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India's electoral roll revision sparks anxiety among migrant workers in Delhi
A wave of unease has settled over Rangpuri Pahari, a Delhi slum home to thousands of migrant workers, as India's Election Commission launches a sweeping revision of electoral rolls across 12 states and union territories. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR), initiated on 4 November, targets nearly 510 million voters-over half of the country's 970 million electorate-raising fears of disenfranchisement among those who rely on precarious, low-wage jobs in the informal sector.
Unplanned trips home threaten livelihoods
For workers like Anjali Mondol, a domestic helper, the revision demands an impossible choice: forfeit wages to verify their voter status or risk losing their registration. Employers rarely grant leave outside elections or festivals, Mondol told the BBC, warning that absences could cost her job. Subhashri Doloi, another domestic worker, faces a similar dilemma-her savings for an upcoming election trip may now be diverted to comply with SIR, leaving her stranded during the actual vote.
Many migrants also grapple with inconsistent documentation. Kusum Devi, a garment factory worker registered to vote in her native Uttar Pradesh, holds an Aadhaar card listing her Delhi address. "There's never been an issue before," she said, "but now I don't know what to expect."
Fear of exclusion-and worse
Beyond logistical hurdles, workers from West Bengal-where elections loom in months-voice deeper concerns. Yaser Ali, a utensil vendor, fears the SIR could entangle him in citizenship scrutiny amid ongoing crackdowns on alleged Bangladeshi immigrants. "No one wants to be labeled a foreigner by mistake," he said. The state's proximity to Bangladesh has historically fueled such anxieties, with hundreds arrested in recent months on suspicion of illegal migration.
Access to welfare schemes adds another layer of stress. Rajesh Kumar, a Delhi trade unionist, criticized the Election Commission's outreach as insufficient for a workforce lacking job security. "Help desks in major cities could bridge the gap," he suggested, noting India's 139 million migrant workers (per the 2011 census) face systemic barriers-numbers likely far higher today.
Process challenges and mixed signals
The EC insists the SIR prioritizes transparency, urging online verification for "electors not at their place of residence." Physical forms, it adds, can be submitted by family members. Yet most workers interviewed by the BBC dismissed digital options as "too risky" or unfamiliar. Confusion deepens with contradictory guidelines: while the SIR references rolls from 2002-2004, a 27 October EC order states "no documents are to be collected during enumeration," without elaboration.
Workers born after 2004 or lacking legacy records must now produce additional proof-birth certificates, school records, or parental documents-adding to the bureaucracy. Uma Muniam, a cook in Delhi, questions the feasibility: "Millions like me can't afford two trips in four months-once for SIR, again for elections."
Glimmers of hope amid uncertainty
Some remain cautiously optimistic. Ramdhin Prajapati, a factory worker voting in Uttar Pradesh (where polls aren't until 2027), views the SIR as a "one-time effort" with room for corrections. Others, like Rajendranath Mallick, have become ad-hoc guides in their communities. Mallick, preparing to visit his West Bengal village for the revision, fields requests from neighbors to verify their forms or check on submissions.
"If this helps, we want it done right. But how? The notice was too sudden."
Yaser Ali, migrant worker from West Bengal
Key figures and context
- 510 million voters affected across 12 states/union territories.
- 139 million+ migrant workers (2011 census), likely undercounted.
- West Bengal elections expected in early 2026; Uttar Pradesh polls in 2027.
- Document requirements: Birth certificates, school records, or parental proof for post-2004 voters.
