When a War Veteran is Asked to Prove His Identity: A Goa Story That Made Me Stop and Think

Former Indian Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash (Retd.) yes, the same man who once headed the Indian Navy and is a Vir Chakra awardee, received a notice from the Election Commission of India (ECI). The notice asked him to appear before election officials to establish his identity during Goa’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Now pause for a second. A former service chief, a decorated war veteran,a long-time resident of Goa yet a notice asked him to prove who he is. Naturally, this sparked conversation everywhere. And honestly, I get why.

What exactly is this SIR process?

Before jumping into conclusions, I think it’s important we should understand what was actually going on.

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a legally mandated exercise conducted by the ECI to update, verify and clean electoral rolls. It involves verifying voter's  details, removing all kinds of duplicates, correcting errors and ensuring that only eligible voters should be listed only. 

During Goa’s SIR, voters were asked to fill enumeration forms, including details such as:

•Existing EPIC (voter ID) numbers

•References to previous electoral rolls

•Proof of residence and eligibility, where required

If the system fails to automatically link a voter’s new form with older records, a notice is generated to ask the voter to appear and clarify his/her details.

According to the ECI, is exactly what happened here.

So Why Did Admiral Arun Prakash Get the Notice?

According to official explanations, the enumeration forms submitted by Admiral Prakash and his wife did not contain certain mandatory linkage details,specifically references to their earlier electoral roll entries. Because of this, the system could not automatically verify their continuity as voters.

The notice in whichthe ECI said, it was system-generated, routine and not targeted. In fact, thousands of similar notices were issued across Goa during the SIR process.

Still, when the name “Former Navy Chief” enters in the picture, it hits differently. And that’s where the public reaction came from.

What Did Admiral Prakash Say?

What impressed me, honestly it was the tone Admiral Prakash himself took.

He didn’t refuse to comply. He didn’t dramatize it, instead he stated publicly that he and his wife had filled the forms correctly. Further, he also pointed out that the SIR forms and process need improvement, especially for senior citizens and long-time voters.

He complied with the process and submitted the required documents also clarified his eligibility. Subsequent reports indicated that the matter was resolved and their names were expected to be included in the final electoral roll.

No confrontation, just a cooperation with constructive criticism.

Why This Episode Matters Beyond One Individual ? 

Now let me tell you why I think this incident matters.

This is not just about Admiral Arun Prakash. It’s about the tension between systems and individuals.

On one hand, the Election Commission is doing what it is constitutionally mandated to do i. e. to ensure clean and accurate electoral rolls. On the other hand, when highly credible citizens are asked to re-establish their identity, it exposes how impersonal automated systems can be.

It also raises valid questions:

Are SIR forms user-friendly?

Do they adequately account for elderly voters?

Can procedural rigor coexist with sensitivity?

None of these questions weaken democracy. In fact, asking them for sure strengthens it.

My Take is-

If you ask me, this incident is not a failure, it’s a mirror.

It shows us that rules apply to everyone which is good. But it also reminds us that processes must evolve, especially when technology drives governance.

Admiral Arun Prakash’s case became news not because the system broke down because it revealed where it can do better.

And maybe that’s the real takeaway here: democracy doesn’t just run on rules ,it runs on trust, transparency and the willingness to improve.

That’s why this story stayed with me. And that’s why I wanted to tell you about it.

Bhumi Arora

SOURCES : IndiaTV, NDTV, TIMES INDIA