In a move which could have major repercussions for the 8 million NRIs living overseas, there has been a legal challenge to the voting system in India which on paper allows NRIs to register with their local constituency but does little in the way of allowing them to physically vote.
The very fact there are so many NRIs around the world is something which the political parties across India have recognised and future developments will be watched with great anticipation.
Fighting for the vote Interestingly, as long ago as 2010 the Indian government made changes to the 1950 Representation of People Act which effectively allowed NRIs to register with their homeland constituency for the right to vote.
Many people automatically assumed that this would lead to further changes in the voting system although nearly 3 years on the situation does not appear to have moved forward and a legal action by three NRIs in the UK has brought the matter to the attention of the world NRI community.
The right to vote means nothing without technology The main reason why we have seen this legal challenge, which has gone to the Supreme Court in India, is because under current legislation NRIs, who may be living thousands of miles away, are being forced to physically attend polling booths to cast their votes.
This is incomprehensible when you take into account the ongoing development of technology which would allow online voting not to mention the very basic postal voting system which has been in evidence across many countries for many years.
While some may argue there is potential for abuse of this new system the reality is that giving NRIs the chance to register with their Indian constituencies and then forcing them to turn up on the day to vote is just not feasible.
What will the Supreme Court rule? The Supreme Court has approached the Election Commission in India for comments and further information on the voting system with regards to NRIs.
Once this information has been received they will likely announce a review of the overall voting system in India and many people believe we will see major changes.
The very fact there are 8 million potential voters around the world from the NRI community means there are a significant number of votes up for grabs.
If we take a step back and look at the situation with an open mind, how can the Supreme Court uphold the current voting system which forces NRIs to visit their local Indian constituency to vote? Surely this is potential evidence of an abuse of their human rights? Conclusion When the Indian government decided to make changes to the 1950 Representation of People Act people automatically assumed this would be the beginning of a change in the Indian voting system.
NRIs have been demanding the opportunity to vote on Indian matters for many years now as indeed many of the NRI community still have a major say in their local constituencies and Indian foreign policy in some circumstances.
No timetable has been placed upon the decision by the Supreme Court and indeed it may take a while for the review to be carried out.
However, if the Supreme Court was to rule in favour of NRIs able to vote from overseas, by whatever means possible, could the government ignore this ruling?