Letters to The Editor — October 29, 2025

Revision, phase two

The Election Commission of India’s move to go ahead with the second phase of the special intensive revision of voters lists, in 12 States and Union Territories, stems from a sense of infallibility that has begun to corrode democratic accountability (Front Page, October 28). Recent experiences in Bihar with the special intensive revision offer a sobering warning: politically-tinted deletions left thousands disenfranchised, while their constitutional voice was muted by clerical discretion. If this pattern spreads, the Election Commission risks presiding not over elections, but exclusions.

Instead of pausing to review and restore confidence, the ECI seems to be intent on doubling down on its ‘mission’, shielding opacity with procedure and replacing transparency with hauteur.

For an institution that was once held up as a robust guardian of Indian democracy, this drift towards self-righteous bureaucracy is tragic. The right to vote is not a concession of the state. It is the citizen’s last equaliser.

M. Jameel Ahmed,

Mysuru

The stray dog issue

We seem to be spending way too much on maintaining stray dogs in our communities. From vaccination against rabies, to tagging with microchips, to allocating budgets and segregating spaces for them to feed, these are moves that could grow bigger. The issue of dog bites is lost.

S. Kamat,

Mysuru