Daltonganj: A family from Daltonganj arrived at the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) camp at Palamu Club carrying a rare memento from history, a Second World War medal awarded to a former Indian Army soldier Munni Lal, hoping it would help establish their Indian lineage during the voter verification exercise.Ashwini Ghai (67) said his brother, Narender Kumar Ghai, visited the SIR camp again on Thursday in response to the notice with the war medal earned by their father, Munni Lall Ghai, along with a unit service record dated May 10, 1953. Two days ago as well, he went to the camp. “Our father served in the Indian Army as a havildar clerk. We originally hail from Amritsar and later settled in Palamu,” Ashwini said, adding that the names of six members of the family (all siblings — 3 brothers, 3 sisters) are under the no-mapping category.Recalling the reaction of officials at the camp, he said, “It was a mix of wonder, admiration and respect. The team appeared proud to see the service records and medal of an Indian soldier.”According to Ashwini, camp officials did not retain photocopies of either the unit record or the war medal. Instead, his brother submitted a copy of his passport as supporting documentation. The Ghai family falls under the “no mapping” category. Ashwini added, “The family remains hopeful that records presented will facilitate prompt verification.”Assistant electoral registration officer Amardeep Walhotra, stationed at the Palamu Club SIR camp, said, “Progeny mapping remains particularly challenging among migrant and labour-class electors because many lack documentary records. There are cases where people mention that their parents receive pension benefits. In such instances, we ask them to submit supporting documents related to the pension.”Officials said work at the Palamu Club camp has been progressing smoothly compared to some other centres where applicants have faced longer queues and confusion. Women are also increasingly visiting camps on behalf of male family members who are away for employment.On Thursday, a woman elector who had received news of a death in the family was allowed to complete her verification out of turn and was relieved within minutes, officials said.Palamu’s five assembly constituencies together have 72,760 electors in the no-mapping category. Daltonganj assembly constituency accounts for the highest number at 21,090, followed by Chhatarpur with 18,086. The figures for Panki, Bishrampur and Hussainabad are 9,519, 11,073 and 12,992, respectively.
