In a poignant display of bureaucratic perseverance, a septuagenarian widow from Kolkata stood patiently in a queue on a Sunday afternoon, clutching documents that told the story of her late husband's literary identity. Basabi Chakraborty, a resident of Baranagar, attended an SIR (Supplementary Integrated Registration) hearing to provide proof of her marriage to the renowned poet Bhaskar Chakraborty, who passed away in 2005.
The Challenge of a Pseudonym
The core issue revolved around a name mismatch that has haunted the family for years. Bhaskar Chakraborty was born as Bishnumoy Chakraborty but adopted the pseudonym Bhaskar for his literary work, a name he maintained in all official documents, including the 2002 SIR roll. This created a legal and administrative hurdle, as his widow and only daughter, Praiti, were summoned to clarify the discrepancy between his birth name and his chosen identity.
A Family's Documentation Struggle
Basabi arrived at the hearing centre, Baranagar Narendranath Vidyalaya, around 2 pm, accompanied by her daughter. She carried two crucial documents: her marriage certificate from September 1983, which listed poet Joy Goswami as one of the three witnesses, and the only affidavit Bhaskar made before his death. This affidavit explicitly stated that Bishnumoy Chakraborty and Bhaskar Chakraborty were the same person, serving as a vital piece of evidence.
Reflecting on her husband's approach to paperwork, Basabi shared, "My husband was very careless about these things, especially documents. In his family, every man had a name with ‘Pada', which my husband and his younger brother didn't like. My husband changed his name to Bhaskar while his brother changed his name to Chandan. My brother-in-law changed his name in all his major documents, including the Madhyamik admit card, but my husband didn't do that." This oversight led to complications, including bank account-related issues after his death.
A Common Practice Among Bengal's Literary Figures
This case highlights a broader cultural phenomenon in Bengal's literary history. Using pseudonyms was a common practice among many authors and poets of that era, allowing them to craft distinct artistic identities. However, it often resulted in administrative challenges for their families, as seen here with the Chakrabortys.
Praiti, who teaches psychology at a college in North Kolkata and is pursuing her PhD, approached the hearing with logical preparedness. She said, "I knew that I would get a hearing call. It is quite logical, because how would they know these 2 persons are the same? I submitted my Madhyamik admit card before, so today they took a copy of the affidavit made by my father, which they considered a major document."
Navigating Bureaucratic Hurdles
Basabi noted that many others in the queue faced similar issues, often for minor spelling errors, making their case of completely different names particularly complex. She had proactively submitted a declaration to the BLO (Booth Level Officer) during the enumeration form process, stating the two names referred to the same individual. Interestingly, while the marriage certificate bearing Joy Goswami's signature was brought, it was not required by the Election Commission officials during the hearing.
Incidentally, Joy Goswami and his daughter also recently received hearing notices due to "unmapping" issues, underscoring the widespread nature of such administrative reviews in Kolkata. This story sheds light on the personal struggles families face in reconciling artistic identities with legal frameworks, all while navigating the intricacies of government procedures.
