Maner, Bihar: On a scorching afternoon, a distraught Muslim man approaches local ward councillor Tausif Khan and complains that his wife’s Aadhaar card details have been filled in his enumeration form. He introduces himself as Mohd Taju (39).

Tausif takes out a form he has with him and asks Taju whether all the columns have been filled in correctly.

When this reporter asks him what documents he has as proof of citizenship, Taju says, “I have an Aadhaar card and kisan card.”

Does he own a birth certificate? He laughs at this question. “I remember my date of birth. I was born in 1986. So, what is the need for a birth certificate?” he asks.

Resident of the Chaar Hazar mohalla (neighbourhood) of Maner – about 35 kilometres away from Patna, Taju works at a stationary workshop, where he makes copies. He earns Rs 500 per day. His wife too has no other documents except an Aadhaar card.

When pointed out that he may face problems for not having one of the 11 listed documents that the Election Commission (EC) is accepting as proof of citizenship in its ‘special intensive revision’ (SIR) of the voter roll in the state, Taju says: “What will happen if it [my name] is deleted [from the voter roll]? Is the government feeding us? And if Aadhaar is not accepted, then why did the government force us to make it?”

A volunteer distributes enumeration forms. Photo: Umesh Kumar Ray.

“Chalis baras hamara hone wala hai. Meri nani abhi zinda hain aur 100 saal ki hone wali hai. Ab bataiye ki aur kaise sabit karenge ki Bharat ke nagarik hain? [I am about to turn 40 years old, my grandmother is still alive and she is about to turn 100. Now tell me how else will I prove that I am a citizen of India].

Taju angrily asks, “Kya hum bahar ke hain [Are we from outside India]?”

Aadhaar, MGNREGA and........

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