Bihar SIR: India’s Democracy in Crisis and the Systematic Disenfranchisement of Minorities Specifically Muslims

In November 2025, India’s claim of being the “world’s largest democracy” was challenged under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Bihar, the poorest state, became the testing ground for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, which turned into a tool for disenfranchising millions, particularly Muslims, Dalits, and Christians. This editorial examines how SIR reflects the Modi government’s systematic effort to suppress minority rights while maintaining the illusion of democracy.

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR): A Disguised Political Purge

The Election Commission of India (ECI) claimed the SIR was for “voter verification,” but it was clear that the process was politically motivated.
♦ Mass Voter Deletions: In just a few weeks, 6.8 million voters were removed, 8% of Bihar’s electorate, making this a politically-driven purge, not a routine check.
♦ Targeting Specific Groups: The deletions disproportionately affected minorities, especially Muslims and Dalits, aiming to reduce their political influence in Bihar.

Targeting Minority Communities: A Systematic Approach

The SIR process deliberately excluded minority voters, revealing its discriminatory nature.
♦ Erasure of Muslims and Dalits: Muslims, making up 17% of Bihar’s population, accounted for 25% of the voter deletions. In Muslim-majority areas like Seemanchal, the rates were even higher.
♦ Statistical Discrimination: In regions like Kishanganj, the deletion rate for Muslims was almost double that for non-Muslims, showing clear bias in the process.

The Disastrous Impact on Ordinary Citizens

The consequences for ordinary citizens were severe, with many losing their basic rights.
♦ The Case of Clarence Toppo: Clarence Toppo, a Christian Dalit, found that his name, along with his mother’s, was removed from the voter rolls without explanation. This erasure was based on his family’s minority status.
♦ Human Cost: Many, especially the elderly, lost their pensions and access to services due to the deletions, highlighting the deep impact of this process.

The Role of Hate Speech in the “Verification” Process

BJP leaders used hate speech to justify the targeted disenfranchisement of minorities.
♦ Government Rhetoric: BJP leaders, including Union Minister Giriraj Singh, called Muslims “demons,” promoting a hostile environment that justified their exclusion.
♦ State-Supported Hostility: This rhetoric was not just political but aligned with state policy, further enabling the disenfranchisement of Muslims and other minorities.

Erasing Citizenship: The Larger Picture of Exclusion

The voter deletions in Bihar were part of a larger strategy to strip Muslims and Dalits of their citizenship rights.
♦ Link to NRC and CAA: The SIR is tied to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), both designed to target Muslims and label them as “illegal.”
♦ Statelessness: The deletions raise the risk of millions, especially Muslims, being declared stateless, with their citizenship and political rights in jeopardy.

Bihar as a Testing Ground for Nationwide Voter Elimination

What started in Bihar is now spreading to other states, threatening millions of voters nationwide.
♦ Expansion of SIR: After Bihar, the SIR process is being extended to 12 more states, which could disenfranchise up to 90 million people, mostly Muslims and Dalits.
♦ Widespread Exclusion: With a literacy rate of 70%, many people cannot check their status, making it impossible for them to reclaim their voting rights, ensuring that large sections of society remain excluded.

Opposition Resistance and Civil Society Pushback

The scale of the disenfranchisement has led to protests and opposition from civil society groups.
♦ Protests and Opposition Mobilization: Opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi have led protests in Bihar against the SIR, with civil society groups working to inform disenfranchised voters.
♦ National Campaign for Voting Rights: The issue has sparked a nationwide movement, calling for a resistance to the Modi government’s voter elimination tactics.

The Real Motive: Electoral Ethnic Cleansing

What is happening in Bihar is not just administrative reform; it is a deliberate effort to erase entire communities from the political process.
♦ Electoral Ethnic Cleansing: The mass deletions are part of an effort to create a Hindu-majority state by systematically excluding Muslims, Dalits, and other minorities from the electoral process.
♦ Manipulating Democracy: The government is reshaping democracy to benefit only those who align with the BJP’s ideology, ensuring that the ruling party remains in power by eliminating opposition.

Conclusion: The Illusion of Democracy in Modi’s India

The SIR exercise in Bihar is just one example of how India’s democracy is being manipulated by the Modi government to suit its political interests. The removal of millions of voters, particularly from minority communities, shows the true face of a government that claims to champion democracy while silencing its critics. The SIR is not an administrative reform but an attempt at electoral ethnic cleansing. It aims to exclude the voices of Muslims, Dalits, and other minorities. As the Modi government continues to use state power to consolidate its position, India’s democratic credentials are rapidly eroding. The people of India must fight to protect their right to vote, ensuring that the country’s democracy remains inclusive and representative of all its citizens.