KOLKATA: A senior central government officer in a PSU, an assistant teacher in a government school, a medical professional preparing for a national entrance exam, and an insurance agent whose license hinges on his voter status all moved the Calcutta High Court last week over their livelihoods being on the line after their names were deleted from Bengal's electoral rolls during the Special Identity Register (SIR) process.
Court Hearing Postponed
Justice Krishna Rao informed their lawyers that the petitions would be heard at a later date, offering no relief before the election or, in the doctor's case, before his exam. SIR deletions have stripped 27 lakh people in the state of voting rights. The four pending petitions now highlight a dimension that goes beyond disenfranchisement.
Citizenship Fears in Electoral Purge
Petitioners argue that for employees and licensed professionals, removal from electoral rolls brings their citizenship into question, which could lead to departmental action, service termination, and even license cancellation.
One of them, a 40-year-old PSU assistant general manager from Bhagabangola assembly constituency in Murshidabad, has been in service for more than a decade. His name appeared in draft rolls published on December 16 last year, but he was called for a hearing over a clerical discrepancy in his father's name in the 2002 records. He submitted 11 documents but did not make it to the final rolls. His appeal before the designated tribunal came to nothing. His petition reads: The sudden removal of my name from the rolls creates a cloud of suspicion regarding my citizenship, which may jeopardise my service benefits or act as a bar to continued employment.
Teacher and Insurance Agent Affected
The assistant teacher filed a similar petition. His lawyer told Justice Rao on April 28: SIR had taken a lot from these people, their right to vote being a crucial loss. Now, these people are worried about their jobs and whether this deletion will complicate things in their professional lives. He sought an urgent hearing.
A 52-year-old insurance agent from Nadia's Tehatta, whose name had been included in the 2002 rolls, moved court over the possibility of disenfranchisement leading to his license being cancelled. His lawyer said: His position is not merely a source of livelihood but one of public trust. The arbitrary deletion of his name from the electoral rolls directly threatens the validity of his insurance license and agency appointment.
Medical Professional's Career at Stake
For a 32-year-old medical professional from Nadia's Kaliganj constituency, proving he is a bona fide citizen is a prerequisite to appear for the Institute of National Importance Combined Entrance Test conducted by AIIMS Delhi and scheduled for May 16. His parents and three brothers passed the SIR test, but he did not. The young man, who did his house staffship at Kolkata's Sambhunath Pandit Hospital and Chittaranjan Seva Sadan, hopes judicial intervention would not only restore his legal right to vote but also protect his career.
