Declared widow 17 yrs ago, 70-yr-old denied passport for want of marriage proof

Husenabibi, 70, accuses the Regional Passport Office of shattering her longcherished dream of a Haj pilgrimage. She fears she will never be able to visit the holy Mecca because the officials insist on a proof of her marriage which she does not possess.
However, she has a widow pension card, issued to her in 2000, seven years after her mentally ill husband left home.As per government rules, a person can be declared dead only after seven years of disappearance. Besides the widow’s pension card, the government has also issued her an Aadhar card and a voter ID card. But the Regional Passport Office does not recognise these government documents. “The officials say they will not issue me the passport till I submit my marriage certificate. Where do I get it from?” laments Husenabibi. Regional Passport Officer Neelam Rani has assured her that she would look into the matter and ensure Husenabibi is not wronged in any manner. However, it has been a long wait for the widow. “The passport officials are never satisfied and keep asking me to get one document after another”. Back in 1962, when Husenabibi got married to Mustafa Tai, a locomotive driver with the Western Railway, getting a marriage certificate was not a necessity. So, the couple never got one.
Husenabibi says she got married to Mustafa in front of the community members and bore four of his children. The society and the railway authorities recognise her as the widow of Mustafa. The railways has been paying her widow’s pension and also issued her the pension card in 2000. However, for the passport office this is not “sufficient” proof.
Husenabibi (in white) with her family members at her residence
Haj committee won’t clear name without passport
She says the passport office first asked her to submit an affidavit stating her husband was missing. When she furnished it, she was asked to submit a police document certifying the same. After fulfilling this requirement, she was asked to prove that she indeed is the wife of the missing person. Husenabibi said: “To add insult to injury, the official has now asked me never to visit the passport office again.” Husenabibi told Mirror: “First, I was asked to present the Haj Committee letter that certifies the person has been shortlisted for the Haj pilgrimage. But the Haj Committee does not clear the names of those without a passport. In fact, I first need a passport in hand to apply for the Haj pilgrimage. Once a query is resolved, the officials ask for other documents one by one. Why would a 70-year-old woman like me make false claims about her marriage? I have even furnished the police documents yet the passport office is not issuing me the passport.”
The ordeal
After Mustafa went missing in 1993, the family made extensive efforts to locate him. They finally filed the complaint of missing person with Viramgam rural police station on September 5 that year. The responsibility of feeding her four children fell on Husenabibi as there was no other bread-earner in the family. Initially, the railway authorities denied her widow’s pension on grounds that a person can be declared dead only after seven years of disappearance. Recalling her ordeal, Husenabibi said it took much follow up and police intervention to prove her husband was no more. Finally, in 1996 the railway authority cleared her pension application.
RPO assures help
When contacted, Regional Passport Officer Neelam Rani said: “I would not be able to comment on the issue without checking the particulars. However, I assure you if anything wrongful has been done to the applicant, I will personally look into the matter and help her out.”
‘Having passport a fundamental right’
Advocate Sandip Christi said getting a passport is the fundamental right of every Indian citizen. “If the applicant has all the necessary documents then she should be issued the passport. If she is not entitled for it the passport authority has to give her a written intimation citing reasons for rejection of her application. Oral demand of various proofs at every visit is tantamount to harassment of a citizen.”