Now that the 21st century is almost here in India, and the government has copies of my retina and fingerprints, I don’t understand or agree to why one’s father’s name is mandatory on all official IDs. It’s been two years since the Delhi High Court ruled against this age-old requirement that, no doubt, takes root in patriarchy.
I was finally able to put the court ruling to the test this week at the passport office. I requested that my father’s name be deleted from my new passport. My file kept getting escalated from one staffer to another. One father-figure just shoved the form back to me and demanded - “Writefathername.”
At every window, I had to answer the same questions over and over again. “Is there a problem? Is he alive? Are they separated?” Would I have to answer the same questions if, say, I didn’t state my mother’s name in my application? The System will always remind you that the System is your Father and you are its child.
I believe the Passport Office is the most progressive public service in India. They are willing to listen. In the end, I was asked to write a letter stating the reason for my ‘strange’ request. I scribbled:
"If only one parent's name is required in my passport, I would like it to be my mother's. Since I am equally a son to my parents, I trust this should not pose a problem to your department."
The seniormost officer to handle my case, a stern woman with orange hair, took a quick look at the letter and approved my application with a smile and a nod. The job is done for now but maybe the day will come when this would be a mundane non-issue that’s nobody’s concern.