'Should We Dig DNA From Graves': Iranian-Origin Voters Face Notices In Bihar

Two generations after families of Iranian descent settled in Bihar's Kishanganj, adapted to the food in the region, set up their businesses, brought up their children and voted in earlier elections, their descendants now face notices to prove their citizenship under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls.

Though their mother tongue is Persian, the Iranian families that live in Kishanganj call themselves Indians. As voter roll revision continues in Bihar, almost 30 people have been asked to submit documents to prove their citizenship.

Another resident Tahir Ali said that he and four others in his family were served notices despite the requisite documents being submitted to the authorities. While claiming that the harassment of his family to eventually brand them as foreigners, he asked, "Where will we go? Our grandparents and great-grandparents were on the voter list. We can only hope to be treated with justice."

For 20-year-old Shahina Parveen, who aims to pursue a B.Ed, the absence of her father's name from the voter list is posing hindrances. Another resident said all attempts to get their names added to poll records failed, adding that leaders who promise the resolution of their issues usually shirk off the promise within days. "Our ancestors were not illegal, they were not from Bangladesh. We are giving all the documents asked of us and are cooperating with the government. If they want DNA, we will take it out of our ancestors' graves, he said.

For Kamar Abbas, the frustration lies in the repeated removal of their names from the voter list. "Whenever we have received notices, we have provided proof of our citizenship. My name was in the 2003 voter list and then it was dropped. We then got it re-added. Every time our names are dropped despite giving documents, we are just told that the orders have come from higher authorities," he said.

Haider Ali, an Iranian man in Ward no 7 who received a similar notice, claimed the repeated deletion from voter rolls and the need to prove citizenship was a conspiracy to usurp their land. "My mother's name was on the 2003 voter list, but it was removed in 2005. Since 2005, anonymous applications were submitted to the administration to remove the names of several members of the Iranian community from the list, and they were sent notices seeking their response. We have all the documents requested in the SIR," he told NDTV.

The gemstone trader said that the lack of voter ID proves a hindrance in even finding a hotel when he travels to other states for work.

BJP leader Sushant Gop, while showing the list of notices, said that notices have been given to 28 people of Irani Basti and they will have to prove their citizenship by submitting the required papers. "Iranian people have been living here for around 40 years. 28 people have been identified, but their names have not been removed from the voter list. They have been asked to give documents of citizenship proof," he said.

Former MLA and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Mojahid Alam said that those who got notices should submit the documents they have as per the Supreme Court's order and the Election Commission will also work as per the same.

With inputs from Shabnam Khan