The first phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar has been completed. The Election Commission claims that more than 7 crore 23 lakh people have filled and submitted the counting forms. It has also been said that 65 lakh names will not be there in the draft voter list that will be released on August 1. Those whose names will not be there have been divided into three categories. One category is of those who have died, the second category is of those who have permanently moved out of Bihar and the third category is of those whose names were registered in the voter list at more than one place. No one can object if the names of people in these three categories are deleted from the voter list.
But the question is not about names being deleted. The real question is about 7.25 crore people having submitted the counting forms. It is hard to believe that in a month so many people have filled the form by submitting any one of the 11 documents mentioned by the Election Commission. This means that 7.25 crore people definitely have at least one document! It also seems hard to believe that the commission has digitized all the forms and also sorted them out. Classified them and also made preparations to publish the draft voter list.
The biggest question is that the list of 11 documents given by the Election Commission does not include Aadhaar, MNREGA card and ration card, which are available with most people. The Commission had given such documents in it, which are not available with the common Bihari. Most people do not have birth certificate. About two thirds of the people do not have matriculation certificate. Similarly, whether it is a residence certificate or a forest officer certificate or a certificate for government job, pension etc., very few people have them. There were also such documents in the list of the Election Commission, in which either the date of birth is not written or the address is not written. Then how was citizenship proved on the basis of such documents and how will their name be included in the list? The surprising thing is that this time, more than the names being deleted, there is controversy on how so many names were added? Many people have complained that the BLO did not come to them but they got a message to fill the form. There is also a complaint that forms of such people were also submitted, who have passed away.
