Let's Ecoplore!

Friday, Sept 23, 2011 2:00 PM I was working in the morning shift on News Desk. Nawab Pataudi’s funeral was the day driver. Around 1PM, camera crew came to the newsroom and started preparing for a newsroom interview. At 2PM, former Chief Justice of India (CJI) KG Balakrishnan arrived and Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Saradesai was there to interview him. Accused in misusing the most revered office, Ex-CJI Balakrishnan was not here to answer questions related to the blots in his service. But, he was here to answer queries regarding National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which is being headed by him currently. His predecessor Justice J S Verma publicly demanded Balakrishnan’s resignation as the chief of NHRC citing his involvement in several corruption cases. But, Balakrishnan refused to resign and even comment on Justice Verma’s demand. The purpose behind writing this piece is to share with you that for the first time, I posed a question to a guest in the newsroom. And that too, to a ...

Right Not to Vote/Right To Reject/Negative Voting/None of the Above is a campaign for inclusion of ‘None of the Above’ button in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM). It aims to provide all citizens, the right to reject all candidates so as to document their distrust against politicians. Why Negative Voting? Article 19 guarantees Freedom of Speech and Expression. Universal Adult Franchise provides freedom to make a choice amongst a list of contestants during General and State elections. But, the present system of EVM fails to lend the right to reject. Reject all candidates if no one deserves the parliamentary or assembly seat. If Freedom of Expression has freedom to make a choice, shouldn’t the same freedom also guarantee freedom to reject? Isn’t refusal of right to reject an indirect violation of our fundamental rights? How will it be implemented? A ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) button need to be added to the EVM. Voter who does not find any of the listed candidates deserving hi...