These would count as among the most eventful 15 days in the life of Mir Haji Kasam a.k.a Haji Ramakdu a.k.a Haji Rathod.
On January 13, BJP Junagadh Municipal Corporation member Sanjay Manvar filed an objection to the inclusion of Kasam’s name in the voter rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in the state. On January 25, the eve of Republic Day, Kasam, a noted dholak player, was announced as one of this year’s Padma Shri winners by the Centre. On January 28, Manvar was in the audience as Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel felicitated Kasam at an event held at Junagadh Agricultural University.
Among those who met Kasam at the event, attended by several BJP leaders and ministers, was Junagadh District Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) Charansinh Gohil. He told The Indian Express he had assured “Kasambhai” that he had nothing to worry.
Around 80,000 forms raising objections to names in voter rolls in Junagadh district have been received as part of the SIR, officials said, and would be processed and verified now before the final list is released.
Kasam, who is in his 70s, could hardly conceal his happiness at how things had turned out. Expressing his gratitude for the Padma Shri and Wednesday’s felicitation, he said: “I am not worried about my name not being in the voter list. I have full faith in the government and they will be good to me.”
Manvar, the corporator from Junagadh’s Ward No. 7, has been trying to downplay his objection to Kasam’s name in his area’s voter rolls since the Padma Shri news came. On Wednesday, he met the dholak player at the BJP office in Junagadh, after the university felicitation event, with photographs appearing of the two of them together.
Speaking with The Indian Express earlier, Manvar had expressed his regret at not being able to meet Kasam at the university event. “I saw CM Patel felicitating Hajibhai Ramakdu. I could not contact him before the event, as he was surrounded by district officials, and after the event, a BJP leader gave me some work, so I left early. In future, if I get a chance, I will definitely meet him.”
Manvar reiterated that it was confusion due to the many names by which Kasam went that led him to file the objection regarding the voter list. He stated in it that “Hajibhai Rathod and his family” had permanently shifted from Ward No. 7, in whose rolls they were included. Manvar also said that there was no provision for withdrawal of objections in the SIR process.
Mir Haji Kasam with corporator Sanjay Manvar at the BJP Junagadh office. (Express Photo)
“We all know him (Kasam) as Hajibhai Ramakdu, but on the electoral list his name is Hajibhai Rathod. We (BJP workers) personally verified that no person by the name of Hajibhai Rathod resided at the address in Ward No. 7, and that the residents there are Mir Hajibhai Kasambhai and his family. I thought that somebody might misuse his name,” he told The Indian Express, adding that it was up to officials now to rectify the issue.
ERO Gohil confirmed that they had received the Form No. 7 submitted by Manvar raising an objection to a voter list name. “The form is in the due process of verification. Our BLO (booth level officer) will visit Hajibhai Rathod’s house for verification and collect the necessary documents. We will also call Sanjay Manvar to ask whether he has any proof for the objection he raised. I, as the ERO, will finally make a decision.”
Gohil added that while there appeared to be “discrepancies” in Kasam’s case, these would be resolved. “We know that he is a noted person, and once we verify all the necessary documents, we will reject the Form No. 7 submitted by Sanjay Manvar,” he said, adding that the process is the same for all such objections.
On his meeting with Kasam, Gohil said: “We explained the entire process, and also congratulated him on getting the Padma Shri. It’s a great honour for us.”
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel felicitates Mir Haji Kasam during a function in Junagadh on Wednesday. (Express Photo) 
Mir Haji Kasam with corporator Sanjay Manvar at the BJP Junagadh office. (Express Photo)
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