ECI move for EPIC-aadhaar link a boon for Manipur
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: March 20, 2025 -

THE move by Election Commission of India to link the electors voter identity card (EPIC) with aadhaar card might be aimed at enhancing electoral transparency and preventing malpractices but for a border state like Manipur, which has been struggling to contain illegal immigration, judicious implementation of the said exercise coupled with completion of the on-going border fencing project will definitely help in better management of the problems arising out of unauthorised infiltration.

With some security experts attributing the Manipur crisis to active involvement of anti-India agencies and elements having bases in the neighbouring countries, the ECI's decision could act as a deterrent against illegal influx as well as in stopping proliferation of arms and drugs to some extent for absence of border fencing and failure by the security forces in preventing influx into Manipur and other north-eastern states have been creating socio-political and demographic issues.

Accepted that the heavy reliance on aadhaar card for banking purposes and rationing of basic commodities has had its fair share of controversies but the fact remains that launch of various schemes reliant on aadhaar has ensured that many economically unprivileged families reap the benefit of the system.

In the formative stages of aadhaar's implementation, some experts had opined that the policy decisions centring on aadhaar was illustrative of the erosion of a system that primarily aims at guaranteeing rights of the underprivileged section of the society and to keep a tab on financial irregularities by the wealthy class, with the same issue also witnessing heated debates in the Parliament over its reliability and rationale.

For the record, when first introduced by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, the National Identification Authority of India Bill, 2010 was referred to a Standing Committee of Finance of the 15th Lok Sabha with the all-party Committee formed caustic about the project in its report.

For instance, when the Committee referred to the failed identification project in the United Kingdom, the UPA government attributed the failure to the designing of the framework and structure to a security perspective along with defending the project as a means to enhance the delivery of welfare benefits and services.

It also said that unlike the UK identification project the Aadhaar project would not be made mandatory.

Regardless of such an assurance given to the Parliament, the NDA-II government pushed for making Aadhaar mandatory in case one is to receive benefits of welfare schemes, admission in schools, opening of bank accounts, procuring driving licence, filing income tax, etc.

Regardless of the government's endeavour suffering a jolt when in October 2015, the Supreme Court made it clear that Aadhaar was voluntary and could not be made mandatory and the apex court reiterated its position in September 2016, the aadhaar card is today widely accepted as the most versatile system of governance and service deliverance.

Thus, for a strife-torn state like Manipur, which has been bearing the brunt of illegal influx for the past many decades, the ECI's move to link EPIC with aadhaar should be capitalised upon to detect and deport illegal immigrants, prevent adverse demographic changes, ensure protection of the indigenous communities and cleanse the electoral system.