IESM: Defence Personnel have a 'Right to Vote'

Registration of Defence Personnel as voters at the place of postings- ordinarily place of residence- being denied illegally.
Dear Friends,
Jai Hind.
Unless the Armed Forces become a powerful vote bank for all type of elections in the country, these politicians are not going to care for us.
Therefore, at all military stations, we need to make an all out effort to register our serving men and families as voters.
Please try and convey the contents of the email below to the Formation HQs and Units, in and around your place of living.
Most of us have our junior colleagues holding important posts in many Military stations. Let us call them on phones and make them aware of the provisions and ensure that all serving personnel get registered at the place of posting. Ring them frequently till you get confirmation that needful has been done.
Each one of us can take very active and very useful part in this activity.
TO FIGHT AGAINST INJUSTICE IS TO WORSHIP GOD
LET US ALL DO IT IN A BIG WAY.
WILL YOU PLEASE?
Vande Matram
In service of Indian Military Veterans
Chander Kamboj.

Dear Members of Parliament
1. Right to Vote is a basic right in a democracy. This basic right to vote is being hindered and denied to the soldiers. All Indians above 18 years of age which also include Armed Forces Personnel have equal constitutional right to be registered in the Electoral Rolls as Ordinary Residents. However, suitable mechanism and provisions to register Armed Forces Personnel as voters at the place of their postings have not been put in place even after 63 years of Independence.
2. There are over 60 large cantonments and over 250 medium and small military stations in the country. These cantonments and military stations are part of various constituencies of democratic elections in the country. It is therefore, legally and constitutionally correct to confer the rights to the soldiers to be registered as voters at the place of postings as Ordinary Residences of that place. The provisions of postal ballot or Proxy Voting are the other options which are allowed to the soldiers. 14 Assam Rifles (State Armed Police) deployed in Naga Land exercised franchise at their place of posting. It was challenged by the Candidate who lost election. Supreme Court AIR 1971 SC 2123 ruled “The Statutory fiction is intended to confer the right to be registered as elector at their home town or village but the fiction cannot take away right of persons possessing service qualification, to get themselves registered at a constituency in which they are ordinarily residing though such place happens to be their place of service”. This important ruling of the Supreme Court has not been implemented in letter and spirit in the country as far the Defence Personnel are concerned.
Dear Members of Parliament

1. Right to Vote is a basic right in a democracy. This basic right to vote is being hindered and denied to the soldiers. All Indians above 18 years of age which also include Armed Forces Personnel have equal constitutional right to be registered in the Electoral Rolls as Ordinary Residents. However, suitable mechanism and provisions to register Armed Forces Personnel as voters at the place of their postings have not been put in place even after 63 years of Independence.
2. There are over 60 large cantonments and over 250 medium and small military stations in the country. These cantonments and military stations are part of various constituencies of democratic elections in the country. It is therefore, legally and constitutionally correct to confer the rights to the soldiers to be registered as voters at the place of postings as Ordinary Residences of that place. The provisions of postal ballot or Proxy Voting are the other options which are allowed to the soldiers. 14 Assam Rifles (State Armed Police) deployed in Naga Land exercised franchise at their place of posting. It was challenged by the Candidate who lost election. Supreme Court AIR 1971 SC 2123 ruled “The Statutory fiction is intended to confer the right to be registered as elector at their home town or village but the fiction cannot take away right of persons possessing service qualification, to get themselves registered at a constituency in which they are ordinarily residing though such place happens to be their place of service”. This important ruling of the Supreme Court has not been implemented in letter and spirit in the country as far the Defence Personnel are concerned.
3. A Letter written to the Prime Minister by one of our Defence Veteran Organisation “All India Veterans Core Group NGO" is enclosed. As members Parliament, cutting across the Party Line, we the Defence Veterans request you to take up the issue with the Prime Minister and also discuss in the Parliament to get this important right of soldiers conferred on them and provisions put in place for the registration of Defence Personnel as voters at the place of posting.
With Regards,
Jai Hind
Yours Sincerely,
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement