The government’s annual “Special Intensive Revision” (SIR) of the voter list has sparked a spike in fear and confusion in West Bengal, with the death of at least three people by suicide following the new checks.
SIR is a routine audit that the Election Commission of India (ECI) carries out before elections. The commission reviews the rolls, removes names that are wrong or duplicates, and adds missing voters. It does not decide who is a citizen or whether someone can vote; it only manages the integrity of the electoral rolls.
Why the controversy?
The state’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, claims the SIR is being used to target voters who are unlikely to support the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “The process feels like a national register of citizens," Banerjee said, warning that genuine voters might be deleted. TMC’s critics accuse the BJP of using the SIR to scare people into voting. The BJP, in turn, insists that the exercise is a neutral, administrative task and calls the SIR “no different from any other voter‑roll review.”
The dispute has pushed only 18‑year‑olds and other citizens who cannot prove their identity into a panic. Reports say some domestic helpers in North‑24 Parganas walked back to Bangladesh, fearing that they could be removed from the rolls.
What has happened so far?
West Bengal is the latest state to roll out the 2023‑24 SIR. The Supreme Court is already hearing petitions about the process, but the Commission has not stopped the review. Past SIRs – last done in 2002‑04 – aimed to tidy rolls after decades of migration and population shifts. The Commission says people who die or move can be removed; it also plans to delete list entries that are clearly wrong.
Impact on ordinary people
The debate has gone viral on social media, inflaming emotions rather than providing useful information. Many ordinary residents, especially older people and those who lack up‑to‑date documents, are convinced the SIR will strip them of their voting rights. In the chaos, families of the three people who took their lives say the families themselves are divided over what caused the suicides.
What the parties are saying
- TMC: “If people in our state are being punished by a fake revision process, we’ll hold protests, set up help desks, and take legal action.”
- BJP: “Calling the SIR a ‘back‑door NRC’ is nonsense. We are not interfering with votes. Everyone should focus on their paperwork.”
Why it matters
Elections in India rely on the adult suffrage principle – anyone who is a citizen of India, 18 years or older, and not disqualified by law can vote. With the SIR potentially being politicised, people worry their voting rights may be jeopardised. With a nationwide democratic system at stake, the debate is not just about numbers on a list, but about fairness and trust in the electoral process.
The State government and the Election Commission remain under pressure from both sides of the political divide. The Supreme Court will continue monitoring the process, but the SIR is still in progress. For voters, the key message is to keep all documents handy, verify their details in time, and stay informed about the official review dates.
Keywords: Special Intensive Revision, SIR, voter list, West Bengal, Election Commission of India, BJP, Trinamool Congress, Mamata Banerjee, citizenship controversy, suicide, election rolls.
Source: ianslive
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