based on population figures would be difficult to challenge legally because of its constitutional basis. He said this could intensify political concerns in southern states, particularly among those arguing that regions which successfully implemented population control measures may lose parliamentary representation.
Expanding his criticism beyond electoral reforms, Bhushan also linked the present political climate with broader economic concerns, including unemployment, expansion of the Right to Work framework, strengthening of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), and the proposed Indo-US trade arrangements. He expressed apprehension that international trade agreements could adversely affect Indian farmers and small agricultural communities.
Sudhir Kumar Muroli, President of APCR Karnataka, said the organisation had been conducting awareness programmes across India on issues related to SIR, delimitation, electoral reforms, and constitutional rights. He said the Bengaluru programme was organised as part of APCR’s continuing effort to encourage informed public discussion on democratic processes and federal representation.
Muroli warned that delimitation could deepen regional anxieties if parliamentary seat redistribution significantly altered political representation between northern and southern states. He emphasised the role of civil society organisations in promoting democratic awareness and constitutional engagement.
The programme began with inaugural remarks by K. S. Vimala, who criticised the political handling of women’s reservation and delimitation debates. She argued that women’s representation should not be projected as a political favour and expressed concern that delimitation based solely on population growth could disadvantage southern states that had achieved lower population growth through social development measures.
Throughout the programme, speakers repeatedly stressed the importance of electoral transparency, constitutional accountability, and democratic participation.
The programme concluded with renewed calls for public engagement on electoral reforms, democratic accountability, federal representation, and economic rights, reflecting growing concern among sections of civil society over the direction of India’s democratic institutions.
