Sat Oct 25 19:15:32 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the text and a rewritten version as a news article, formatted for clarity.
Summary:
A national conclave in Chennai, India, comprised of civil society activists, lawyers, former civil servants, academicians, and technologists, vehemently criticized the Election Commission of India (EC) and the ruling BJP-led NDA government, alleging electoral manipulation. They demanded the immediate scrapping of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, dissolution of the current EC, 100% VVPAT slip counting, and greater transparency in voter data management. Speakers emphasized the need for a mass movement to safeguard democracy and address discrepancies in voter turnout figures. They expressed concerns about the judiciary’s role in citizenship determination and proposed measures such as real-time voter turnout updates and social audits of electoral rolls to improve transparency.
News Article:
Chennai Conclave Demands Electoral Reform, Accuses EC of Manipulation
Chennai, October 26, 2025 – A coalition of civil society activists, legal experts, former civil servants, academics, and technologists convened in Chennai on Saturday, issuing a strong condemnation of the Election Commission of India (EC) and the central government, accusing them of orchestrating electoral manipulation.
The national conclave on Democratic Governance and Citizens Rights passed resolutions demanding the immediate abandonment of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which they claim disenfranchises voters. Furthermore, they called for the immediate dissolution of the current EC and the establishment of a new, unbiased commission.
Key demands included 100% counting of Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) slips to ensure accuracy and transparency in vote tallying. The group also insisted that no additions or deletions be made to voter rolls without directly informing the affected voter or their family.
To enhance transparency, the conclave participants advocated for readily available online machine-readable voter lists. They also pushed for enhanced security measures for Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), requiring that voter data within each EVM be protected by an unbreachable electronic lock, with the lock values publicly shared online.
“Democracy is where the voters elect a government. We have reached a stage where the government selects voters,” stated Parakala Prabhakar, a social scientist and author, highlighting the crux of the group’s concerns. He pointed to unexplained discrepancies between provisional and final voter turnout figures in recent elections.
Legal expert Usha Ramanathan criticized the judiciary’s role, asserting that the burden of proving citizenship has unfairly shifted to individuals.
M.G. Devasahayam, a former civil servant, proposed measures to improve electoral process including starting counting immediately after polls are over and releasing voter turnout data within three hours of polling closure, as well as social audits of electoral rolls at the local level to actively engage voters.
The conclave participants resolved to take their message across the nation, aiming to galvanize widespread support and action to safeguard democratic principles. Other notable figures included former Deputy Election Commissioner R. Balakrishnan, former technology advisor to A.P.J. Abdul Kalam V. Ponraj, former technology consultant to the US government Madhav A. Deshpande, activist Anjali Bhardwaj, journalist Nithin Sethi, AIM 24 founder Tara Rao, CPI(M) MP R. Sachithanantham, and VCK MLA S.S. Balaji, all of whom lent their voices to the call for electoral reform.
The event underscores growing concerns within segments of Indian society regarding the integrity and transparency of the electoral process.
First Piper 