Manipur SIR: The logistical challenge of verifying displaced voters in a conflict zone

As the Election Commission of India initiates the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, questions emerge on how officials will ensure the inclusion of thousands of citizens displaced by ethnic violence.

The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Manipur has placed the Election Commission of India (ECI) in a complex situation. While the exercise aims to update electoral rolls through standard door-to-door verification, the ground reality in the state remains marred by the ethnic violence that began in May 2023. With approximately 60,000 people currently living in displacement, officials are grappling with the question of how to conduct the process for those who can no longer return to their homes.

The struggle of enumeration in ghost settlements

The primary hurdle for the state’s election machinery is the physical state of many voters’ residences. In areas where entire communities have fled, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) face the grim reality of "ghost settlements" where homes have been burnt, bombed, or reduced to rubble. Standard protocols require photographic verification of a voter’s residence, a task that becomes impossible when the structure itself has been destroyed.

Recognizing these hurdles, the Manipur Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office has reached out to the ECI, seeking a formal Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to guide the enumeration of these internally displaced people (IDPs). While the verification process continues for the rest of the state, it remains effectively on hold for the thousands of displaced citizens until clear directives are issued from the commission.

Concerns over disenfranchisement

The Kuki Inpi Manipur and other advocacy groups, such as the Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR), have voiced significant apprehension regarding the current process. These organizations warn that relying on traditional house-to-house visits could lead to the unintentional exclusion of displaced people. With many families currently sheltering in relief camps across the valley and hills, or even in neighbouring states like Mizoram and Meghalaya, the risk of "differential deletion" from the rolls remains a primary concern.

There is a widespread fear that without a displacement-sensitive protocol, the electoral participation of this vulnerable population will be severely compromised. Kuki groups have argued that the government should have prioritized creating accessible, inclusive mechanisms before launching the SIR, emphasizing that proceeding under the current circumstances undermines the principles of democratic representation.

Potential path forward

To mitigate these risks, the CEO’s office has advised districts to appoint special Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs). These officers are tasked with exclusively managing cases involving IDPs and facilitating the digitization of documents that were lost or destroyed during the unrest. Authorities have noted that since many records are already available online, the administrative task of verifying eligibility is feasible, provided there is a structured, uniform approach for the displaced.

Approximately 18,000 of the 60,000 displaced individuals are estimated to be eligible voters. As the state moves toward a draft roll publication on July 5 and a final list in September, the ECI’s response to the request for an SOP will be the deciding factor in whether these citizens can successfully participate in future electoral processes.