In a striking display of the hardships faced by citizens, an elderly woman from Kolkata was compelled to attend a crucial citizenship verification hearing just days after undergoing major knee surgery. This incident occurred on Wednesday, as the Election Commission's (EC) Special Summary Revision (SIR) drive continued unabated, even on the final day of the year.
A Painful Journey for the Elderly
Anjali Hazra, recovering from a recent knee replacement operation, had to travel to Sanskrit College for her SIR hearing. Her son, Gopal, arranged a cycle van for her transportation due to her limited mobility. Anjali was seen at the venue wearing a long knee brace. Gopal mentioned that while his mother's hearing was conducted smoothly without a long wait, the physical ordeal was undeniable. He, along with his brother, also received hearing notices.
Year-End Queue for Voting Rights
Thousands of Kolkatans found no respite on December 31, as they spent a major part of New Year's Eve in long queues at various hearing centres. The EC's drive aims to verify citizenship documents to finalize electoral rolls for the 2026 elections in Bengal. Amid the year-end festivities, numerous unmapped voters, including many youngsters, waited anxiously to prove their voting rights.
Md Yunus, a trader from Beniapukur, had to shutter his shop to attend the hearing at Aliah University. He expressed confusion, stating the officials did not ask him anything and let him go after checking documents. A Booth Level Officer (BLO) present at a venue conceded the process amounted to harassment for those with no real discrepancies. The BLO cited an example where a minor spelling variation in a father's name led to a citizen being summoned and made to wait for hours.
Personal Plans Disrupted
The hearings significantly disrupted personal lives. Punam Choudhary wished to spend the last day of the year with her children but was called to Jessop Building, forcing her husband to work from home. Akash Chhetri (18) had to cancel his New Year's Eve plans to accompany his mother, Rakhi, to the hearing. Rakhi lamented that despite her family living in Kolkata for generations, some data mismatch triggered the notice.
Priyanka Gupta stood in the queue at Sanskrit College with her five-year-old son, Trinav, expressing severe annoyance at the mismanagement. Asked to report by 2 pm, she had barely moved a few steps after two hours. "We had so many plans but half the day is spent, waiting here. My son hasn't even eaten his lunch," she said. She added that her mother-in-law was called for a second hearing because her photo was not uploaded previously.
The widespread inconvenience caused by the hearing process on a holiday has raised questions about its implementation, even as the Election Commission continues its push to clean the voter rolls for the upcoming state elections.
