I am not surprise after going through this report. When I was 14 years old, I experienced the voting in local municipality and the Assembly election during my childhood in Jamshedpur. First voting experience was quite exciting, but another was not good. I was forced by the party worker to go inside with the elderly woman and drop the prevoted ballot form in the ballot box.
However, the evil of democracy does not end here, but, there is no alternative to democracy too. As we have experienced that the democratic process in India is not a serious issue at all, although, the advent of visual media have strengthened the seriousness among the political parties and for some extent, the middle class getting involved while watching news on the different news channels. The involvement of children in the election is major concerns.
The Election Commission probably unable to address this because the “adherence belief” of involving the school teachers (as Election Duty officials) and school buildings (as polling booth) directly or indirectly encourages the children in voting. During the election period, the school and its teachers are preoccupied with the election duty and electioning. In the villages, the school is almost converted as the public meeting places.
I show my concern on this issue, which effects the child education significantly. The Election Commission should restructure the process of using the school teachers in the election duty and also to demonstrate effectively to prevent using the minor during the voting. This is challenging situation for the Election Commission as well as for the democracy as an institution. On the one hand, the political parties should take responsibility (which impossible) to address this issue within the party organization and second, the Election Commission should also identify the non government officials also to look after the election duty during the election. I agree that this is Himalayan task for the Election Commission, but the involvement of non government officials would further strengthen the democratic institution and its essence at the ground level. In last, the Election Commission should take action against the officials, who were looking after the Qauzipura Pooling Booth, where the minors have casted their votes. There would be many many Qauzipura in all over India, where the election has been done or to be held.
