‘Today’s parties are ignorant that they themselves used to do SIR’

For me, who was an active political worker of Congress under K Kamaraj for over a decade during my student days, the current debate on Special Intensive Revision is uninformed. EC’s SIR now, was in my days as a political worker, a normal electoral activity of party cadre.

In Mylapore assembly constituency where I resided since 1960s, I and my co-workers led by my law teacher, who was also Mylapore Congress politician, used to visit every house and hut, six months ahead of elections, and check with the voters’ list in our hands.
We helped in enrolling new voters, removing names of dead or migrated voters and making the electoral list up-to-date. We were the SIR team of Congress assisting EC.

DMK workers were more efficient in their SIR work as they were more committed and hard-working.