Married women born between July 1, 1987 to December 2, 2004 and born after December 2, 2004 are at the receiving end in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) as they need to provide the documents related to the maternal house (Maika) instead of in-laws (Sasural).
On the last day of form submission many women are wondering where they will get the required documents of their parents when they are asked to submit after the draft of the SIR electoral roll is published on August 1, 2025
Munni Devi of Araria district born on January 1, 1991 is facing great difficulties to fetch the required document from her maternal house. She is the resident of Ramghat Koskapur panchayat and voter of Narpantganj assembly constituency.
Munni Devi of Araria district in Bihar
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangements
While speaking to The Hindu, Ms. Devi said, “Mera maika Supual Jila mein Hai or mera shaadi Araria mein hua hai, mere mata-pita ka koi dastavej nahi hai (My maternal house is in Supaul district and I am married in Araria, my parents does not have any document). They live in Shivpur block ward number 7. I contacted my mother Lalvati Devi and father Bindeshwari Rishidev for the document, they said they themselves have no document to submit.”
Married to Umesh Rishidev who is a daily wage labourer, she has two sons. Her one son studies in Jeevanshala, unlike the conventional class room, children get engaged in various activities and second son is labour in Gujarat.
Few days back, BLO had visited her house and asked for her Aadhar number and mobile number to fill up the enumeration forms.
“Many people have already asked the BLO what we will do if we cannot provide the required documents. He said not to worry and they just need to fill the form and later the documents will be asked. My question is that I am not the only one who is facing such a problem. There are many women like me who are unable to get the documents from their maika. We really do not know what will happen,”Ms. Munni said.
In the first phase, most of the voters are filing the forms and submitting it without any documents both online and offline. Election Commission of India (ECI) is also accepting it so that the draft voter list can be printed on time. In the second phase, BLO will go door-to-door and ask for any one of the 11 valid documents for voter identification.
The Dalit woman proudly said that she has never gone to school but can give her signature and write her name and her husband’s name. After failing to get the benefit of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) , her husband has taken a loan from five people to build a semi concrete house of two rooms.
As per the guidelines of ECI for those born before July 1, 1987, any document establishing their own date and place of birth must be submitted. For younger people born between July 1, 1987 and December 2, 2004, documents must be submitted to prove their own date and place of birth along with either one of their parents.
For those born after December 2, 2004, the proof of place and date of birth have to be given for themselves and both their parents.
Another resident of Katihar district Kanchan Devi born after 1987 is a resident of Barari panchayat under Barai assembly constituency, ward number is facing the similar problem.
Married to Baiju Mandal, her parents live in Falka village in Katihar itself but in a different assembly constituency – Korha. Ms. Kanchan said that she had to visit the house of BLO along with her husband where he filled the form online for both of them.
She asserted that her mother Savti Devi and father Bishan Mandal have no documents to submit but her father has applied for the caste certificate at bloc office but he is facing trouble as their both sons work in Maharashtra and no one is there to track the certificate. However, Ms. Kanchan is afraid whether she will get the certificate on time or not.
Her husband is a labourer and works in other fields earning ₹300 per day during farming season and other days, work as construction labourer.
“We are a poor family if my husband does not work, from where we will feed my three children (two daughters and one son). I have been voting since 2010 but never faced any problem, I don’t know what happened suddenly that they are asking for these documents. In the village after marriage no girl brings documents along with them. I don’t know why these people do not understand these simple things,”Mr. Kanchan said.
In both cases of Araria and Katihar they do not know whether their parents’ names figure in the 2003 rolls because as per ECI those born after 1987 need not give the proof of birth of their parents if the latter’s names figure in the 2003 rolls when last time SIR was conducted in Bihar.
Sumitra Devi born in 1965 is a worried woman as her father and mother’s parents have passed more than decades ago. She is the voter of Sonbharasa assembly constituency and resident of Lalpur village under Banma Itahri block in Saharsa district.
Hailing from a Scheduled Caste (Mushar) community, Ms. Sumitra said she has no idea what kind of document she requires of her deceased parents. She only has an Aadhar card and the identity of her husband Hiran Sada.
Munni Kumari, born in 1999, is a resident of Araria district and resident of Ambekar Tola. Married to Dilip Mehtar but her maternal house is in Purnia district under Barhara block.
Munni Kumari of Araria District in Bihar.
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangements
Her husband, Mr Mehtar said, “We have just filled out the form and submitted it to the BLO but I have to go to my in-law’s house to get the certificate for my wife. I have asked my in-laws to apply for a caste certificate so that her name is not removed. I don’t know why EC is asking for the parental proof of my wife. Most of the people I know have filled the form without document and without even photograph. We really do not know what will happen in the scrutiny.”
Published – July 25, 2025 10:27 pm IST
