Public movement needed against SIR: Shivasundar
Bengaluru: Columnist and activist Shivasundar has called for the formation of a public movement against the Special Intensive Revision of the Electoral Roll (SIR) being carried out by the Election Commission of India in 12 states. Karnataka is also expected to begin the SIR process by February next year, he warned.
Speaking as the chief guest at a special discussion on SIR organised by the Muslim Muttahida Mahaz at the BIFT auditorium in Darussalam building, Queens Road, Bengaluru, on Saturday, Shivasundar said that preparations must begin immediately to resist what he termed a potentially harmful exercise.
He stated that the coming three months are crucial for ground-level mobilisation: adding names to the voter list, ensuring documents are in order, creating public awareness against SIR, and being ready for protests if required.
Referring to Bihar, he said that when SIR was implemented there, Aadhaar was initially not accepted as a valid identity document, which would have resulted in nearly two crore people losing their voting rights. It was only due to street protests that the Supreme Court intervened and directed the Election Commission to accept Aadhaar, he added.
As a result, among 65 lakh voters whose names were removed, 35 lakh were able to vote again because Aadhaar was recognised. “This is the strength of public struggle — it influences the judiciary,” Shivasundar asserted.
He pointed to previous mass movements, including nationwide protests against CAA, NRC and NPR, the farmers’ movement, and demonstrations across Karnataka after the Mangaluru police firing, saying that several states later passed resolutions due to public pressure.
Shivasundar stressed that voter records must be corrected at the booth level. He alleged that in Madhya Pradesh, RSS workers are assisting Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in deciding whose names are included or deleted from the electoral rolls. “Here, even if we ask Congress workers to help, they say there is no cadre,” he remarked.
He urged that in addition to the 11 documents listed by the Election Commission, available IDs such as Aadhaar, bank passbooks, NREGA cards and ration cards should also be accepted.
The programme was attended by advocate Vinay Sreenivasa, Muslim Muttahida Mahaz convener Masood Abdul Khader, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind state president Dr Muhammad Saad Belagami, secretary Maulana Yusuf Kanni, Maulana Ejaz Ahmed Nadvi, Maulana Zulfikar Noori and others.
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Former India hockey coach Michael Nobbs dies
Melbourne (PTI): Former Australian hockey player Michael Nobbs, who coached the Indian men's team at the 2012 London Olympics, has died after a prolonged illness.
He was 72 years old and is survived by his wife Lee Capes, a former Australian women's international and daughter Kaitlin, who is a current Hockeyroos star.
"Hockey Australia extends its deepest condolences to Michael’s family, friends, former teammates, players and all those whose lives and careers were shaped by his contribution to hockey. He will be remembered as a proud Kookaburra, a respected professional, and a servant of the sport," Hockey Australia said in a statement.
Nobbs represented Australia as a defender, playing across the half-back line and at fullback, and was renowned for his reliability, fitness and professionalism. He earned 76 international caps for Australia between 1979 and 1985, scoring one goal, and was a member of one of the strongest eras in Australian men’s hockey, said Hockey Australia on its website in its tribute.
Nobbs was an integral part of the Australian teams that competed at the 1981 Hockey World Cup in Bombay and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
While part of a generation widely regarded as one of Australia’s finest, he consistently held his place through hard work, discipline and trust earned from teammates and coaches, Hockey Australia wrote.
Nobbs took over the coaching of the Indian men's team in 2011 after it had failed to qualify for the Beijing Games in 2008. While India were brilliant in the qualifiers, the team finished last at the London extravaganza which also expedited the Australian coach's sacking.
Apart from India, Nobbs also coached Japan.
