Wednesday 25 September 2013

Postal Ballot Facility for Truck Drivers


                                                                                                         18 September 2013

Mr V S Sampath
Chief Election Commissioner of India
New Delhi
vs.sampath@eci.gov.in

Dear Sir,

Sub: HCV/Truck Drivers – Postal Ballot Facility – Exercise of Democratic Rights

Greetings.

Having returned from interacting with over 500 truck drivers yesterday (17 September 2013) as part of nation-wide Driver’s Day celebrations in National Capital Region (NCR), one thought that kept reverberating in my mind was these “unlettered professionals” desire to have a say in the election/selection of political leaders to rule over them.

Well, it was not the only time I heard them voice their need to exercise their democratic rights in the Republic of India.

These drivers – running into huge numbers  (a few lakhs, if not more ) – have been sharing their thoughts on this critical issue with me over the past three years as I keep crisscrossing India in trucks to understand their working and living conditions. Well, that is a different issue altogether.

On crucial polling dates for Assembly or Parliament, a major chunk of them are ‘ON DUTY’ – steering toiletries, food, medicine, motor fuel and what not – so that aam janta and Constitutional Heads such as the President of India, your goodself and the Chief Justice of Supreme Court of India are not deprived of ‘necessities’.

Like army, police and government employees on polling duty, even these truck drivers are on a ‘crucial mission’ – far away from their homes.

Therefore, they simply cannot cast their votes at the designated polling booth on the give polling day.


While the entire nation takes a day off from their regular work to exercise their democratic rights (how many of them actually utilize this golden right is debatable) with pay, truck drivers cannot even be offered such a facility.

Why?

Because they cannot leave their loaded/unloaded vehicles on the highways wherever they are to rush back home, cast their votes and return to stranded vehicles within 24-hour cycle.

Their living and working conditions are pathetic and they strongly feel political parties DO NOT consider them as vote banks. In a way, they are voiceless and not represented by political parties.

Hence these truck drivers pondering about ways and means to have a ‘say’

The adult franchise enshrined in the Indian Constitution be allowed to be exercised by those needy ones who want to.

Therefore, I request your goodself to examine this request of truck drivers to use ‘postal ballot’ route

I will begin the process of collecting at least 10,000 request forms of truck drivers on this issue soon and submit the same for your favourable consideration.

Election Commission, am sure, can devise ways and means In this regard

In this regard, KRK Foundation working for improving the living and working conditions of truck drivers will also take it up with relevant ministries and Members of Parliament to examine this genuine request and help ushering  in changes in the relevant laws of the land.

I shall be grateful to Election Commission if it can do something in this regard.

Waiting to hear from you,

Cheers
Ramesh Kumar
KRK Foundation 
New Delhi