In a heartening display of empathy, a Booth Level Officer (BLO) in Kolkata chose compassion over rigid procedure to help a nonagenarian widow retain a crucial link to her past. Sohini Dey, a 51-year-old teacher and BLO from Shyampukur, successfully completed the SIR (Suo Motu Registration) digitisation for all 588 voters in her polling booth by November 25. However, the plea of one elderly woman continued to weigh on her conscience.
A Plea From The Past
The case involved a 93-year-old widow, born in 1932, who wished to remain registered as a voter at her former marital home in Ahiritola, rather than at her current residence in an old-age home near Hatibagan. The issue began when Dey visited the Ahiritola address on November 7 to distribute enumeration forms. The woman's daughter-in-law received the forms and instructed Dey to mark the elderly lady as a 'shifted' voter, stating she no longer lived there.
Dey followed the instruction and completed the digitisation process. However, days later, she received an emotional call from the woman's younger daughter. The daughter explained that keeping the voter card at the original address was vital, as it served as her mother's only proof of address linked to her former home. Cancelling it could jeopardise her pension, which directly funds her stay at the old-age home. The daughter revealed a painful family situation: after returning from Mumbai, the widow's son and daughter-in-law refused responsibility, placing her in the care home.
Choosing Humanity Over Procedure
Moved by the story, Sohini Dey decided to intervene, despite initially informing the daughter that the 'shifted' status had been uploaded and was considered final. "This thought gave a jolt, and I decided to do all I could to save her identity proof," Dey stated. She took the extraordinary step of arguing the case to her superiors, emphasising the human element.
"I told my superior, 'At this moment, humanity is more important to me than professionalism. In her helpless life, the pension money is her only support. I don't want her to face any difficulty because I didn't take any action,'" Dey recounted. Her persuasive appeal worked, and she received permission to rectify the situation.
Restoring a Link to Home
Dey personally visited the widow at the old-age home and had her SIR form signed again, before re-uploading it to the BLO application to retain the Ahiritola address on her EPIC (Electoral Photo Identity Card). The emotional meeting left a deep impact on the BLO. "Her eyes, full of tears, told me her unspoken stories," Dey said, promising to visit her again.
This incident highlights the critical role voter ID cards play beyond elections, often acting as a primary identity and address proof for India's elderly. Sohini Dey's actions ensured that a 93-year-old woman could hold on to a tangible connection to her home and secure her financial lifeline, proving that sometimes, rules must bend for righteousness.
