The story of Shankar Singh Rawat is both unusual and tragic, highlighting the difficulties ordinary citizens face when caught in bureaucratic errors or, in this case, a possible conspiracy. At the age of 37, Shankar is in a bizarre situation where he, along with his two children, has been officially declared dead in government records. This status has left him without access to basic rights and welfare schemes the living citizens of India are entitled to. What makes this case even more complex is the fact that Shankar is very much alive and struggling to prove it.
Shankar, a resident of Saran village in Marwar Junction Tehsil, Pali district, learned about his “death” in 2022 when he went to a government camp to apply for the Kisan Samman Nidhi, a welfare scheme for farmers. To his shock, when the officials checked his documents, they informed him that he had already been declared dead. His two children, a son and a daughter, were also listed as deceased in the official records. Since then, Shankar has been running from one government office to another, trying to rectify this error and restore his and his children’s legal status as living persons.
They even approached the Collector’s and SDM’s offices, but so far, they’ve only received assurances as the investigation continues. Their names in the Jan Aadhar card are marked as deceased, meaning that according to government records, all three of them are dead. Because of this, they are being denied the benefits of government welfare schemes.
Shankar Singh Rawat shared he married in 2010 and had three children. His mother, wife, and children lived in the village, while he moved to Abu Road a few years ago to earn a living, working in a marble factory. During his absence, his wife married another man and took their youngest son with her. Shankar alleges that his wife conspired with an e-Mitra operator to have him declared dead in the Jan Aadhar card over a property dispute. He also demanded action against the then-Sarpanch and met with the District Collector. Despite these efforts, he and his two children are still listed as dead in government records.
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