Kashmir's Bloodline Stamp

It's no longer enough to say, “He was my father.” The state wants it written, stamped, and sealed.

- Mohammad Amin Mir

A few weeks ago, a young woman from North Kashmir visited a local government office.

Her father, a government driver, had passed away suddenly. She wanted to apply for a job under the compassionate appointment rule, a system meant to support families after the death of a government employee. But before anything else, she was asked to prove she was really his daughter.

She pulled out her Aadhaar card. Her name matched her father's, so did the ration card. Yet, the official told her these weren't enough. What she needed was a Blood Relation Certificate.

That one paper would decide whether she would get the job, or whether her family would slip deeper into hardship.

In many parts of India, families are still close-knit. In Jammu and Kashmir, those family ties must often be stamped and certified.

The Blood Relation Certificate may sound like a simple form, but it plays a big role in the lives of people here. It helps you claim land, get jobs, receive pensions, apply for visas, or even access welfare benefits.

For years, there were no clear rules on how to get this certificate. Some people got it easily, others were asked for endless documents.

In some places, officials below the required rank signed off. In other places, applications were delayed or denied without reason. That changed earlier this year.