A 57-year-old man in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district has allegedly died by suicide, marking the fifth such death in the district linked to anxiety over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. The incident has sparked outrage and accusations of administrative failure.
Family Excluded from 2002 Voter List
The deceased has been identified as Mohammad Khatim, a resident of Chunabhati in Fulbari and a taxi driver by profession. According to his grieving family, Khatim was under extreme mental duress after discovering that the names of five family members, including his own, his wife, and three sons, were missing from the 2002 voter list.
This omission led to their exclusion from the ongoing SIR list, despite the family possessing old documents to prove their long-term residency in the area. Khatim had held a valid driving licence since 1998.
A Descent into Anxiety and Tragedy
Khatim's distress reportedly intensified after he attended an SIR hearing on December 31. His son, Mohammad Shahid, revealed that his father stopped going to work and was consumed by worry. "My father could not sleep due to anxiety over SIR," Shahid said.
He emphasized their family's generational roots, stating, "Though his name was not on the 2002 voter list, our family lived here for generations. My grandfather's and uncle's names were in the 2002 list."
Khatim went missing on Monday. The next day, Tuesday, his body was found hanging from a tree near his house. Police have sent the body for autopsy.
Political Reaction and Accusations
The tragic event drew immediate political attention. Siliguri mayor Gautam Deb and Trinamool Congress Dabgram-Fulbari block president Dilip Roy visited the bereaved family.
Deb squarely placed the blame on the election authorities, stating, "With this incident, five people allegedly died in Jalpaiguri district due to SIR-related anxiety. The Election Commission must take full responsibility." He assured the family of support and said the matter would be brought to the chief minister's notice.
The family's anguish was vocal and direct. "We lost my father because of the SIR exercise. The BJP is responsible," said a distraught Mohammad Shahid, holding the ruling party at the centre accountable for the voter list revision process.
This incident underscores the severe human cost and mental health toll that bureaucratic processes like the SIR can inflict, raising serious questions about their implementation and grievance redressal mechanisms.
