11 Aug 2022  |   05:50am IST

Letters to the editor ( 11 August 2022)

Is a secret ballot a secret anymore?

August 10, 2022, dawned on the Goans and just like me there might have been many young and old voters eager to cast their vote to bring about consistency or a change in their respective villages by voting for the candidates they find eligible to take on the responsibility in their ward and thereby their village at large.

With all the hustle and bustle of EVM machines malfunctioning or your vote not remaining a secret anymore, like me many other voters many have been keen on casting their vote on a secret ballot. But is the secret ballot a secret anymore? No, it’s not. Being a very vigilant voter, I noticed that there is a serial number mentioned on the ballot paper given to the voter and the same number is printed on the other half that remains as proof that a person has voted. That’s not all, the same serial number is noted down on the paper with another person who has the names of all eligible voters on a sheet of paper.

So the question arises why is it called a secret ballot, when there is proof to show that a certain person has voted for a certain candidate? When I raised this issue and refused to vote since my vote was not a secret anymore, I was assured by the polling officer that it is under complete secrecy and no one can make out who has voted for whom. But since I know of people who have experienced this in the past my concern is:

1. Why is there a need to put a serial number on the ballot paper and corresponding number on the register if it is a so-called secret ballot?

2. Is it not my right to vote for whoever I find eligible?

3. If it is a complete secrecy, how do the candidates know on the counting day that a certain voter has voted in favour of him or her?

India is a democratic country, and according to the Constitution of India, every citizen, 18 years and above has the right to vote for the candidates they find eligible. Go and exercise you vote they said, it will be a secret, they said. Then why, if not voted in power, candidates know and refuse to work for the betterment of the people? Is this the start of the fall of the world’s largest democratic country?

Janessa Noronha, Ucassaim


No secrecy in Panchayat ballot

I have just cast my vote in the Panchayat elections and have realised that there is no secrecy at all in the Panchayat ballot. The ballot paper consists of two parts and the same serial number is printed on both these parts. The top part with the printed serial number and on which is recorded the voter’s signature/name remains as a counterfoil with the presiding officials. The second part bearing the same printed serial number is detached and used for casting one’s vote which is then dropped in the votes cast box. When this box is opened for counting the polled votes or for any other reason, one can easily tie up any polled vote with the name/signature of the voter as contained in the counterfoil using the serial number as a unifying factor as both halves of the ballot have identical serial number printed on them. In this manner it is known who voted for whom thereby creating discord between the voter and the candidates in fray.

Until the Government abolishes the printing of the serial number on both halves of the ballot, it should desist from telling and fooling the electorate that voting is secret. To correct the anomaly it may require legislation but as the present system is beneficial to the legislators the moot question arises: “Who will bell the cat?” Is the State Election Commission listening?

C Menezes, Varca


Will Serena reach the milestone?

Serena Williams, hinting at retiring from tennis, could rob the game of one of its most remarkable women players. The former World no.1 has a whopping 23 majors in her kitty, just one short of Margaret Court’s record. In her heyday, the US Tennis great strode the court like a colossus, quickly demolishing opponents.

Serena will have one last chance at winning a major when she participates in the US Open in New York later this month. But with age and form not on her side, she will unlikely reach the milestone.

N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru 


Adeus Olivia, we will miss you

Olivia Newton-John who sang some of the biggest hits of the 70s and 80s while recasting her image as the virginal girl next door into a spandex clad seductress - a transformation reflected in her starring role in 'Grease', one of the most popular movie musical of its era died this week in the US at the age of 73. The British born, Australian raised performer whose album sales topped 100 million records had lived with a breast cancer diagnosis since 1992.

ONJ amassed numerous no. 1 hits, chart topping albums and 4 records that sold more than 2 million copies each. During 1973-83 she was arguably the world's most popular entertainers with 14 top 10 Billboard singles, won 4 Grammys, starred with John Travolta and Gene Kelly in Grease and Xanadu respectively. Her music resonated with the bubble gum chewing, swinging, hep urban teenage crowd right up to the mid 90s and the numbers were a must play at parties, family gatherings, discos, clubs and dance competitions.

Newton John's peppy, upbeat songs were a marker of our younger years, so much so that if you hadn't heard Olivia you hadn't heard anything. Thank you for the music ONJ and continue to entertain the Gods in heaven. Adios friend, you shall be sorely missed.

Rekha Sarin, Benaulim 


Youth power, is it perishable?

'Youth' itself is a talent, but a perishable one. That is why youthful talent begs to be tapped. Power of youth is insurmountable; from making to building, from consolidating to maintaining, there are no boundaries for a youngster's innovation. In addition to the obvious livelihood advantage, plugging the glaring unemployment rate is the power of self-empowerment.

Despite possessing abundant skills, a lot of young brains find themselves unemployed for reasons not too difficult to fathom. 

Learning and earning supplement each other well. One's content can be copied, not his/her creativity. One's work can be ignored; disregarding his/her skills isn't easy.

Technical support and vocational training have their own place; they cannot be substituted. However, it is important for the youth to learn and earn at their own behest. Education empowers a youngster by helping them make informed choices. Having said that, when entrepreneurship is a distant dream, the young can find jobs suitable for their adeptness. A United Nations (UN) study has revealed that one in five youngsters are 'Not in Employment, Education or Training (NEET)'.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, one in six youth were out of employment. Generally, young people are three times more likely to be unemployed than the old. More than 400 million new jobs have to be created to absorb nearly 70 million unemployed and another 40 million new entrants into the job market. Professionals, self employed or hired, contribute in varying measures to the equitable, inclusive and sustainable economic growth. 

 But youngsters working for others are hit by vulnerability at the work place plus low wages. Out of job boys and girls are susceptible to depression and violence. Significance of making supply meet demand should not be lost on the government. Be that as it may, gone are the days when the future was built for the youth. The present world order expects youth to build a future. Rulers of a country can only direct the youth to the road leading to glory; the latter themselves should navigate the stumbling blocks and reach their destination: success.

Ganapathi Bhat, Akola


IDhar UDHAR

Idhar Udhar