Aadhaar, voter ID and the vanishing citizen: When democracy demands you prove you exist

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* 

We are told we live in the world’s largest democracy, but how democratic is a system where nothing truly goes “on record”? Where official documents—issued by government authorities after extensive due diligence—are both necessary for daily survival and simultaneously declared insufficient when it comes to the most fundamental right: voting.

Take Aadhaar, for instance. For years, it was thrust upon us as the ultimate proof of existence. You could not operate a bank account, use a mobile phone, or even check into a hotel without it. Aadhaar was the cornerstone of modern Indian identity. There was even a move to link it with Voter ID, ostensibly to make voting “easier.” But now, in states like Bihar, we find ourselves in a bizarre reversal—Aadhaar appears to have become niradhar (baseless), incapable of validating our eligibility to vote.

The contradictions are staggering. Ration cards, Voter IDs, Aadhaar—all official documents—are now deemed inadequate as proof to exercise one’s democratic right. What does that say about the credibility of these documents? More importantly, what does it say about the system that issued them?

Adding to the absurdity is the fragmented structure of electoral rolls. A person may be listed in the Lok Sabha voter list but vanish during assembly or municipal elections. In our own household, three family members had to cast votes at two different polling booths during the last general elections. This inconsistency suggests not just administrative inefficiency but an erosion of trust in democratic processes.

It is understandable that electoral rolls must be updated. But must the Election Commission make the process so convoluted? If a person has been issued an Aadhaar or Voter ID card by a government department, and if those documents were procured fraudulently, the culpability lies not just with the individual but with the issuing officials. Yet, as always, the so-called “steel frame” of bureaucracy walks away without a scratch—accountability remains a foreign concept.

We are not just talking about clerical errors. We're talking about millions being denied their constitutional right to vote. No clarity is offered on how voter numbers suddenly swell in some regions while mysteriously shrinking in others. In today’s India, the burden of proof falls squarely on the citizen. The individual is forced to prove, time and again, that they are still alive—metaphorically and literally.

Worse still, there are cases where people are declared dead just so others can claim insurance or property. In Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, such a racket was recently exposed. In Madhya Pradesh, government funds meant for snakebite victims were siphoned off in the names of fake deaths. Such examples lay bare the larger malaise—our administrative system seems less interested in serving people than in exploiting them.

But the crisis is not limited to bureaucratic failure; it's a social one too. We’ve become a highly politicised society, not in the sense of informed citizenry, but in the sense of blind loyalty to political camps. Public debate has degenerated into online shouting matches where the only role left for the ordinary citizen is to clap for their chosen leader. Dissent is mocked, and genuine concern is drowned in partisan noise.

Democracy thrives not on exclusion but on inclusion. The power of an individual lies in the ability to exercise their rights—not beg for them. A government that claims to represent the people must facilitate voting, not frustrate it. Electoral participation should be maximised, not obstructed.

The situation in Bihar, where voters are being denied their rights despite having valid government-issued IDs, must be urgently addressed. If Aadhaar, Voter ID, and ration cards are not enough, then the onus is on the government to explain what is. And if these documents are being misused, then punish those who facilitated it—not the innocent citizen trying to cast a vote.

The question now is: Will the Supreme Court step in to uphold the people’s right to vote?

Or will the common Indian continue to die a thousand administrative deaths before their real one?

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*Human rights defender