NRIs can vote in next LS polls

Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) will be able to vote in the next general elections, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced at the annual gathering of the Indian diaspora amid indications that the long-held promise may be coming to fruition with the government planning to change the definition of who is a “citizen’’. Addressing the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Singh said, “I recognise the legitimate desire of Indians living abroad to exercise their franchise and to have a say in who governs India. In fact, I would go a step further and ask why more overseas Indians should not return home to join politics and public life as they are increasingly doing in business and academia.’’ The law ministry is working on amending the definition of the Indian citizen in the Representation of People’s Act from the current “ordinary resident’’ to a term that includes those living overseas. Voting rights could be extended to Indian passport holders, but those with PIO cards would not be eligible. Seeking the active involvement of overseas Indian communities in accelerating the pace of the country’s economic and social development, Singh promised a social security net for overseas Indians to tide over economic distress. Describing India as a “slow-moving elephant’’, he said, “I recognise the frustration well-wishers feel when they lament why things don’t work faster or why well-formulated plans and policies don’t get implemented as well as they should.’’ This, he said, was a price India was paying for its inclusive approach. He, however, added that it was a price worth paying. “It is equally true that with each step forward we leave behind a deep imprint. Underlying our system is an inherent political and economic resilience that gives our country and its institutions great strength and buoyancy,’’ he said.