A 75-year-old woman from Kolkata, a resident of the Rashbehari constituency, faced a distressing bureaucratic hurdle this Sunday. Despite her age and poor health, she was compelled to attend a Summary Revision (SIR) hearing at a local school. The reason? A discrepancy in the name of her deceased husband on official election documents.
The Exhausting Journey for a Basic Right
Suffering from various ailments and with impaired vision, the elderly woman made her way to the hearing venue with the help of her daughter and son-in-law, who is a lawyer. She had to climb a flight of stairs with assistance, a physically taxing task for her. Her ordeal began when she received a hearing notice from her Booth Level Officer (BLO). The issue was flagged during verification by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO).
The core of the problem lay in two different names for her late husband. On her own voter card and the enumeration form she submitted, her husband's name is listed as Bakul Das. However, the voter card of the deceased husband himself bears the name Nanigopal Das. This mismatch triggered the need for a formal hearing to resolve the discrepancy.
A Demanding Hearing and Emotional Toll
During the hearing, the woman, who was married at the age of 13 and did not receive a formal education, presented all the documents from a provided list of 13. Yet, officials asked her for additional proof. She was instructed to produce a document conclusively proving her husband's name was Bakul, or alternatively, to bring an affidavit to rule out the discrepancy.
"I cannot see properly. I have problems walking and climbing stairs. But I am having to do this just to remain a voter," the woman expressed with palpable frustration. She waited for nearly an hour on a plastic chair arranged for the elderly outside a classroom, reflecting on her seven-and-a-half decades of life in the country. "It saddens me that at this age, and after living in this country for 75 years, I have to come again and prove that I am a citizen of India who has every right to vote," she said.
No Relief from Home Hearing Option
When questioned if the option of a hearing-at-home was offered to her, given her health condition, her response highlighted a systemic gap. She confirmed that election officials had visited her locality to collect names. Despite providing her details then, she was still called for an in-person hearing at the school, underscoring the challenges vulnerable voters face in navigating electoral bureaucracy.
This incident raises critical questions about the sensitivity and accessibility of electoral verification processes, especially for senior citizens. The woman's persistent effort to retain her voting rights, a fundamental pillar of democracy, stands in stark contrast to the procedural rigidity she encountered.
