IMPHAL, March 10: A national level “Campaign for Electoral Reforms in India” under the sponsorship of the Rural Education for Development Society (REDS), Karnataka was organized at New Delhi demanding reformation of the “First Past the Post” electoral system and introduced the “Proportionate Electoral System”.
The conference was held at two separate venues at New Delhi in between March 6 to 9.
The national level conference was held, calling for the introduction of the “Proportionate Electoral System” instead of the FPTP while recognizing that India has been practicing FPTP since it got Independence from the British on August 15, 1947 and that the system is irrelevant today as under the practice, the equal participation of Dalits and other minorities groups in the states have failed.
The first part of the three day long campaign was held at the Conference hall of the Constitution Club of India at Rafi Marg on March 6.
The program was held under the theme “The Conference of Member of Parliaments on Proportionate Electoral Systems”.
The conference was attended by delegates from Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Keraa, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Odissa, Tripura, Meghalaya and Manipur.
Friedhof Strabe Holzgerlingen, Germany based “Platform Dalit Solidarity in Germany” co ordinator Walter Hahn also attended on the first day.
The only delegate from Meghalaya co incidentally happened to be a native of the state: Nongmaithem Ibungochouba Singh who is from Bishnupur Ward No 5, Manipur who had shifted to Nongthymmai in Meghalaya.
The Manipur delegate included CERI National co-ordinator Dr M Nara; Jawaharlal Navodaya VIdyalaya, Ukhrul teacher Dr Arambam Birjit; All India Youth Federation, Manipur State Council, secretary Konsam Tambahenba and executive member Thangjam Baleshwar.
Manickam Cashir RAJ REDS Road, Karnataka Tumkur SERI founder rendered the key note address on the first day of the conference.
The conference was also attended by MPs, MLAs and Political Activists, Social Activists and Research Scholars and leaders of the Welfare Party of India political party.
The Welfare Party of India put forth a 18 pages long statement titled “Let the poor come in power by democratic means otherwise they are bound to come”.
Party delegates expressed that the statement is “A proposal for nation-wide consideration and debate”.
The statement discussed the loopholes of the FPTP and said it has encouraged corruption, use of muscle power, caste and communal card, affected the judicial system etc.
The present MLAs and MP expressed the need for electoral reforms in the country and introduce Proportionate Representation in every state of the country.
A panellist of the conference, Dr M Nara spoke on the problems created by FPTP and declared that the government should introduce the “Proportionate Electoral System”.