NHRC member writes to EC for separate queues for old people

National Human Rights Commission Member Justice Cyriac Joseph has written to Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi requesting to make provision for separate queues for senior citizens in the coming Assembly elections in Kerala.
The Commission has taken a serious note of a media report in which V K Beeran, Special Officer, Regulatory Board for Protecting the Rights of Senior Citizens, government of Kerela, pointed out the difficulties experienced by old people in excercising their franchise in state and Lok Sabha polls where they have to wait in queues for long time.
"It cannot be disputed that a citizen must be enabled to exercise his democratic right to vote. The Election Commission also has been exhorting voters to exercise their right to vote. Hence, the Election Commission has alo a duty to remove the obstacles for exercising the right," Justice Joseph said in his letter.

"For the aged people who are physically weak and are suffering from various ailments, a long wait in the polling booth in the sun and rain is definitely an obstable for their exercise of their right to vote. Therefore, it is highly desirable to ensure that the situation in the polling booth is friendly to the aged people.
"The demand for separate queues for voters aged 70 and above is quite justifiable and also practiceble as the age of the voter is in the voter's list. I request you to bestow your kind attention to this important human rights issue and take favoourable action," said Joseph in his letter.

He said making such provisions would be in consonance with the committment of the government to promote and protect the human rights of elderly people.
Fearing the long wait, many people do not go to polling booths and some return without voting when it becomes physically unbearable for them, he said.