Students attending a workshop hosted recently by Pondicherry University have endorsed the idea of promoting ethical voting.
The workshop on ‘100% ethical voting in India’ was organised as part of 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi by the Department of Politics and International Studies in collaboration with the Election Commission, Family Development Cooperative Thrift and Credit Society Ltd., (Famco), the Centre for Gandhian Studies and a host of departments.
A.S. Antonisamy, founder, Famco, explained how his initiative with the students of Immaculate College for Women, Viriyur, and Idhaya College for Women, Pakkamudayanpet, Puducherry, in enrolling all the eligible students, identifying their constituencies and booths and exercising their franchise during the previous elections had won the award for “The Best Electoral Practices” of Puducherry State Election Commission in 2018.
Gandhian principles
M. Aloysius, CEO, Famco, explained how guiding members of self-help groups in 2014 Parliament election and the 2016 Assembly elections had resulted in the Puducherry Election Commission choosing the organisation as partner to implement SVEEP in Puducherry.
David Annoussamy, former Judge, High Court of Madras; P. Moorthy, workshop coordinator; K, Srinivas, Dean, School of Humanities; S. Pannirselvam, Head, Department of French; and A. Chellaperumal, Head, Department of Anthropology; spoke.
Apart from 100% ethical voting, the topics included Gandhian principle of democracy, election process in recent years, role of money, criteria for selection of candidates, and so on.
