Arunachal BJP backs SIR to check 'outsiders' on voter rolls

The Arunachal Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has backed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, citing the need for accurate voter lists amid concerns over the inflow of "illegal migrants", The Hindu reported.

What the BJP said

Speaking at a party meeting in East Kameng district on Monday, October 19, BJP state general secretary Tadar Niglar said the SIR was important for keeping voter lists correct and up to date and for protecting the integrity of elections.

"Electoral roll revision is a structured process and should not be misrepresented as an arbitrary exercise," he said, adding that its procedural safeguards gave eligible voters the chance to file claims or objections before the final roll is published.

"Is it wrong to remove bogus or duplicate voter entries from electoral rolls or to verify the eligibility of voters whose particulars cannot be established through the prescribed verification process?" he asked.

He said the aim of the revision was to ensure every eligible citizen is registered and the rolls are free of duplicate and ineligible entries, and asked party workers to explain the exercise to the public responsibly.

Attack on Opposition

Niglar criticised protests by the Cockroach Janta Party and the Congress-led INDIA bloc as politically motivated, alleging that the Opposition was trying to create chaos rather than engaging with the revision. He said their actions reflected frustration over their political prospects.

Why the SIR matters in Arunachal

Arunachal Pradesh has 26 major tribes and more than 120 sub-tribes, some with only a few thousand members. According to The Hindu, many of these communities see the SIR as a shield for their land, culture and identity against numerically larger "outsiders".

The state has seen tension between Arunachal Pradesh Scheduled Tribes (APSTs) and non-APSTs in areas bordering Assam. The SIR exercise also went through a tense phase in areas inhabited by Buddhist Chakmas and Hindu Hajongs, who were settled in the 1960s after being displaced from what was then East Pakistan.

Inner Line Permit

Arunachal is one of the states protected by the British-era Inner Line Permit (ILP) system, along with Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur. Outsiders need the permit to visit for a limited period. There have been allegations of people entering the state secretly or with forged documents, leading to demands for stricter ILP enforcement.