Telangana HC asks ECI to consider Urdu forms in SIR exercise

Justice B. Vijaysen Reddy of the Telangana High Court on Monday asked the Election Commission of India to consider a petitioner’s request to provide enumeration forms during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Urdu in constituencies having 20% or more population conversant in that language. 

Observing that the courts usually do not interfere with the decisions of the ECI, the judge sought to know from the ECI counsel what decision was taken on the same issue in the States of Assam, Bihar and West Bengal. The judge was hearing a petition filed by a social worker from Karimnagar district questioning the supply of enumeration forms printed exclusively in Telugu. 

During the previous hearing, ECI counsel Avinash Desai sought time to secure instructions on the points raised by the petitioner. When the matter came up for hearing on Monday, he informed the bench that enumeration forms were printed in Telugu in Telangana since it was the official language of the State. However, forms in English language were being provided to the electors in the areas of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), he said. 

In an earlier meeting convened by the Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana, it was unanimously decided to print forms in English for Hyderabad district since it was convenient for the voters. Since a considerable number of people in Hyderabad speak Urdu, Booth Level Officers were directed to carry five to 10 dummy enumeration forms in Urdu as well for the benefit of those speaking Urdu to fill up the forms. 

Senior counsel V. Raghunath appearing for the petitioner contended that providing dummy forms in Urdu on request would be against the spirit of the Constitutional provisions. The ECI counsel said that issuing directions to print enumeration forms in three languages would be burdensome for the State ex-chequer. The petitioner’s counsel said it was the right of the electors to secure forms in the language they speak. 

The matter was adjourned after a week for next hearing.