Harmony Foundation Celebrates Ground-breaking Achievement as over 190 SEAL Ashram Residents Exercise Constitutional Right to Vote in Raigad Zilla Parishad Elections

SEAL Ashram has emerged as a powerful symbol of hope, extending love, care, and dignity to those long forgotten and lost in the shadows of society-individuals who were once invisible even to the census, Dr. Mathai added.

Dr. Mathai stated that, in a historic first with no parallel anywhere in the country, over 190 destitute individuals from SEAL Ashram exercised their constitutional right to vote in the Raigad District Panchayat elections, marking the completion of their journey from street abandonment to full citizenship in the truest sense. Describing the event as groundbreaking, Dr. Mathai who is also the Chief Patron of SEAL Ashram said that no other organization in India has achieved this scale of rights restoration for destitute individuals.

“What makes this achievement unprecedented is not just their rescue and rehabilitation by SEAL Ashram, but the complete restoration of even their constitutional rights. These 190 citizens now possess what was once denied to them-legal identity, voter IDs, and most importantly, the dignity of democratic participation. They have moved from invisibility to empowerment, from being forgotten by society to being recognized as equal stakeholders in India’s democracy,” Dr. Mathai said.

“SEAL Ashram gave these individuals a second chance at life when society had turned its back on them. Those who were once nameless and voiceless stood in voting booths alongside every other citizen, exercising the same constitutional rights which is a powerful testament to what genuine rehabilitation can achieve,” he added.

Dr. Mathai, who is also the former Vice-Chairman of the Minorities Commission, further stated that the right to vote represents one of the most important aspects of social acceptance and inclusion. It affirms that these individuals are no longer outcasts but full members of society, with agency, choice, and political voice. “This is democracy’s promise fulfilled,” he said. SEAL Ashram, he noted, continues to champion the rights of these individuals by dismantling barriers that have prevented destitute people from being fully included in society.

Dr. Mathai also recalled how, during the pandemic, SEAL Ashram with the support of the Harmony Foundation addressed a critical challenge where residents lacked Aadhaar cards required for vaccination. "I spoke with the then District Collector, Ms. Nidhi Chaudhary, emphasising that every citizen has a constitutional 'Right to Life' and that vaccination cannot be denied on the basis of documentation. Ms. Chaudhary understood the urgency and supported our cause by arranging an Aadhaar camp at the Ashram in 2021 to ensure our residents received this essential documentation," said Dr. Mathai.

"I am truly elated that the Aadhaar cards we secured for them served as the foundation for their voter registration, enabling them to obtain Voter ID cards granting them not just identity, but full inclusion in the democratic process," Dr. Mathai added.

In conclusion, Dr. Mathai said that

although obtaining Aadhar today for destitutes has become difficult because of the change of rules, this groundbreaking achievement proves that complete restoration of rights is possible. He emphasized that India needs more organisations like SEAL Ashram willing to undertake such transformative work. Dr.Mathai added that we must recommit ourselves to the principles of democracy and equality and ensure that the marginalised are not merely granted rights on paper, but are genuinely included in our democratic processes. This achievement sets a benchmark for what we must strive toward as a society, by recognising every individual’s fundamental dignity and citizenship.

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