The North East Students' Organisation (NESO) has offered a carefully qualified response to the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, making clear that its support hinges entirely on whether the exercise delivers on its stated purpose — removing doubtful and illegal voters from the rolls.
The clarification comes at a time when concerns over the inclusion of non-genuine voters in Meghalaya's electoral rolls have remained a persistent and politically charged issue, particularly among indigenous communities in the state.
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Speaking to media persons in Shillong, NESO chairman Samuel Jyrwa acknowledged that similar revision exercises have been conducted across India, but pointed out that their impact has been uneven — making transparency and intent critical to the credibility of the current effort.
"We hope that the Election Commission is conducting this exercise not only in Meghalaya but across the whole of India. We also hope that through this SIR exercise, doubtful or illegal voters who have entered the electoral roll can be weeded out, as that is the main objective," Jyrwa said.
Jyrwa was equally clear that NESO's backing is not unconditional. If the revision exercise falls short of its core objective — or is seen as a formality rather than a genuine cleansing of the rolls — the organisation would view it as a failure to address a long-standing demand of indigenous communities in the Northeast.
The student body has consistently positioned the issue of doubtful voters as closely linked to its broader concerns around demographic change, illegal immigration, and the protection of indigenous identity in the region — concerns that also underpin its ongoing demand for the Inner Line Permit across all northeastern states.
For now, NESO is watching — and its judgment on the SIR will rest squarely on the results it produces.