SIR poses special challenges for the most backward nomadic communities in Karnataka

BLOs interacting with members of nomadic communities at Yaragatti village in Belagavi district of Karnataka. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Members of some nomadic tribes in Belagavi district are facing difficulties in registering their names in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka. They have been shifting between various towns and villages, and do not have proper documents about their address or where they voted last. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are advising them to go to the districts where they lived in 2002, the last time an SIR was conducted.BLOs, who met some members of the Durugmurgi and Abbepari communities at Yaragatti on Bagalkot road, found that none of them could read or write. “A lot of them do not have any of the documents that could serve as proof of residence. Some have never enrolled as voters. They do not have Elector Picture Identity Cards (EPICs). Some do not even have Aadhaar cards. However, those who have their names registered have been voting with voter slips, health insurance smart cards or job cards,” an officer on SIR duty told The Hindu.“Some live in tin shed houses built on farm land, while some dwell in huts along the highway. They take up odd jobs like farm labour, bartering toys in exchange for human hair, caring for slippers outside temples, or begging. They seem to be more worried about losing ration cards than about not having EPICs. We had to explain that non-inclusion in the electoral rolls could potentially lead to stoppage of government benefits,” another officer said. According to an officer on SIR duty, members of the nomadic communities seem to be more worried about losing ration cards than about not having Elector Picture Identity Cards. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT “BLOs will include the names of voters who have documents connecting them to Belagavi district. But those whose names are in Bagalkot district are being advised to go to constituencies there to submit their enumeration forms,” said a supervising officer. A group of volunteers from Eddelu Karnataka visited members of the communities and spoke to their leaders in an effort to help them out.“Our volunteers sat with some of them, obtained details, and filled the forms of those who had received them,” said M.M. Makandar, convener. “We also managed to submit the forms to BLOs. However, several eligible adults are yet to submit forms. We have appealed to the BLOs to help them out. There are some families without phone numbers. We have requested them to consider pooling members of joint families and enrolling them with one phone number,” he added.“Most of our families do not have a permanent address as we keep moving every season. However, even those who have settled in some villages and towns have been left out,’’ said community leader Maruti Hussein Durugmurugi. He said that he had got an enumeration form but his wife Seetavva had not. The Durugmurgi community is among the most backward Scheduled Tribe communities.“Nomadic and tribal communities are facing problems producing necessary documents. Some are unable to fill enumeration forms. Officers have not issued enumeration forms in several villages, especially those in remote areas and inside forests,” said Alla Baksh Siddi, a member of the Siddi community.Belagavi Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan said he would take up the matter on priority and instruct officers to find a solution to the issue. “We have directed officers to ensure that special care be taken to ensure that members of nomadic tribes, who do not usually reside in one place, are included on electoral rolls. We are adopting some measures to ensure inclusion of nomadic communities and migrant labourers. Special instructions have been given to BLOs to see that eligible voters in these communities are not left out of the SIR exercise. Even if one member of a family is traced, they are being asked to fill the forms of all their family members,” he stated. Published - July 31, 2026 04:31 pm IST