THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Resentment is brewing among people, especially non-resident Indians, against the centre's decision to do away with the practice of printing personal information on passports and to provide orange colour passports to those who had not qualified SSLC or equivalent examinations. The move has given rise to multiples concerns which include depriving non-resident Indians of a valid identity card and the introduction a tool for discrimination on the basis of educational qualifications.
"Issuing passports with different colours on the basis of education is nothing but discrimination on the basis of education," said Irudaya Rajan, professor at Centre for Development Studies here. Dr Rajan who had done extensive studies on migrants said that at present holders of ECR passports are facing unpleasant treatment from emigration and customs officials. "This would aggravate if different colour passports are issued to people in the ECR category," he said.
Experts point out that a major chunk of expatriates has passports as the only valid identification proof as there are legal and technical hurdles for them to get documents such as Aadhaar, ration and voter identification cards. The decision to do away with personal information in passports will cause serious inconvenience to NRIs, they said.
As per present norms, those who have not qualified SSLC or equivalent exams are required to take emigration clearance from protectors of emigrants for travelling to many countries, including the Gulf countries. The 'Emigration Check Required' (ECR) marking is made along with personal information in passports. Since these pieces of information are being done away with, passports with Orange colour are mooted to identify passports in the ECR category. Other ordinary citizens will continue to have the existing blue colour passports.
Dr Rajan pointed out that only about 10 to 15 per cent of migrants from Kerala might be in ECR category since the level of education in Kerala was comparatively higher. However, it would be much higher in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Rajastan and Bihar from where considerable migration is now taking place.
Former diplomat T.P. Srinivasan said that the centre might have mooted the changes with no dubious intentions but the general concern of it resulting in discrimination cannot not be ruled out. "Hence it is better that the centre reconsider its decision," he said.
Apart from NRIs, frequent flyers to various countries are also concerned of the new passport norm. "For most NRIs, passports are the only document to show his personal information such as address and names of father, mother and spouse. Many countries are demanding all these information for visiting and resident visas," said veteran NRI and Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust chairman K.V. Shamsudheen.
Kerala Pravasi Welfare Board chairman P.T. Kunhimohammed also strongly opposed the changes in passports. "The fresh changes being made were nothing but causing unnecessary inconvenience to people by depriving them of an identity card and causing discrimination on the basis of educational qualification," he said.
Both the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF have already voiced their concerns against the move.
It is understood that privacy issues raised by certain section of citizens have been cited as the reason for doing away with the printing of information such as names of father, mother and spouse, address and emigration check requirement status.
