14th Nov 2020 12:11:AM Editorials
Eastern Sentinel Arunachal News

Despite vociferous opposition by the majority of political parties in the state, the State Election Commission (SEC) has announced the date of the much-delayed PR and municipal elections polls. Expectedly, this has not gone down well with the state’s political fraternity, especially the opposition and without much doubt, it can be said that the state’s electorate must be thinking likewise. An election which has been delayed by more than two years is now been attempted to be conducted in an environment which is thick with the fear of Covid pandemic. What are the factors that have exactly prompted the SEC to go ahead with this poll is unclear. It can only be assumed that the smooth conduct of the just-concluded Bihar assembly elections might have been an influencer, with the anticipation that the same will be replicated in Arunachal Pradesh too. Judging the SEC’s standpoint even from the most neutral point of view, it needs to be underlined however that human life is more precious than an electoral exercise. In a democratic milieu, the established norm is that views of the majority must be honoured to the fullest. Going by this principle, the SEC must have a rethink and the concept of caution must be given priority above all else.

As per the figures that are now available after the Commission announced December 22 as the date of elections, a total of 7,39,284 voters will be eligible to exercise their franchise in 2,175 polling booths. This means that more than half of the state’s population will throng the booths on that single day when it will be full winter- the most feared season in terms of the pandemic’s boom. Medical experts across the world have already cautioned that winter will be extremely critical and vulnerability of getting infected will be much higher compared to that observed in the preceding summer and monsoon months. If the Bihar election has shaped the decision, it needs to be pointed out that the polls there have been conducted and concluded within November 10 when the signs of winter have been only but faint. At the same time, conducting elections on a day just three days before Christmas is rather incomprehensible.

Although the state is reeling under rising Covid cases, a good number of rural zones have so far remained unaffected, due to the hard efforts of the frontline warriors. Will not bringing people out of their homes in one single day dilute these hard-earned gains? Moreover, how could it be anticipated so confidently that the situation will not deteriorate further during the third week of December. And it will be an overworked administration that has been fighting hard over these months against the pandemic to be engaged in a further battle no less strenuous than this.

The SEC must review its decision and give paramount importance to the hard reality of the state’s Covid situation.

 


Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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