Gujarat civil society groups and legal experts are uniting to challenge the Election Commission’s controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the Supreme Court, citing fears of voter exclusion, discrimination, and democratic backsliding.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
AHMEDABAD: A gathering of Gujarat civil society activists, lawyers, and human rights groups has decided to approach the Supreme Court against the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The meeting, held in Ahmedabad, raised serious concerns that the exercise could disenfranchise marginalized communities and undermine the universal right to vote.
Announcing the move, senior High Court advocate Anand Yagnik, who heads the Gujarat chapter of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), said a committee has been formed to study the legal and social impact of the SIR.
“While the SIR exercise began in Gujarat on November 4 and will continue for a month, we plan to file a supporting petition in the Gujarat High Court or the Supreme Court after observing its progress,”
Yagnik said.
The announcement followed an appeal by Supreme Court advocate Shahrukh Alam, who is already arguing a case against SIR in the apex court. Alam urged civil society groups in Gujarat to join the nationwide movement to challenge what she called an “unconstitutional and exclusionary exercise.”
Alam emphasized that SIR, introduced despite a routine revision earlier this year, should be viewed as part of a larger erosion of democratic rights in India.
“The space for free speech is shrinking. The state now seeks to decide everything—what to wear, what to eat, whom to marry. And now, who qualifies as a voter,”
she said.
ALSO READ: BREAKING | Bihar SIR | “ECI to Include Aadhaar as 12th Document”: Supreme Court
According to Alam, the onus of proving citizenship has shifted from the state to citizens. Traditionally, teachers and officials went door-to-door collecting names without asking for documents. Under SIR, however, voters must now provide one of 11 specified documents—excluding Aadhaar and ration cards—to remain eligible.
“The ECI cannot act arbitrarily. The Representation of the People Act never required citizens to prove their citizenship. This reversal is unconstitutional,”
Alam said.
Activists from Bihar, where the SIR was first implemented in June 2024, warned that the process has already caused massive voter exclusions. Sarfarazuddin, of PUCL Bihar, said that people were asked to prove they were listed on the 2003 electoral rolls, or else submit additional documents. The exclusion of Aadhaar and ration cards, he said, made compliance nearly impossible for poor and illiterate communities.
“The Manjhi community has only 10% literacy. Many people had to pay bribes to get documents. This process is designed to exclude the poor,”
he alleged.
He also shared disturbing reports of discrimination, including a case where a booth-level officer (BLO) was told not to accept Muslim residents’ forms until public protests forced the administration to backtrack.
Initially, around 64 lakh voters were excluded from the Bihar draft list. Many were later reinstated after protests and legal challenges, but the Supreme Court case remains pending.
ALSO READ: BREAKING| Bihar SIR Row: Supreme Court to Hear Case on November 11
Several speakers highlighted how women, minorities, and nomadic or migrant communities could be disproportionately affected.
“An 86-year-old widow lost both her voter ID and pension because her name was missing from the draft list,” said Sarfarazuddin. “The ECI even requires parental proof for married women—how will poor women manage that?”
Local activists echoed similar fears for Gujarat. Mujahid Nafees, General Secretary of PUCL Gujarat, raised concerns about the fisherfolk of Bet Dwarka, whose houses were recently demolished despite valid Aadhaar-linked addresses.
“No one knows what will happen to their voting rights now,”
he said.
Pankti Jog from the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) questioned how the ECI could ensure fair roll revisions amid large-scale internal migration in Gujarat. Economist Hemant Shah asked whether the real goal of SIR was “to prepare an accurate voter list or to verify citizenship.”
Speakers at the meeting described the SIR as part of a broader attack on democracy, constitutional rights, and secular citizenship. They called on citizens to build awareness, file petitions, and resist voter disenfranchisement.
“Voting is a right, not a privilege to be earned through paperwork,” Alam said. “The state must ensure inclusion, not exclusion.”
Read More Reports On Bihar Voter List Row
