71-year-old man ‘without a family’ dresses up as a groom in protest against family ID

GURGAON: It was a protest, but one unlike most others.

A 71-year-old labourer clad in a worn-out kurta but crowned with a sehra — a headdress typically worn by grooms in India — stood outside the Rewari deputy commissioner’s office last week. His demands for the administration: accept his application for a family ID or get him married to ensure that he gets the document.

The resident of Nayagaon village, Satbir Singh said he was on his own after his wife died six years ago. The couple’s three children – two sons and a daughter – weren’t in touch with him.

In June, Singh had tried to enroll for the Parivar Pehchan Patra (PPP), but was allegedly told he wasn’t eligible to get the family ID. PPP would allow him to get pension benefits for the elderly and a loan to renovate his home.

“I am unable to get any government benefits as I can’t enroll for a PPP… Ab Haryana sarkar ya toh mere akele ka family ID banva de, ya meri shaadi karva de (either the government grants me a family ID, or it gets me married),” Singh said on Tuesday.

Singh met deputy commissioner Mohammad Imran Raza on June 29 and submitted his “demand letter” addressed to Rewari administration’s Citizen Resource Information department, Directorate of Social Justice and Empowerment, DC and others.

Kailash, an advocate who is helping Singh, told TOI that the elderly man had applied for a family ID on June 21 and was told in a week that his request was denied as he was single.

“On June 29, he met the DC and handed over a demand letter to him. Majorly there are four demands: enroll to get PPP, government benefits, including old-age pension scheme and a loan to renovate his dilapidated home,” Kailash said.

When asked, the administration said it has already assured Singh that the denial of PPP was a mistake, and his request will be taken up.

According to Kailash, some officials from Chandigarh have called Singh and told him the problem will be sorted out soon.

“The man had met me last week and we have already assured him that his issue will be addressed. This is probably a technical problem as the government issues family IDs to a single person as well,” said Raza.

“I have asked ADC (additional deputy commissioner) to look into the matter and ensure a physical verification at the earliest, so that Singh is enrolled for Parivar Pehchan Patra. It may take some time, but he will get all the benefits,” Raza said.