Editorial
India’s democracy is facing serious questions as a massive voter list revision exercise unfolds across several states. Officially called a Special Intensive Revision, the process is presented as a routine administrative effort to update electoral rolls. However, opposition parties argue that it is far more than paperwork. They warn that it could weaken democratic participation, especially among poor and minority citizens, and tilt elections in favour of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
At the heart of the controversy is the fear that the voter revision is being used as a hidden citizenship test. Opposition leaders claim that millions of people, particularly Muslims and other marginalised communities, risk being removed from voter lists by being labelled as illegal immigrants. The BJP’s ideological push toward a Hindu nationalist state has amplified these concerns, as critics see the process fitting into a broader political strategy rather than a neutral administrative task.
The debate has become sharper after earlier revisions in states like Bihar, where millions of voters were removed, many of whom later turned out to be alive and eligible. Despite official explanations, distrust remains high. In West Bengal, where elections are approaching and the BJP has struggled to gain power, the state government has accused the centre of trying to influence results through fear and confusion. Reports of distress, panic, and even deaths linked to the exercise have added a human cost to what is being framed as a technical process.
The government denies discrimination and insists it is protecting democracy by removing duplicate, deceased, or illegal voters. Yet statements from senior leaders about “detect, delete, and deport” have deepened anxieties, especially when minorities hear different messages than majority communities.
Elections depend not just on rules, but on trust. If citizens begin to fear that voting itself could threaten their citizenship, democracy suffers. India’s strength has always been its inclusive electoral system. Preserving that trust is now the real test facing the country.
