A growing wave of resistance against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise swept across Karnataka on May 30, as protests, rally marches and memorandum submissions were reported from nearly 75 locations, including major cities, district headquarters and several taluk centres. Protesters expressed concern that the ongoing exercise could result in the exclusion of genuine voters from electoral rolls and disproportionately affect vulnerable sections of society.
The demonstrations are part of an ongoing statewide campaign against SIR, with organisers indicating that several more protests are planned in the coming weeks. Civil society platforms and democratic organisations have also announced four major padyatras (awareness marches) across different regions of Karnataka to educate citizens about the implications of SIR, particularly the difficulties people may face if their names are deleted from voter rolls.
Organisers said the padyatras aim not only to explain the possible social and civic consequences of voter deletions, but also to encourage wider public participation in what is increasingly emerging as a broad-based movement demanding the suspension of the exercise.
The protests reflected concerns cutting across regional, social and political lines. Protest marches, sit-ins, public meetings and memorandum submissions to Deputy Commissioners and election authorities were held in district after district.