By Shafeeq Hudavi, TwoCircles.net,
Kozhikode: Upholding the demand to materialise the voting rights of NRIs in the upcoming elections in the local self governing bodies the expatriates’ organisations are all set take various measures.
The move follows the alleged poor response, extended by the State Election Commission towards the demand, being raised to allow the NRIs to cast their votes in the three tier panchayat elections. The Election Commission has conveyed its inconvenience in bringing the vote right to reality citing various technical impediments in materialising the right within the period of three months.
Now, the NRI organisations are raising demand to ensure the vote right in the state assembly election.
Kerala Pravasi League, NRI outfit of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), state general secretary Haneefa Munniyur told Twocircles.net that the organisation has decided to hold state-wide campaigns for the cause.
The regional conferences, which are to be held at Edappal in Malappuram, Kannur and Kollam during the second week of August will highlight the demand for vote right.
The state and district conferences of the CPM affiliated Kerala Pravasi Sangham will also concentrate on the issues, surrounding NRI vote right.
Besides, according to Haneefa and Pravasi Sangham state general secretary K V Abdul Khader MLA, the organisations are exerting all possible pressure on the State Government to address the long pending demand of the expatriates.
As the demand is impeded with unending uncertainty, the Pravasi League has decided to approach the court seeking intervention to resolve the crisis.
Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre (KMCC), the NRI cultural organisation, undertaken by IUML, will join hands with Pravasi League for the cause.
KMCC along with Pravasi League has fielded an exclusive wing in cyber domain and social media to disseminate awareness among the expatriates about their right to cast vote. What drove these organisations towards such a move, according to Haneefa, is that the NRIs tend to be active in social media.
Meanwhile, these organisations think that NRIs will emerge as a decisive force in the state’s electoral politics after once the vote right is materialised. “The political parties and government will be compelled to give priority to the woes of the toiling Diaspora. Besides, an effective mechanism will be developed by the government to address the woes of the expatriates,” said K V Abdul Khader.