The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal is demonstrating a remarkable display of equality, bridging the gap between celebrities and the common public. Prominent figures, including a sitting MP, a national cricketer, and a renowned actor couple, are receiving hearing notices and are required to stand in queues alongside ordinary citizens, with none expressing any complaint about the process.
Stars in the Queue: No Special Treatment Demanded
The list of notable individuals summoned for the SIR hearing includes Trinamool Congress MP and actor Dev Adhikari, Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami, and the popular actor couple Laboni Sarkar and Kaushik Bandyopadhyay. This move by the Election Commission has effectively broken the traditional celeb-versus-janata barrier during the crucial voter list purification drive.
Dev Adhikari, along with three of his family members, has been identified as an "unmapped voter" according to Moushumi Das, the councillor of ward 93 (Lake Gardens area). While Dev confirmed he is yet to physically receive the notice, he stated his full cooperation. "I have no idea what happened but I will follow all norms," the actor-MP told TOI. He emphatically added, "If I have to stand in a queue for an SIR hearing, I will. I am not expecting any special treatment. I am an Indian. Being a star has nothing to do with me having to follow norms."
The actor couple, Laboni Sarkar and Kaushik Bandyopadhyay, have already undergone the process. They stood in a queue at a school in Katjunagar, near Jadavpur, on Monday morning. Describing the experience as "very smooth," Sarkar mentioned the process was completed within ten minutes. The issue was related to signature verification. "I think there were some issues with our signatures. My signatures don't always match. I was asked to sign. There was no harassment," she explained.
Commitments and Grounded Attitudes
An exception to the in-person appearance is pace bowler Mohammed Shami. A registered voter in Bengal, Shami is currently in Rajkot with the state team for the Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament and will be unable to appear before EC officials due to his match commitments.
Both Dev and Laboni Sarkar echoed a sentiment of normalcy and civic duty. Sarkar highlighted that she expected no preferential treatment. "My husband and I have always been very grounded. Standing in a queue makes me feel that I am one of the multitude," she said. Dev reinforced this, stating, "I will happily follow the law of the land. I have no problem standing in a queue if I am called to a hearing."
A Democratic Process in Action
The SIR process in Kolkata is showcasing the fundamental democratic principle of equality before the law. The involvement of high-profile citizens, without any demand for privilege, sets a positive example for the public and underscores the importance of the electoral roll revision. The initiative aims to clean the voter list by identifying and resolving discrepancies, ensuring a fair and accurate electoral process for upcoming elections. The grounded response from the celebrities involved has been noted as a refreshing and commendable aspect of this administrative exercise.
