“Still, it is understandable that the process has drawn scepticism. Across India, some political leaders and civil society groups have expressed fear that the exercise could be misused to delete genuine voters. They point to past experiences where entire groups, especially migrant workers or the poor, found their names missing on polling day. These concerns are valid and must be addressed through transparency. But to refuse participation or treat the SIR as a hostile act would be to harm ourselves. The answer to potential misuse is not withdrawal but engagement. The more citizens check their names, verify details and file corrections, the harder it becomes for mistakes — deliberate or otherwise — to slip through.”
In the coming weeks, Goa will take part in the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, or SIR. At first glance, it might sound like another bureaucratic exercise. But in truth, it goes to the heart of democracy — ensuring that every eligible Goan is counted, and that no one who has died or moved away continues to exist on paper as a voter. The success of this process depends not only on the Election Commission but on how willingly Goans cooperate.
The Election Commission periodically updates voter lists through what is called a summary revision. The SIR, however, is different. It is a door-to-door, data-intensive verification of the rolls, meant to clean them up thoroughly. It is being conducted after reports of outdated voter lists in several states, where the names of deceased people still appeared, while many young and first-time voters remained excluded. In Goa too, voters have long complained about errors — names missing, wrong addresses, duplicate entries, or long-moved residents still being listed. These may appear minor administrative flaws, but together they weaken trust in the electoral process.
For a small state like Goa, such trust is everything. Our elections are often won or lost by margins of a few hundred votes. When rolls are inaccurate, even small errors can cast a shadow on legitimacy. Every Goan has a stake in ensuring that the list is correct. The SIR is an opportunity to set the record straight — to make sure that your name, and your neighbour’s, appear as they should.
Still, it is understandable that the process has drawn scepticism. Across India, some political leaders and civil society groups have expressed fear that the exercise could be misused to delete genuine voters. They point to past experiences where entire groups, especially migrant workers or the poor, found their names missing on polling day. These concerns are valid and must be addressed through transparency. But to refuse participation or treat the SIR as a hostile act would be to harm ourselves. The answer to potential misuse is not withdrawal but engagement. The more citizens check their names, verify details and file corrections, the harder it becomes for mistakes — deliberate or otherwise — to slip through.
Goa’s social fabric makes cooperation even more essential. Ours is a mobile population. Thousands of Goans live abroad but maintain local connections. Many work in other states and return seasonally. At the same time, people from outside the state come here for work in tourism, construction and services. This constant movement naturally leads to confusion in the roles. Some names linger long after people have shifted. Others, especially first-time voters who just turned eighteen or moved to a new address, go missing. A special revision like SIR is designed to handle precisely this flux. It can only succeed if people open their doors to enumerators and provide the correct information.
Another reason Goa must cooperate is that the credibility of future elections rests on today’s groundwork. Clean rolls prevent disputes and court challenges later. They also make life easier for polling officials, who often bear the brunt of voters’ anger when names are missing on election day. By ensuring accuracy now, Goa can set an example of how a small, literate, and politically aware state can assist the Election Commission in conducting a model revision.
This does not mean the Election Commission gets a free pass. It must carry out the SIR with full transparency and sensitivity. Field officers should be properly trained to handle multilingual and mixed households. Notices must be widely publicised, deadlines clearly announced, and grievances addressed promptly. Political parties must keep watch but avoid fear-mongering. Civil society groups, panchayats, and local media should treat this as a civic campaign, not a partisan battle. Ultimately, an accurate voter list benefits every party and every citizen, not just one side.
Democracy is not something that happens only once every five years. It is built daily, in small acts of civic responsibility. The SIR may look like an administrative procedure, but it is actually an act of democratic housekeeping. When we cooperate with it, we are not doing the Election Commission a favour. We are doing our duty to the idea of free and fair elections.
Goa has always prided itself on being politically aware, with a high turnout and an engaged electorate. That legacy now calls for action. Let us answer the door when the enumerator knocks. Let us check our names, submit corrections, and encourage our neighbours to do the same. If Goa does this well, it will not only strengthen its own democracy but also send a message across India — that a small state, when it takes its civic duty seriously, can keep the larger democratic house in order.
