Seema Ray stood in her ramshackle hut, holding a letter as if it were a death sentence. The letter informed her that the Unique Identification Authority of
India had deactivated the Aadhaar allotted to her husband, Parimal Ray.
Seema was in shock. Two decades ago, the Ray family had migrated from Bangladesh to West Bengal. They had been living in Cooper’s Camp, a town in Ranaghat subdivision of West Bengal’s Nadia district, which borders Bangladesh. The Rays are part of the Namasudra community, also called Matuas, who number around 70 lakh in West Bengal.
For migrant families residing in districts along the state’s 2,217kmlong border with Bangladesh, Aadhaar is more than a survival kit. Having an Aadhaar protects them from uncomfortable questions regarding their migration. Acquiring Aadhaar is also the first step in letting migrant families grow roots on Indian soil.
Parimal’s Aadhaar was his family’s lifeline. It helped Seema work as domestic help, and Parimal as a labourer. Their son Anik, who has liver disease, requires medicines worth ₹2,000 a month. The Ray family fears that they could well cease to exist if Parimal’s Aadhaar is permanently deactivated.
Denne historien er fra May 12, 2024-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra May 12, 2024-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Political discourse needs red line
The state of political discourse presently on display must surely seem like the norm to younger Indians, who might not have had any exposure to a more tolerant, courteous brand of adversarial politicking. Yet, as their parents would know, this was not always so.
Road to Paris, via India
All roads at Paris Fashion Week seemed to lead to India this season, even as the world’s most celebrated fashion week wound up earlier this week.
PURE MAGIC
A Potterhead and a Downton Abbey fan remembers Dame Maggie Smith
All eyes on Sharvari
A ₹130-crore blockbuster, unequivocal acclaim for two other films, and an upcoming release with Alia Bhatt as co-star— here is the girl Bollywood can’t get enough of
Priyamvada, the glittering star
A sheepish confession: I was dreadfully unaware of the super celebrity status of the very attractive, highly accomplished co-speaker at the just concluded Jaipur Literature Festival International’s first edition in Seattle.
For God's sake, do something!
Plip!…. Plip!….Plip!” “Do Something! For God’s sake, do something!” she wailed.
IT'S SHOWTIME!
The Coldplay mania shows the power of live entertainment and its immense business opportunity
Trump will not concede if he loses narrowly
In his book, All in the Family, Fred C. Trump III, reminisces about the night when Donald Trump decided to run for president for the first time.
EAR TO THE NEIGHBOUR'S GROUND
Not just at Nanda Devi, America's CIA and India’s Intelligence Bureau set up listening devices to monitor China at Khardung La, too
LALU NO LONGER ACTIVE; NITISH ALMOST A LAME-DUCK CHIEF MINISTER
Sheikhpura House is, at the moment, one of the most sought-after addresses in Patna.
