Um “homem morto” é um dos 12 candidatos à Presidência da Índia. Na verdade, Santosh Kumar Singh, de 32 anos, não morreu. Ele foi declarado “morto” pelos familiares depois de ignorar o sistema de castas do país e decidir se casar com uma Dalit (considerada intocável).

Santosh (foto abaixo) escreveu ao premier indiano contando o seu drama, mas não obteve resposta. Então decidiu colocar o seu nome na cédula eleitoral para, com ela, ter um documento oficial que comprove que está vivo. “Alguns familiares, com a ajuda da polícia, tomaram os meus 12 acres de terra”, disse o indiano, de acordo com o “Telegraph”.

A situação é mesmo inusitada. Quando foi à polícia denunciar a própria “morte”, Santosh ouviu de um policial que ele teria que cometer um crime para ter um documento das autoridades.  A eleição se aproxima, mas Santosh ressalta não ter a menor intenção de ser presidente. “Tudo o que eu quero é provar que estou vivo”, declarou. A Índia é parlamentarista, mas elege também um presidente, que é o chefe de Estado e comandante supremo das Forças Armadas.

Can a “dead person” run for president of his land of birth? In India, a cook already considered dead 9 years ago is running for president in the polls next month.

Santosh Kumar Singh, 32, left his place in 2000 for work in Mumbai. 3 years after, he returned with his beloved wife to present her to his relatives, but they drive him away instead calling him a disgrace, he said. They have succeeded in filing my death certificate and even held funeral ceremonies to prove that I was dead, he added.

Santosh further said his 12.1 acres of land had been landgrabbed with police assistance by some of his kins. Police has kind of attacked me saying you’re dead on official papers, leave this place or genuine death will happen to you. Santosh last year filed a case with the proper court to declare null and void his death certificate but was dismissed. His mother-in-law has been blamed for consenting marriage of her daughter to a “dead person”.

He has written his case to their prime minister to no avail. And now he filed his candidacy for president with only one prayer, not to win, but to prove he’s alive as a human being in flesh and blood. And in desperation, he said that if the government cannot declare him alive, then kill him with a real death papers issued.

The root cause of Santosh misfortune is a quarrel between him and his high caste relatives over his marrying a Dalit woman which is not of their liking. His relatives have succeeded in venting their anger on this hapless cook to the extent of declaring him dead for 9 years.