The first round in the battle over the ongoing revision of Bihar’s electoral rolls has gone to the subalterns. They were quick to grasp the import of the Election Commission of India’s declaration that all those not listed in the 2003 electoral rolls must submit documents proving their citizenship to register as voters. They read in the declaration an example of elite manipulation to deprive them of their right to vote — and stoke doubts about their citizenship. The “wretched of the earth” displayed their anger, even suggesting they could take to the streets, prompting the ECI to stage a climbdown.

This is the conclusion to be drawn from the advertisement the ECI issued yesterday, July 6, informing the people of Bihar that they need not submit citizenship documents, in case they didn’t have them, for enrolling as voters. Yet it’s a battle only half-won, for all of them must submit an Enumeration Form, introduced for the first time, to even qualify as voters. Worse, the ECI’s advertisement doesn’t unequivocally state that the citizenship test has been rescinded.

Indeed, the subalterns may still have to fight many more rounds before they can be certain of having nixed the ECI’s game plan of creating a playing field favouring the elite. Nothing less than the withdrawal of the citizenship test would satisfy the subalterns.