GUWAHATI, Jan 25 - Stressing the importance of generating awareness among young voters for effective participation in the electoral process, Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi today called upon voters of all age groups to exercise their franchise for a stronger and more participatory democracy.
Attending the State-level function of National Voters� Day 2019 organised by the District Election Office, Kamrup Metropolitan district as the chief guest in the NEDFi House auditorium here today, the Governor said, �Election Commission of India was established on 25th January, 1950 and therefore, 25th January is celebrated as National Voters� Day every year starting from 2011. We celebrate this day to make the voters aware of their duties towards Universal Adult Suffrage. The Election Commission of India has also been constantly endeavouring for conducting free and credible elections in our country. India is the largest democracy of the world and conducting election in a free and fair manner is a big challenge. However, spontaneous participation of all voters irrespective of all age groups makes the election process more representative, which results in a vibrant and participatory democracy.�
Prof Mukhi also said, �National Voters� Day is a chance to celebrate the tireless work put in by all the officials who toil day in and day out to keep our democracy thriving. A chance to salute the vision and foresight of our founding fathers who dreamt of transforming India into a democratic polity that would provide all the citizens the same democratic right.�
Outlining the theme of this year�s National Voters� Day �No Voter to be Left Behind�, the Governor said, �On this occasion I appeal to everybody to come out and cast your vote to choose a more representative government.�
Prof Mukhi also said that the Election Commission has been at the forefront of embracing, adopting and implementing the latest technological advancements in improving and fine-tuning the election processes and systems. The Commission has taken the pioneering initiative of introducing Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) for recording, storing and counting of votes across the length and breadth of the country in a transparent, credible and secure manner. The latest addition to the Indian EVM is the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT), which was introduced in 2013 as an additional measure of transparency in the EVM-based voting system.
Lauding the Election Commission of India, Prof Mukhi also said that for the last several years, the Commission has been laying stress on �ethical voting� and taking various measures to curb money power and other unfair means during elections. The goal of �ethical voting� can be achieved only when the voters become more aware and educated on the election process, the Governor said.
State Chief Secretary Alak Kumar while addressing the young voters, said that election is the base of democracy and it is an exhilarating feeling to cast votes. He further said that voting is a great strength and a great equaliser knowing that each eligible citizen has the same say in deciding the country�s fate.
Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Chandra Sahu congratulated all the young voters and said that voting gives an opportunity to be a part of the decision-making process that affects everybody�s life.
