On Monday, as India celebrated its 77th Republic Day, a significant number of voters in Kolkata were observed queuing at Special Summary Revision (SIR) hearing centres to ensure their voting rights. The TOI visited two such centres—Matri Shakti Shiksha Kendra under the Kashipur-Belgachia assembly constituency and Kendua Girls' High School under the Jadavpur assembly constituency—which experienced heavy footfall on this national holiday.
Voters Face Long Queues and Documentation Issues
Ranjana Sharma, accompanied by her son, spent at least two hours at the centre. She was called because her name was not on the 2002 voter list, despite obtaining her voter card in 2006. "I didn't take the matter seriously before and didn't feel the need to have a voter card until after I gave birth to my child. I was called to clarify why I got it done late," she explained. Her son, Aniket, cancelled all his plans to support her, stating, "Given the gravity of the issue, there was no question of skipping it. Today was a holiday, so I could have made plans with friends, but I didn't as I knew my mother had to attend the hearing today."
Challenges for Elderly and Disabled Voters
Nabakumar Haldar attended the hearing on behalf of his 85-year-old mother, Bhanumati Haldar, at the same centre. Though they were originally residents of Cossipore, they recently shifted to Konnagar. Nabakumar noted, "The place is quite far from my present house. It took until 4 pm to reach home, as the hearing finished only around 2.30 pm." He was informed that his mother's name was unmapped and asked to provide her birth certificate and PAN card. "I told them it won't be possible for me to produce a birth certificate, as I don't know whether it exists, and she does not have a PAN card as it was never required," he added.
In contrast, Kakali Saha, a 55-year-old voter with an eyesight issue, attended the hearing with her husband, Lekhan Saha. They viewed the holiday scheduling as an advantage, as her husband did not have to take leave for it. Bhola Mandal, another voter, was called at 2.30 pm. "The BLO told me to come at 2.30 pm and assured me it wouldn't take much time. But, after reaching there I saw a good number of people in queue," he said.
High Crowds and Last-Minute Notices at Jadavpur Centre
Kendua Girls' High School, a hearing centre under the Jadavpur constituency, also saw a huge crowd, with voters from 12 parts called in. Suman Bhattacharya, a voter, received a call from his Booth Level Officer (BLO) at 9 pm on Sunday, asking him to attend a hearing on Monday. "Fortunately, I didn't have any plans for the day. It is ridiculous that they gave only around 14-15 hours to ready all documents," he expressed. Anindya Bhattacharya, another voter, voiced irritation about being called for a hearing on a holiday, highlighting the inconvenience faced by many.
This situation underscores the administrative challenges and personal sacrifices voters in Kolkata are making to secure their fundamental right to vote, even on a day meant for national celebration.
