THURSDAY, 16 JULY 2026

Indian national, not citizen? Theatre of the absurd

Published Jun 25, 2026
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According to the government of India, Aadhar card is not a proof of citizenship, PAN card is not a proof of citizenship, driving licence is not a proof of citizenship and Voter ID card is also not a proof of citizenship. Now the Ministry of External Affairs proclaims that even possession of passport does not confer citizenship rights, it is only a document to enable international travel and establish identity abroad. A passport that is issued after submission of ten corroborative documents, a police verification, stringent vetting, collection of your biometrics for the records and declares you as an "Indian National" is not a proof of citizenship? So you are an Indian national but you are not an Indian citizen ; this is a veritable theatre of the absurd. What exactly is the proof of citizenship then? Your Facebook/Instragram ID? Maybe the government is now planning to bring a 'citizenship card' so that the population has to again run from pillar to post to prove that they are citizens of the country they live in.


VINAY DWIVEDI,  Benaulim 


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