In the bustling slum of Rangpuri Pahari in Delhi, a palpable sense of anxiety is gripping thousands of migrant workers who make their living through low-paying, informal jobs such as domestic help, cooking, automotive repairs, and construction labor. For decades, these workers have lived paycheck to paycheck, struggling to make ends meet in India's capital. Now, a new challenge looms: a nationwide exercise to revise electoral rolls, known as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), is compelling many to contemplate costly and sudden trips back to their distant hometowns, just to maintain their voting rights.
Launched on November 4, the SIR is a massive electoral exercise covering 12 states and federally administered regions, and it targets nearly 510 million voters—over half of India's staggering 970 million electorate. The Election Commission of India (EC) describes the revision as a crucial step to ensure the accuracy and legitimacy of voter lists, aiming to include all eligible voters while excluding ineligible names. However, this process has stirred controversy and fear among migrant populations, recalling similar exercises that have sparked disputes in states such as Bihar.
The SIR involves polling booth-level officers visiting households across urban and rural areas to collect personal identity details and voter card numbers. For migrant workers living in places like Rangpuri Pahari, this seemingly routine administrative step translates into a significant burden. Many fear that to comply, they must travel back to their home states—unplanned trips that come with financial costs and lost wages. Anjali Mondol, a domestic worker, explains the dilemma: her employers allow leave only during elections or festivals, so taking time off now means losing her salary and risking her job. Other workers share similar concerns. Subhashri Doloi, also a domestic helper, had been saving money for a planned trip home to vote but worries that using those funds now for the SIR will leave her unable to return during the actual election.
Complicating matters further are the often incomplete or inconsistent official documents held by these workers. Many struggle with mismatches between their registered addresses and identity proofs, a widespread problem in India, especially among rural migrants. For example, Kusum Devi, who works in a Delhi garment factory but is registered as a voter in Uttar Pradesh, faces confusion because her Aadhaar identification lists her as a Delhi resident. She admits she does not know what the implications might be under the new revision exercise.
For migrants from states like West Bengal, which shares a border with Bangladesh and is one of the regions undergoing SIR, the stakes are even higher. There is widespread fear of being wrongly classified as illegal immigrants amid ongoing crackdowns on suspected unauthorized migrants from Bangladesh. Hundreds have been arrested recently under such suspicions, intensifying anxiety among vulnerable communities. Yaser Ali, a utensil seller from West Bengal, voices a common worry: no one wants to be mistakenly branded as a Bangladeshi, but with the short notice and complex procedures, how can they ensure everything is done correctly?
While the Election Commission has introduced an online platform for filing SIR forms, most migrant workers interviewed by the BBC expressed unfamiliarity with digital processes or viewed them as too risky. The EC dismisses these concerns, emphasizing transparency in the process and encouraging voters to use online verification. In a statement, the EC highlighted that online filing was introduced "for the convenience of those electors who are currently not at their place of residence." For those filling physical forms, the EC stated that any adult family member could submit the forms on behalf of the voter, provided they mention their relationship, thereby reducing the need for individuals to be physically present.
The EC also assured that sufficient time and opportunities would be provided for filing claims and objections. The exercise references electoral rolls from 2002 to 2004; individuals whose names do not appear on these lists must present at least one additional document—such as birth or caste certificates, passports, school records, or bank documents—to enroll. Those who became eligible voters or were born after the reference period are required to provide supporting documents relating to one or both parents.
However, some confusion remains due to contradictory instructions. An EC order dated October 27 stipulates that no documents should be collected during the enumeration phase, but the order does not clarify the implications of this directive, leaving many uncertain about the exact requirements.
Despite the hurdles, some migrant workers remain hopeful. Ramdhin Prajapati, a factory worker registered to vote in Uttar Pradesh, views