In a peculiar administrative twist, the Election Commission's software in West Bengal is generating hearing notices for thousands of voters over what it terms "logical discrepancies" in their family surnames. The issue stems from historical variations in Bengali Brahmin surnames, where traditional longer forms like Mukhopadhyay, Bandyopadhyay, and Chattopadhyay were anglicized during British rule to shorter versions like Mukherjee, Banerjee, and Chatterjee for ease of pronunciation and documentation.
Widespread Confusion at Hearing Centers
Across Bengal, families with surnames such as Mukherjees, Banerjees, and Chatterjees are flocking to hearing centers to clarify why their ancestors' surnames differ from their current ones. The EC software, designed to detect inconsistencies in voter rolls, is flagging these historical variations as potential mismatches, leading to unnecessary summons for many eligible voters.
Real-Life Cases Highlight the Absurdity
Several affected individuals have shared their frustrating experiences. Hazra resident Spandan Bhattacharjee, for instance, has been called for a hearing on January 29 because his father's name on the 2002 State Integrated Roll (SIR) list appears as Ashok Bhattacharyya, while he uses Bhattacharjee. "It seems everyone but the EC knows that both these surnames are the same," he lamented. "My Booth Level Officer (BLO) is also a Bhattacharyya, but she said it's mandatory to attend the hearing if summoned. I hope my passport will serve as proof."
In another case, Professor Bidit Mukherjee has been summoned to prove he is the son of Ashani Mukhopadhyay, a former Barasat Municipality chairman. "How can this be categorized as a logical discrepancy?" he questioned. "I received my voter's card in 2014 and meet all EC criteria. Yet, I'm being summoned for something completely illogical."
Cultural Ignorance or Technical Glitch?
At a Netaji Jayanti event in Kolkata, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticized the EC's approach, calling it a basic lack of understanding of Bengal's culture. "I write Mamata Banerjee in English and, in Bengali, I write Mamata Bandyopadhyay. What is the problem with that?" she asked, highlighting the common practice of using different surname versions in various contexts.
Administrative Conundrum
Several BLOs and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) have privately conceded that these are not genuine cases of surname mismatch. However, they are bound by instructions to follow the software's alerts. "These mismatches can be ignored, but we are bound to follow instructions," an AERO admitted, pointing to a systemic issue where technology overrides cultural nuance.
Phoolbagan resident Samiran Chatterjee faced similar troubles, queuing up on Wednesday because some of his documents carried the longer version Chattopadhyay, while he mostly uses Chatterjee. "This has landed me in the logical discrepancy category," he said.
Historical Roots of the Surname Variations
The confusion has deep historical roots. Until a couple of decades ago, institutions like Calcutta University and local boards strictly used the longer versions of these Brahmin surnames in academic records. This has resulted in lakhs of people having the lengthier version on their educational documents, even if they use the shorter one for all other purposes.
Ironical Cases Surface
Perhaps the most ironical case is that of Shyambazar voter Arunita Banerjee, who was called for a hearing because her father's surname in the 2002 roll appears as Bandyopadhyay, despite all his documents showing Banerjee. "We don't know why the EC changed his surname. I submitted all documents today," she said, underscoring the arbitrary nature of the software's flagging.
As hearing centers across Bengal witness long queues, the episode raises broader questions about the integration of cultural sensitivity into administrative technology. With voters forced to prove their identity over historical surname variations, many hope for a swift resolution to this bureaucratic tangle.
