Letters to The Editor — September 28, 2026

The Election Commission of India (ECI)’s decision to undertake a special drive to help those left out of the SIR and make changes in its functioning is clearly a response to the investigation by The Indian Express and the brickbats that followed from the Opposition. But it would be premature to see this as a change of heart. The ECI’s handling of various issues so far has raised serious questions about its independence and sensitivity to public concerns. As a constitutional body, it was expected to function with the fierce independence seen during T.N. Seshan’s tenure. Instead, a widespread perception prevails that it has become vulnerable to political pressures. As a septuagenarian voter who values honesty and sincerity, I find it deeply troubling that such independent institutions respond more to those in power than to the Constitution, their conscience and the collective will of the citizens.