About 1,300 Adivasis and Muslims from Jharkhand marched from Mahatma Gandhi Marg at Rajghat to Ramlila Maidan on Sunday (November 1) morning, and back to Rajghat in the evening, to protest against the deletion of voters from the electoral rolls in the state, where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has created specific hurdles for tribal communities.

In Jharkhand, where many residents have limited access to formal documentation, “How are people supposed to prove their identity?” Shilpi Neha Tirkey, Jharkhand Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry & Co-operative, told The Indian Express. Shilpi led the group along with Jharkhand Congress working president Bandhu Tirkey.

There was prominent presence of women in the rally. (Express Photo: Madhurita Goswami)

Many residents, said Shilpi, did not fill out enumeration forms when Booth Level Officers (BLOs) visited. It came from a cultural belief: “We are the Adivasis, the first inhabitants and owners of this land.…