Farmers, Women and Youth Unite to Launch Nationwide 'Har Galli Jantar Mantar' Campaign Against SIR

Farmers, women, youth groups and other civil society organisations have come together to launch a joint platform opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, demanding the withdrawal of the exercise and greater transparency in the voter registration process. The platform, called People Against SIR, has announced plans to expand its campaign beyond Delhi, using the slogan “Har Galli Jantar Mantar, Har Gaon Jantar Mantar, Mera Ghar Jantar Mantar” to encourage public participation at the neighbourhood and village levels.

According to reports, the coalition has called for a nationwide Street Action Day on October 23. It plans to organise marches, public meetings, local conventions and other activities to mobilise citizens against the voter-list revision exercise. The group has rejected proposals for limited changes to the process and is instead demanding its complete withdrawal. It has also called for the restoration of voter lists to their pre-2024 versions as a starting point for fresh verification and updating.

The coalition has raised concerns about the possible exclusion of eligible voters and called for greater public scrutiny of electoral rolls. It has proposed independent audits of voter lists and said it would submit its findings to an independent commission examining grievances related to SIR. Other demands include making documents related to the revision process publicly accessible and opening the Election Commission of India's ECINET application to independent scrutiny. The platform has also urged authorities to reconsider questions related to citizenship during voter verification.

The campaign comes ahead of hearings by a five-member Independent Commission on SIR, chaired by former Supreme Court judge Justice Madan Lokur. The commission is expected to hear voter grievances in New Delhi, according to published reports. The platform's announcement also follows protests over the removal of Jantar Mantar from Delhi's list of designated protest venues. On October 14, members of the Students' Federation of India and the Democratic Youth Federation of India marched towards the site, demanding the restoration of its protest status and the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Police stopped the march at barricades.

People Against SIR has sought to bring together different sections of society around concerns about electoral transparency, voter rights and democratic participation. The coalition has also called on political parties to support its campaign. The controversy surrounding SIR centres on the need to maintain accurate electoral rolls while ensuring that eligible voters are not wrongly excluded. While voter-list revisions can help remove duplicate and outdated entries, the process has also prompted concerns about verification procedures and access to remedies for affected voters.

The coalition is expected to intensify its outreach in the coming days, with the October 23 campaign planned as a key part of its nationwide mobilisation. The Election Commission's response to the demands and the findings of the independent commission could influence the next stage of the debate.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from PTI.