Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji
Panaji, Aug 9: The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Goa, organised a workshop aimed at strengthening democratic participation and electoral inclusion among marginalised communities.
Titled ‘Democracy for the Empowerment of Marginalised Sections of the Society’, the workshop brought together experts and stakeholders from across the country to discuss ways to ensure that vulnerable sections of society are not left behind in the electoral process.
Goa CEO Sanjay Goel said the workshop focused on promoting inclusive democracy and ensuring meaningful participation of marginalised communities in the electoral system.
Addressing the inaugural session, Padma Shri and Arjuna Awardee Brahmanand Sankhwalkar stressed the importance of equal opportunities and democratic values in nation-building.
State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities Guruprasad Pawaskar highlighted the need to make electoral processes more accessible and ensure equal participation of persons with disabilities in governance.
The workshop was organised in collaboration with Goa University, the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (IPHB), Goa, and VM Salgaocar College of Law.
A Goa-specific presentation focused on the Wanarmare tribal community. Mineral Foundation of Goa CEO Sachin Tendulkar, in his presentation titled ‘Wanarmare Tribes of Goa: From Stateless to Voters’, highlighted how electoral inclusion had helped bring historically marginalised communities into the democratic framework.
Election Commission of India Under Secretary Guncha Batra Aneja presented India's Home Voting Model for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. She also compared electoral practices in Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Liberia and Costa Rica and discussed the challenges faced by displaced populations in exercising their voting rights.
Aneja stressed the importance of ensuring that every eligible citizen has meaningful access to the electoral process, regardless of their location or circumstances.
The second technical session explored democratic participation from different perspectives, including electoral governance in Assam's Bodoland Territorial Council, voter identity, political agency and grassroots experiences of people living in urban informal settlements.
The workshop emphasised the need for greater accessibility and inclusion in the electoral process to ensure that democracy reaches all sections of society.