Bengal embroiled in SIR controversy: What kind of election is this, where lakhs of people are deprived of their right to vote?

Approximately 9.1 million people will be unable to cast their votes in the Bengal Assembly elections scheduled to take place in two weeks. The Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process has created an unprecedented and deeply concerning situation.

The Election Commission has removed the names of 12 percent of the voters. Due to the incomplete status of the SIR, these individuals' names have not appeared in the new voter list. The responsibility of proving their eligibility as voters has been placed upon the people themselves.

A new voter list had to be prepared in just five months—a task that was by no means straightforward for a state like Bengal, with its dense population and diverse communities. Low literacy levels and a lack of necessary documentation emerged as major obstacles.

Furthermore, variations in surname spellings became a source of contention; for instance, one generation might use the traditional forms—Mukhopadhyay, Bandyopadhyay, Chattopadhyay, or Basu—while the next generation might adopt the anglicized versions—Mukherjee, Banerjee, Chatterjee, or Bose. Computer systems, however, are not designed to accommodate such variations.

To register their names in the voter list, individuals were required to fill out forms and subsequently appear for a hearing. This process significantly increased both complexity and administrative pressure. It has been alleged that the Special Summary Revision (SSR) process disproportionately targeted socially backward classes, women, and rural populations; even Muslims who had never visited Pakistan or Bangladesh found themselves adversely affected.

Muslims constitute over 25 percent of Bengal's population. Women played a pivotal role in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections; they focused on basic necessities and remained unswayed by hollow promises or political agendas.

If a government fails to address critical issues such as healthcare, education, and employment, such voters do not hesitate to wield their vote as a weapon to oust it. For many, voting is a deeply emotional act, and casting their ballot instills in them a profound sense of satisfaction and pride.

They perceive that on election day, the rich and the poor stand as equals, sharing the opportunity to cast their votes while standing in the very same queue. Voting is a right they cherish—one they are determined never to relinquish.

Even those who diligently filled out the requisite forms and attended the hearings during the SSR process found their names missing from the final voter list. Although the Supreme Court intervened to alleviate the tensions arising from the standoff between the Bengal government and the Chief Election Commissioner, the limited time available meant that the various tribunals could only accomplish so much. Consequently, due to the failure to conduct timely hearings during this election cycle, hundreds of thousands of people have been deprived of their fundamental right to vote.

In the final voter list published following the summary revision, the Election Commission has removed the names of 9.066 million voters. Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer stated that if the Tribunal now approves the inclusion of a voter's name in the list, it will indeed be added; however, that individual will not be eligible to cast a vote in the current election.

They will be permitted to vote in the next election. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the names of individuals belonging to a specific community have been removed from the final voter list. She asserted that the removal constitutes a violation of democratic rights.

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