The onus is now on the people to prove they are citizens: Jagdeep S. Chhokar on SIR

Published on July 12, 2025. In this interview, Frontline speaks to Professor Jagdeep S. Chhokar, founding member of the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), about the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The ongoing revision has triggered alarm over mass voter deletions, particularly of migrant and marginalised communities, with critics calling it a covert citizenship verification drive ahead of the Assembly election. Chhokar explains why the EC’s decision to shift the burden of proving citizenship onto voters violates established legal norms and undermines voter rights. Despite the Supreme Court acknowledging that checking citizenship is not the EC’s job, the process continues, risking disenfranchisement on a massive scale. The interview explores how flawed documentation rules, timing, and inadequate outreach could keep lakhs of Bihari migrant workers off the final electoral roll, especially those working in cities or on farms across India. Context: As Bihar enters the Assembly election, the EC’s voter revision drive is under legal and civil society scrutiny. Chhokar details how the move affects internal migrants, why adding Aadhaar and ration cards may still fall short, and how bureaucratic opacity is eroding the EC’s public trust. Chapters: 0:00 – Bihar's SIR: Key concerns 0:52 – Supreme Court on SIR 1:07 – Analysing SC's observations 1:34 – Three documents suggested by Court 3:47 – What SIR means for democracy 8:15 – Why SIR shouldn’t link to elections 14:09 – EC’s role in citizenship checks 18:48 – Missing documents in voter list 20:29 – Migrant workers and voter access 24:07 – Is SIR practical for migrants? 27:33 – EC’s claims vs. ground reality 33:46 – EC’s image and the need for transparency Highlights: -Why the SIR may disenfranchise migrant workers and the rural poor -What the Supreme Court said about the EC's role in verifying citizenship -Why Aadhaar, ration, and EPIC cards were initially excluded -The mismatch between statistics and on-ground realities -What voter exclusions could mean for election day tensions -The erosion of EC’s credibility and transparency Perfect For: -Citizens concerned about voting rights and electoral integrity -Journalists covering elections, civil liberties, and migration -Students of political science, public policy, and law -Activists working on disenfranchisement and migrant labour rights -Anyone following the Bihar Assembly elections Credits: Interview by Soni Mishra Produced by Kavya Pradeep M. Edited by Razal Pareed Subscribe to Frontline: https://frontline.thehindu.com/online... Follow us on: Facebook - / frontlineindia Twitter - / frontline_india Instagram - / frontline.magazine LinkedIn - / frontline-magazine-b12921295