Visually impaired students join voter awareness drive under SVEEP in Kolkata's Rashbehari constituency

A special awareness campaign was organized at LightHouse for the Blind, Lighthouse for the Blind West Bengal government sponsored school, a renowned institution for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), as part of the Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) program, under the jurisdiction of the Rashbehari Assembly Constituency on Tuesday.

The program was conducted by the Office of the Electoral Registration Officer, 160-Rashbehari, under the guidance of the District Election Officer-Kolkata South.

The event witnessed participation from visually impaired students of various age groups, including a significant number of youth aged 17+ and 18+, many of whom attended a voter awareness program for the first time.

Additional Chief Electoral Officer-West Bengal Arindam Niyogi, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer-West Bengal Subrata Pal and District PwD Icon for Kolkata South Sudipendu Dutta participated in the programme. Their interactive sessions with the students inspired and motivated the young participants to embrace their role in the world’s largest democracy, WB-CEO’s office said in a statement.

Several programmes, including distribution of Braille Leaflets, specially designed Braille materials containing comprehensive information on voter enrolment and facilities available for PwD electors were handed over to the students to ensure accessible and inclusive communication, were undertaken, an official said.

“Two bright young students shared their insights on how to strengthen democracy, increase participation of PwD Electors in the Electoral Process and highlighted the importance of informed participation and the need for inclusivity in democratic processes,” it said.

A lively quiz session on interesting facts and details about India’s electoral system was organized where the students, which enhanced understanding of the voting process.

PVC Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPICs) were handed over to some newly enrolled young electors, marking a significant step in their electoral journey.

The campaign was a resounding success, culminating in the collection of 17 new Form 6 applications for voter enrolment from young, visually impaired students, ready to contribute actively to the democratic process.