Passport fails to get NRI staying in Kuwait pass marks from SIR

Kolkata: For 28-year-old Sayan Sarkar, a hotel employee in Kuwait for the past seven years, life has been thrown into uncertainty after his name was deleted from the electoral rolls. Originally from Buniadpur in the Harirampur assembly constituency of South Dinajpur, Sayan said the problem extends beyond him — his parents and sister have also found their names missing from the voters' list.

Speaking to TOI over phone, Sayan said he had been increasingly anxious, especially since his passport was valid only until July 2027. He feared that without a valid voter ID, renewing his passport could become difficult, putting both his job and possibility of returning home at risk. "If I cannot renew my passport, how will I continue working here? And how will I return to India?" he asked, adding that he urgently needed his name restored in the electoral roll.


Sayan last voted in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He said his family initiated the adjudication process for re-enrolment, but even his mother, Chinta Sarkar, was removed from the list. His father, Sanatan Sarkar, appealed during the hearing and submitted all documents. Despite this, his name was not included. His father, a small trader who also works as a toto driver, is now preparing to approach the tribunal. According to Sayan, local BJP leaders had assured assistance, but no progress has been made so far.

The family has lived in Harirampur since the mid-1980s, but Sayan claimed his father's name was left out during the 2002 SIR process. He expressed frustration that even passports are reportedly not being accepted as proof of citizenship. With his father's passport nearing expiry, the family fears further hurdles.

Desperate, Sayan is now considering applying for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act, citing family roots in Bangladesh.
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