Bihar voter roll revision: Why having to prove you are an Indian citizenship is a nightmare

The Election Commission of India’s decision to ask for proof of citizenship from voters as part of a special intensive revision of the voter rolls in Bihar has once again shone a light on how difficult it is to prove citizenship in India.

As part of the exercise, individuals whose names are not on the 2003 voter list will need to prove that they are Indian citizens. According to India’s citizenship law, depending on the year in which one was born, this may require providing proof that one was born in India, as well as proof that one or both of one’s parents were born in India as well.

The citizenship proof requirement has been criticised by opposition parties in Bihar and the rest of India for its potential for voter exclusion.

Bihar is part of a trend. Citizenship has been a major theme of the past decade in Indian politics. An exercise in 2019 to update the National Register of Citizens in Assam required residents to prove citizenship. In that same year, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto included a promise to draw up a National Register of Citizens across the country.

This is concerning since proving citizenship can be an onerous task in India. There is no one single...

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