SIR Spotlights Identity Crisis Among Women From Other States Marrying Haryana Men

Many of these women have lived in Haryana for decades, raised families and voted in successive elections. But the absence of their names or those of their parents from the 2002 electoral rolls has left many struggling to establish their electoral identity.

14 Aug 2026, 14:49 · NDTV

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Haryana's electoral revision exposes issues for women married to men from other states
Many women lack parental electoral records, complicating their voter identity verification
Women face demands to prove linkage to old rolls despite long-term residence in Haryana

How can women update their records without relying on old parental documents?
Chandigarh:

Haryana's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has brought into focus a unique problem confronting women who came to the state from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam and other states after marriage.

Many of these women have lived in Haryana for decades, raised families and voted in successive elections. But the absence of their names or those of their parents from the 2002 electoral rolls has left many struggling to establish their electoral identity.

The issue has a particular resonance in Haryana, as the state has historically grappled with a skewed sex ratio and families in several districts have brought brides from other parts of the country. Many of these women effectively lost contact with their parental homes after marriage. Their parents may have died, families may have moved elsewhere, or old electoral records may be impossible to trace.

Now, as part of the SIR exercise, women who cannot establish the required linkage with old electoral rolls say they are being forced to prove an identity that they left behind decades ago.

In Kaithal's Seemla village, Sangeeta is one such woman. She came from West Bengal around 25 years ago after marriage and has lived in Haryana ever since. Her husband died two years ago, and she now survives by stitching clothes while living with her mother-in-law. She is also a beneficiary of widow pension.

"I came from West Bengal after marriage 25 years ago. My parents died when I was only five. Now they are asking for their voter records. Where am I supposed to get those records from?" she asks, fearing that deletion of her vote could create further problems for her.

Her mother-in-law, Rajjo Devi, says the circumstances behind Sangeeta's marriage were themselves linked to Haryana's social reality. The family did not have a daughter to offer in a traditional marriage exchange, making it difficult to find a bride for their son. They eventually brought Sangeeta from Bengal.

"We could not keep our son unmarried. We brought her from Bengal 25 years ago. She has neither her husband nor children now. If her vote is deleted, how will she survive?" Rajjo Devi says.

Tulsi Devi, also from Kaithal, came from West Bengal 19 years ago. She has voted in panchayat, Assembly and Lok Sabha elections and has raised four children in Haryana. One daughter is married, while another is studying at a university.

She has documents establishing her identity and house in Haryana, but has been asked to establish her parental linkage.

"I have all my documents here and have been voting here for years. I am less worried about losing my own vote than about what this could mean for my children. What if tomorrow my parents' voter record becomes a mandatory document? Where will I get it from? I came here after marriage and never went back," she says.

Rinka, who came from Uttar Pradesh four years ago after marriage, has also received a notice. She says she has documents establishing her identity and residence in Haryana but has been told that her father's details do not match the old records.

Her concern is that deletion from the electoral roll could eventually create difficulties in accessing government schemes and other official documentation.

Also read: SIR Announced For All Remaining States, Except J&K, Ladakh, Himachal

The cases from Kaithal highlight a concern that is being raised more broadly by women married into Haryana from other states. While the exact number of women facing such difficulties is not yet clear, their experiences point to a potential problem with relying heavily on old family records in the verification process.

Under the SIR exercise, voters whose names cannot be linked to the 2002 electoral rolls through themselves or their parents may be required to submit documents establishing their eligibility. Officials say the documentation requirements vary according to the voter's date of birth.

Kaithal SDM Ajay Hooda says the draft electoral roll was prepared on July 31 and notices were subsequently issued to voters in different categories. Those born before July 1, 1987, can establish their eligibility through their own documents, while those born between July 1, 1987 and December 2, 2004, are required to submit documents relating to themselves as well as their parents.

The Election Commission has specified documents including government or PSU identity cards, older government-issued records, birth certificates, passports, educational certificates, permanent-residence certificates, caste certificates, family registers and land or house allotment documents.

Also read: Nationwide Special Intensive Revision Phase 1 Schedule To Be Out This Month: Sources

Two categories in the list, Forest Rights Certificates and records in the National Register of Citizens, do not apply in Haryana.

For these women, however, the issue goes beyond the possibility of losing a vote. Many arrived as young brides, never returned permanently to their parental homes and have since spent decades building their lives in Haryana. Their children were born and educated here, and their families, property and official documents are now linked to the state.

Across Haryana, the fear is that the absence of a decades-old document could turn into an identity crisis for women who came to the state as brides.

(With inputs from Sunil Ravish in Kaithal)

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