Hundreds of long-time residents of Kolkata were left frustrated and exhausted after being summoned to prove their residency in the city, with many calling the exercise a form of harassment. The incident unfolded during special summary revision (SIR) hearings conducted by the Election Commission, where electors were made to wait for hours to submit documents.
Residents Decry Long Waits and Confusion
Around 150 electors from the Ballygunge assembly constituency gathered at Lady Brabourne College on Tuesday for a hearing. The common grievance among them was the inordinate waiting time of four to five hours just for their turn to submit papers proving they are not outsiders in Kolkata. Most of these voters stated their families have been living in the city for three generations, making the requirement to prove their roots particularly galling.
Md Arshid, a resident of Suhrawardy Avenue, expressed his frustration. He recounted that despite providing all details in enumeration forms, he received a hearing notice. "The BLO (Booth Level Officer) who served me the notice asked me to get all my documents. I photocopied everything, including my matriculation certificate. But the official took only a copy of my passport. For submitting this single document, I queued up since 12 noon. This is nothing but harassment," he said.
Elderly Voters Label Process a 'Nightmare'
The process proved especially taxing for senior citizens. 68-year-old Asghari Begum described the SIR exercise as a nightmare, saying she had never experienced such harassment to prove her voting right before. "I lived in Topsia for long and cast my vote here in 2002. Today, I asked the EC officers why they called me since the BLO collected all documents from my house. It seemed the officers were not aware exactly why I got the hearing call," said the senior citizen, who waited at the venue for over five hours.
In another case, the family of Park Circus resident Md Afaque was called due to mapping issues in the electoral list. The septuagenarian explained, "I was mapped to my mother in the 2002 SIR list, and my two sons, who were not adults 23 years ago, were mapped to me. The EC sought my mother's details, and I furnished the required documents. The hearing was as good as harassment for me and my family."
Similar Complaints from Other Hearing Venues
The discontent was not isolated to Lady Brabourne College. Electors at other hearing venues, including Ganabhavan near Sovabazar and Jessop Building, echoed similar sentiments of harassment and confusion.
Aruna Karmakar, a 70-year-old resident of Bowbazar, said, "I have been living here for over 30 years with my daughter. I don't know why I was called. The BLO told me to appear at Jessop Building, and I waited for around 4 hours. I was very worried as I was told to bring many documents. But when I entered the camp, I was only asked for my signature."
Rinki Sardar, a resident of Kolutola, highlighted the logistical challenges and short notice. "I was called for a hearing, but I don't know the reason. I asked my BLO what documents were required, and she told me to come with whatever I have. The notice came only 3 days before the hearing. Jessop Building is quite far from my house, and I waited for over three hours for my turn," she stated.
The widespread complaints point to significant procedural hurdles and communication gaps in the Election Commission's summary revision process, causing undue stress to established residents of the city.
