Veteran journalist and former Editor of The Telegraph, R. Rajagopal, found himself excluded from West Bengal’s electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. What followed, he says, was not merely the loss of his vote, but the suspension of several fundamental civic rights, including the renewal of his passport.
In this conversation with Teesta Setalvad, Rajagopal recounts his personal ordeal and reflects on the wider implications of SIR exercises now being discussed and expanded across multiple states. The discussion explores the relationship between electoral rolls, citizenship, passport verification, welfare entitlements and democratic rights.
The conversation also raises difficult questions: Why is there so little transparency around SIR processes? What happens when administrative verification begins to determine access to rights? Where are the media and political opposition in this debate? And if this can happen to a veteran journalist with decades of documentation, what does it mean for millions of ordinary citizens?