“D-voters” are those who have been flagged by the Election Commission of India (ECI) as “doubtful voters” in the Indian state of Assam. There are a number of reasons why the citizenship of these people is in doubt, including inconsistencies in their documentation or an absence of appropriate proof of citizenship.
Verifying the citizenship status of persons entails a thorough examination of voter lists and supporting documentation in order to identify D-voters. When a person’s citizenship is questioned, they are designated as D-voters and removed from the voter lists until their citizenship is established.
In Assam, the problem of D-voters is directly related to the broader problem of illegal immigration, especially from Bangladesh. Assam has seen waves of migration throughout the years, which has caused the indigenous community to worry about demographic shifts and the loss of cultural identity. The identification of D-voters is one aspect of the efforts made to identify and solve the issue of illegal immigration as a result.
But identifying D-voters has proven to be a very difficult procedure. Critics claim that it has resulted in human rights breaches and arbitrary exclusions, which mostly impact underprivileged populations. True Indian nationals have occasionally been mistakenly identified as D-voters, which has resulted in court disputes and protracted doubt over their citizenship status.
All things considered, the D-voter problem is complicated, still up for discussion, and is under close legal examination in Assam. It is a reflection of larger conflicts in the area about immigration, citizenship, and identity.
