They can very well be rechristened as the non-voting Indians. Though the Non-Resident Indian (NRIs) are known to pull the strings from across the seas, they are a reluctant lot when it comes to weaving the fabric of democracy with their votes.
Just around 12,000 NRIs have registered themselves as voters across the country. Punjab, ranking No. 2, has just 138 NRI voters, holding just 1.16 per cent share of the 11,844 NRIs who have enrolled themselves via post for the 2014 parliamentary polls. Maximum 11,488 (97 per cent) NRIs have registered themselves as voters in Kerala.
Punjab’s NRIs may be the real power behind the throne, but when it comes to making king, they prefer to stay back. Around 87 NRIs had enrolled as voters in Punjab for 2012 State Assembly polls.
It is for the first time when the NRIs would exercise their franchise during lok Sabha polls. The number appears dwarfed as more than three years have lapsed since the Centre had, in November 2010, issued notification granting voting rights to NRIs.
It seems that the comfort of greener pastures across the sea is greater than the zeal to participate in the electoral process back home for the Punjabi NRIs. Punjab had issued a notification that came into effect from February 10, 2011, saying that “every overseas elector, that is Indian citizen who is absenting from his place of ordinary residence in India owing to employment, education or other wise, and has not acquired citizenship of another country and who is not included in the electoral roll, is entitled to have his or her name registered in the electoral rolls of the constituency in which his or her place of residence in India as mentioned in his or her passport is located”.
While grating them the right to vote, the Government had made it clear that a person will be able to exercise the franchise only if he or she is present in the constituency on the day of polling. Granting voting rights to the NRIs assumes significance as the successive Governments have all along been wooing the “flying Sikhs” and have rather been demanding voting rights for them. This is not all! Even the key political parties in Punjab, including the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), the Congress, and the new-sprung Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) too, have carried over their electioneering to the foreign lands to woo them. Besides lending a helping hand in the election campaigning, the NRIs have been seen making lavish donations to the much-needed poll funds.
It is estimated that around 11 million NRIs are living in various countries across the world, most of whom are from Punjab. The Doaba belt, comprising Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala and Nawanshahr districts, had seen maximum immigration to arid zones from Punjab.
Notably, in the US alone, there are approximately seven lakh Punjabis, of whom 2.5 lakh hold Indian passports and are eligible to vote in the forthcoming Punjab elections.
But considering the current trend, it seems that when it comes to campaigning during the Assembly polls, the NRIs are the ones leading the way, but, with granting them voting rights for the first time ever, they do not believe in “participating” in the democratic process apparently.
“So far, only 138 people have registered with the Commission as electors. It is their disinterest that despite all efforts, and rigorous SVEEP activities, the NRIs who are still retaining their Indian passports did not come forward,” Punjab Additional Chief Electoral Officer Raminder Singh told The Pioneer.
He added that since 2012 polls, only 57 NRIs have get themselves registered as voters. “This shows their disinterest. lot of activities was done to encourage them for registration, but the minuscule number speaks volume about it… We have repeatedly publicise the messages,” he added.
Raminder Singh said that no new NRI came forward for registration as voter after January 1, 2014 revision of electoral rolls, till April 2, which has been set as the cut off date for the enrolment as voters.