Naropa Fellows for achieving 100% voting in Leh

Campaign for Election Commission of India’s SVEEP

With an aim to achieve 100% voting in Leh, Ladakh, the Fellows from the ‘Naropa Fellowship’ are actively steering the Election Commission of India’s Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) program in one of India’s remotest region.

The mandate of the SVEEP team is to generate voter awareness and ensure increased voter turnout along with ethical voting.

Apart from carrying out extensive voter engagement and training in the deepest pockets of the Khaltsi and Nyoma blocks, the Fellows are using different mediums to spread the message including creating a mural in the Leh market, to encourage locals to cast their votes, a statement said.

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Ladakh registered 70% voting, which is high as compared to the rest of the country.

“The Fellows believe that a near-100% voting is possible in India’s northern-most state with adequate effort and resources,” the statement said.

Speaking about the SVEEP campaign, Abhishek, one of the Naropa Fellows who is participating in the awareness drive said, “We see elections in Ladakh as nothing short of a miracle of democracy. The Election Commission of India goes out of its way to ensure no voter is left behind and Ladakh is great place to see this commitment in action.”

Drukpa Thuksey Rinpoche, Co-founder of the NaropaFellowship said, “This positive step, taken up by the NaropaFellows was much needed in Ladakh, especially in the small village areas where people are still not aware about the importance of voting or what can be achieved with their single vote. We feel proud seeing our Fellows getting involved in this campaign of national importance and making Ladakh a more aware constituency.”