Kerala election authorities are carrying out intensive campaigns to allay the fears of thousands of NRIs and their families, either living in Kerala or abroad, even as the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls looms large over them.

In the wake of the enumeration for the SIR underway in Kerala, the NRI community is grappling with fear that they could get eliminated.

Several lakhs of NRI families, who are settled abroad leaving their houses locked up in Kerala, are concerned whether their names would be included in the electoral rolls.

Election authorities in the State are campaigning intensively to clear the air. In a social media post, Chief electoral officer Rathan U. Kelkar said, “During verification, it will be sufficient if relatives or relatives’ relatives provide the necessary clarification. Indian citizens residing abroad with their families can submit the enumeration form online.”

Reliable sources said that Kerala, which has an estimated 30 lakh NRIs, may follow the Tamil Nadu government’s move of legally opposing SIR.

It is to be noted that the Kerala Assembly unanimously passed a resolution against SIR, in September. At an all-party meeting convened by the Kerala chief electoral officer CPI(M) and Congress recently, it was discussed that there could be vested interests of the BJP government at the Centre, with the local body polls in the state just round the corner. – editor@nrifocus.com