It is not a part of Jammu and Kashmir or even the North East, but if an outsider is visiting Nargol, a seaside village in Valsad in south Gujarat, about 150 kms from Mumbai, he or she will need to get a background check and a permission letter.

Though not officially endorsed by the district authorities, Nargol village sarpanch Yatin Bhandari has made I-Cards mandatory for village residents, and also for outsiders. The move came in the wake of the Mumbai 26/7 train blasts, as the tiny fishing village witnesses an influx of visitors, mostly Parsis and weekend tourists.

On being asked about the motives of identifying everyone in the village, Bhandari said: “We initially devised an I-Card plan for all villagers. But, it took me a lot of time and effort to build that kind of awareness. If outsiders come here for any business, they have to fill up a form wherein they have to state names of at least two prominent persons from the village and two prominent persons from the outside or two prominent persons from the native district.”

The form also demands a copy of the driving licence and any other document issued by the government.

Meanwhile, the district authorities admit that though it is not officially endorsed, it is a good local move. Valsad Collector R B Dave endorsed Bhandari’s move and lauded his efforts to identify potential threats from outsiders.

“This is completely the sarpanch’s initiative. It is a good work and the question of extra constitutional step does not arise here,” said Dave.

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