Proof Maange More: Life in the SIR’s File-Chakkar

When Saheb acts gazab with the very gazetted documents he issued yesterday, how can we trust the File-Chakkar he imposes on us today, asks Mujeeb Jaihoon.

The Never-Ending Quest to Prove We Exist

I often look at my desk and see a small mountain of plastic cards and paper certificates. There is the Passport, the Aadhar, the PAN card, and the Voter ID. Then there are the folders tucked away in cupboards containing the Birth Certificate, the Caste Certificate, and the Domicile papers. Each one was issued by the State. Each one was meant to be the “final” word on who I am, where I live, and where I belong.

Yet, despite this paper trail that stretches back to the day of our birth, we find ourselves standing at yet another crossroads of suspicion. The latest shadow to fall over our peace of mind is the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

The Fatigue of Identification

For the average citizen, life is already a series of hurdles. We work, we raise families, and we contribute to the growth of this nation. We provide Proof of Identity (PoI), Proof of Address (PoA), and Proof of Date of Birth (DoB) more times than we care to count. We do it for a SIM card, for a bank account, and for the right to vote.

While a passport is globally recognized as the ultimate certificate of nationality, the current administrative climate in India is unique: the State often refuses to accept its own passport as conclusive proof, demanding that citizens reach back decades into their ancestry to prove they belong.

The introduction of the SIR feels like a blatant move to trouble those who are already weary. It is as if the State has forgotten that it was the one that issued the previous ten documents. Why must the native, whose roots are deep in this soil, be forced to prove their origin over and over again?

The Weight of Selective Scrutiny

What makes the Special Intensive Revision particularly unsettling is its lack of equilibrium. In a fair system, documentation is a universal standard. However, when a revision is labeled as “Special” or “Intensive,” it often ceases to be a general administrative update and begins to target specific demographics.

When certain communities or groups are singled out to re-prove their belonging, the process shifts from ‘verification’ to ‘harassment.’ It creates a biased system of citizenship where some live in quiet confidence while others live in non-stop anxiety, waiting for the next knock on the door or the next list to be published. This selective scrutiny only helps to sow seeds of alienation.

A State That Pokes Its Nose Too Far

There is a delicate balance between governance and intrusion. When the State begins to ‘poke its nose’ into the quiet corners of a citizen’s life, especially based on who they are or where they come from, it disrupts the very peace it is sworn to protect. This hyper-intervention is not just a bureaucratic inconvenience; it is a burden on the soul of the nation.

When a Government becomes obsessed with re-verifying the verified, it signals a lack of trust. And trust is a two-way street. If the State does not trust the documents it gave us yesterday, how can we trust the process it imposes on us today?

The Cost to National Development

We often talk about progress in terms of GDP and technology. But true national development is rooted in individual freedom.

If men and women are constantly looking over their shoulders, worried about whether their citizenship will be questioned tomorrow, they will hesitate before investing their hard-earned resources and time to the nation. A climate of uncertainty is the greatest enemy of growth. When we hamper the freedom of the individual with endless red tape, we slow down the heartbeat of the entire country.

A Call for Peace

We do not need more ‘special revisionary’ cards that treat natives as strangers. What we need is a State that honors the identity it has already granted us, regardless of our demographic background. Let us focus on building the future, rather than endlessly re-litigating our origins.

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Jan 01 2026