Monday Musing

[Tongam Rina]

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to begin the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, and the exercise is likely to be far more complicated than it appears on paper.

With algorithms and digital verification systems increasingly determining who stays on the electoral roll and who does not, concerns over documentation, residency and identity are expected to dominate the process.

One of the biggest challenges will be the mandatory linking of Aadhaar cards with the elector photo identity cards (EPICs). Today, Aadhaar has become essential for almost everything – from accessing LPG connections and government schemes to proving one’s identity. Yet, despite high enrolment figures on record, many people in the state still do not possess Aadhaar cards.

Even among those who do, discrepancies in addresses are common. Many Arunachalis live in urban centres for work or education and have Aadhaar enrolment linked to those places, while they continue to vote in their native constituencies elsewhere in the state. In several cases, Aadhaar records reflect present residence rather than the constituency where a person is enrolled as a voter.

Such mismatches could create major complications during the revision process. While these issues may eventually be corrected, excessive dependence on algorithms and digital verification systems could lead to involuntary omission of names from electoral rolls when records fail to match.

As a result, proving local residency may become a challenge for many genuine voters. Although Arunachal Pradesh has a relatively smaller population compared to larger states, the paperwork and verification process are still expected to be extensive.

In this situation, the role of booth level officers (BLOs) becomes crucial.

Another major concern is the status of people who possess citizenship rights but lack access to proper state-issued documents. Changlang district, in particular, is likely to witness complications because it is home to refugees who are Indian citizens but still do not enjoy voting rights in the state.

Technically, these refugees are Indian citizens, yet many continue to remain outside the electoral system despite directions from the highest court of the country. While some have voting rights, many others remain excluded, as the people of the state continue to strongly oppose the extension of citizenship rights to the Chakma and Hajong communities, who are forced migrants from Bangladesh.

What position the Election Commission ultimately takes remains to be seen. The issue will have to be handled with extreme caution, as either mass disenfranchisement or mass enfranchisement could trigger serious fallout.

As part of the revision exercise, the ECI has invited political parties to appoint booth level agents (BLAs) for every polling booth. In Arunachal, however, this may prove difficult because most political parties lack the organisational strength and cadre base required to deploy workers across all polling stations. Authorities may therefore have to rely heavily on community organisations, women’s groups and village bodies.

People without fixed residency, despite being permanent residents of the state, may also face difficulties, going by experiences from similar exercises in Bengal and Bihar. This is likely to affect a significant number of migrant voters in major constituencies, especially district headquarters where large populations of outside residents are concentrated.

The burden on BLOs is also expected to be enormous, making support from village-level committees essential. Arunachal, like the rest of the country, has routinely carried out summary revisions of electoral rolls, and therefore the process may not descend into the kind of chaos witnessed elsewhere. However, sufficient time must be provided to ensure that every eligible citizen is able to secure inclusion in the electoral roll.

The exercise itself is going to be massive. Questions remain over whether the state machinery is fully prepared for such a large-scale undertaking. Reports from other states have already highlighted the immense pressure faced by BLOs and officials conducting similar drives. In Arunachal too, government employees, particularly teachers, are likely to shoulder much of the responsibility. Whether they will be able to balance their academic duties with the demands of the SIR exercise remains uncertain.

The government must therefore find ways to make the process less burdensome for employees and field workers.

There have also been instances elsewhere of arbitrary deletions caused by excessive dependence on algorithms and digital systems. Physical verification alone may not necessarily guarantee inclusion. Consequently, the SIR exercise could become not only a mammoth administrative challenge for officials and field workers, but also a difficult process for the electorate itself.

The Election Commission of India will also face scrutiny because similar exercises in states such as Bengal and Bihar have drawn criticism. Allegations were made that genuine citizens possessing valid documents were nevertheless omitted from electoral rolls.

The same approach followed elsewhere cannot simply be replicated in Arunachal. The state’s protected status, sensitive geographical location and delicate indigenous social structure require a far more cautious and nuanced approach.