Elections become more effective when more individuals participate. To ensure this, the Election Commission has been working tirelessly over the years. The commission made special efforts to reach out to the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, a section of Scheduled Tribe that is more vulnerable than regular Scheduled Tribe. The commission has tried to mainstream them in the democratic exercise. Akashvani Correspondent reports that over the past two years, the Election Commission has made successful efforts at including Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in the electoral process. A Comprehensive and target-oriented list of the Commission’s efforts, including special enrollment drives and outreach camps tailored to PVTGs’ specific needs, have resulted in 100% registration of eligible voters in Karnataka and Odisha. In states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu, special campaigns and voter education initiatives were conducted to ensure PVTG inclusion, with voters exhibiting great dedication as they walked hours to reach an accessible forest area where vehicles were provided to reach polling booths. Bihar and Jharkhand witnessed comprehensive campaigns to enhance PVTG participation, with innovative approaches.
In Chhattisgarh, efforts were made to establish eco-friendly polling stations and ensure 100% epic card distribution. These efforts have resulted in successful enrollment and participation of PVTGs in the electoral process with the first two phases of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections witnessing enthusiastic participation from tribal communities across various states and union territories. In a historic moment, the Shompen tribe of Great Nicobar exercised their voting rights for the first time in a General Election. There are many such stories that show how the election commission’s efforts not only ensure successful elections but also strengthen Indian democracy.
