Grandchildren of Constitution Illustrator Nandalal Bose Stripped from Voter List
In a concerning development from West Bengal's cultural heartland, the elderly grandchildren of legendary artist Nandalal Bose have been inexplicably removed from the electoral rolls despite providing comprehensive documentation. Suprabuddha Sen, 88, the maternal grandson of Bose, and his wife Deepa, 82, find themselves disenfranchised in their ancestral home of Santiniketan.
Legacy of Nandalal Bose
Nandalal Bose occupies a hallowed position in India's artistic and constitutional history. The celebrated painter not only illustrated the original manuscript of India's Constitution but also designed emblems for prestigious national honors including the Bharat Ratna. As principal of Kala Bhavana in Santiniketan, Bose illustrated several of Rabindranath Tagore's literary works and contributed significantly to stage designs for Tagore's plays.
Decades of Residence Ignored
Suprabuddha Sen, son of Bose's younger daughter Jamuna Sen, has lived in Santiniketan for most of his life. "My grandfather, Nandalal Bose, lived here for ages. My father built our house in 1958 and since then our family has been living here," Sen shared. The octogenarian couple resides opposite Nandan hostel, near Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen's house, Pratichi.
Sen's educational and professional credentials are impeccable. He passed his matriculation from Patha Bhavana at Visva Bharati in 1954, completed Intermediate Science from the same institution, studied mechanical engineering from Jadavpur University, and worked at Damodar Valley Corporation for 32 years before retiring in 1996. "After retirement, I have been living at my ancestral home in Santiniketan and have voted in every election since then, if I remember," he added.
Documentation Submitted But Names Removed
Despite being voters of ward number 2 under Bolpur Assembly constituency for decades, the couple discovered their names missing from electoral rolls. "The person who deleted our names will be able to answer why the names were removed. I am 88 and I don't care. I can only say that we are not someone whose names should have been deleted," Sen stated with resignation.
The hearing for their case took place at their home due to their advanced ages. Sen submitted his matriculation certificate, passport, employment records, and pension payment order. His wife Deepa submitted all requested pertinent documents as well. "Still they kept the name under adjudication and later deleted it," Sen revealed. "Similarly, my wife also submitted all the pertinent documents that they asked for, but still her name has been removed from the voter list."
Administrative Challenges and Uncertainty
Sen faced additional hurdles when trying to verify their voting status. "I was not able to find the 2002 electoral rolls to verify our names. I asked my booth-level officer, but he didn't have it either," he explained. The couple has now applied as new voters but faces uncertainty about their voting rights in upcoming elections.
"We have applied as new voters but don't know whether we will be able to vote or not. I have nothing more to say," concluded the 88-year-old grandson of one of India's most significant constitutional artists, whose family's democratic participation now hangs in bureaucratic limbo.
