In Murshidabad, West Bengal, 64-year-old Md. Daud Ali sits in his home with a neat pile of documents. These papers include his military discharge certificates, ID proofs, and family records. For over 20 years, he held a rifle to protect India’s borders. Now, these papers are his only defence. Daud Ali is a retired Indian Army Havildar and a veteran of the 1999 Kargil War. Today, he is fighting a very different battle, a confusing and slow government system that has removed him from the voter list.
When he was younger, Ali was a guard for the nation. During the summer of 1999, he fought in the freezing heights of Kargil. Two years later, in 2001, a mortar shell exploded near him during a border clash. This blast left him with a permanent ear injury, a daily reminder of his sacrifice. However, today, the country he fought for is asking him to prove he belongs here, as reported
As reported by The Indian Express, Ali’s name was suddenly removed from the voter list.
“I served this nation for 21 years, one month and one day. Yet today, my nationality – and my family’s – is being questioned,” Daud Ali as, told the Indian Express.
How a spelling mistake caused big problems
Ali’s problem did not start because he lacked documents or did anything illegal. It started because of a simple clerical mistake. When Ali checked the voter rolls recently, he was shocked to see his name was gone. The reason? A small spelling mistake in his father’s name in the official records. In a strict (selective) system that relies on computer data, a single wrong letter is enough to erase a citizen’s right to vote.
The problem gets worse when looking at his family history. Ali’s mother was a recognised citizen, and her name was on the 2002 voter list. She passed away in 2008. After finding out his name was deleted, Ali did exactly what the government asked.
“My mother’s name is in the voter list of 2002. I was called for a hearing in Baharampur. I submitted all the documents. But then not only mine but my son and two daughters’ names have all been deleted,” Ali told The Indian Express
The worst part of this rule is how it affects the whole family. Because Ali’s citizenship was questioned, his children’s records were checked and rejected too. As The Telegraph has reported regarding voter list issues in the state, a simple error for one person can take away the voting rights of an entire family.
“Because my name was removed, both of my daughter’s and a son’s names were struck off as well,” he told The Indian Express
Today, out of a family of five, only his 50-year-old wife, Minuwara Khatun, is still on the voter list. Ali and his three children have effectively lost their voting rights.
A stuck system: tribunals that do not work
Ali’s case is not the only one. The huge number of deletions shows a system that seems to focus more on removing names than helping real citizens. The government says people who were wrongly removed can appeal. They can go to special appellate tribunals to get their names back on the list.
However, the 19 appellate tribunals set up for these cases have not started working yet. For people like Ali, who have carefully gathered all their military and family records, there is nowhere to submit them. He tried to file a legal case with a tribunal, but nothing has happened. The offices are not active.
“I don’t know what else I can do or whom shall I approach,” a tired Ali told The Indian Express.
The state wants him to prove his citizenship, but the offices meant to check his proof are not open. For a former soldier used to clear rules and taking action, this endless wait is deeply insulting.
Bigger problems for democracy
For Ali, this is especially painful. The Indian Army gave him an identity. His military ID, pension papers, and medical records from his 2001 war injury all prove he served India. Yet, these strong proofs do not seem to matter to the local election office. The government pays his military pension but takes away his right to vote.
Without a working way to appeal, being “deleted” is a final punishment. Families like Ali’s are left stuck, waiting for a solution.
The heavy cost of disappointment
Today, his biggest burden is not just the physical tiredness of visiting government offices. It is deep disappointment. He realises that decades of loyal service and war injuries can be wiped out by a simple spelling mistake.
“It is deeply disappointing. After dedicating a long part of my life to serving the Indian army, this is the situation I find myself in today,” the veteran shared, summarising the quiet heartbreak of a forgotten hero.
As the country prepares for upcoming elections, will the state fix its mass mistakes before the next vote? Will the offices open so this veteran can prove who he is? Until then, Md. Daud Ali remains a soldier waiting again. This time, he is not waiting for orders to fight, but waiting for the basic right to call himself an Indian.
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