The Election Commission's issuance of a Special Summary Revision (SIR) hearing notice to Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has ignited a major political controversy in West Bengal. Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee strongly condemned the move, labeling it a direct affront to the state and its globally respected icons.
Banerjee's Fiery Condemnation at Birbhum Rally
Addressing a public meeting in Birbhum on Tuesday, Abhishek Banerjee expressed shock and shame over the development. He asserted that a Nobel laureate like Amartya Sen, who played a pivotal role in building India's prosperous image globally, should not be subjected to such a notice. Banerjee emphasized that Sen's work elevated the country's stature on the world stage, making the action by the BJP-controlled Election Commission particularly humiliating.
"Through Amartya Sen, the world knows and respects India. Under his influence, the country's global stature grew. And today, that very man is being served an SIR notice," Banerjee stated. He framed the incident not as an isolated event but as part of a systematic pattern of targeting influential voices from Bengal, mentioning that actor Dev and cricketer Mohammed Shami had also received similar notices.
The Clarification and Confusion Over the Notice
In response to the uproar, the Election Commission clarified that the notice was generated due to a "spelling error." Officials stated that a Booth Level Officer (BLO) would visit Sen's residence, 'Pratichi' in Bolpur, to rectify the mistake. The background reveals a clerical mix-up: Amartya Sen's name does not appear on the 2002 SIR list. Instead, the list features the name of his late mother, Amita Sen.
Sen became a voter in 2014 and cast his ballot in that year's Lok Sabha elections. When the SIR process began in Bengal on November 4, an enumeration form was issued in Sen's name. The filled-in form was submitted by his cousin, Santabhanu. Interestingly, Santabhanu told reporters that they did not physically receive the hearing notice; the caretaker at Pratichi, who informs them of all incoming mail, had not mentioned it.
A Broader Political Struggle for Dignity
Abhishek Banerjee used the incident to underscore a larger political narrative. He declared that the TMC's fight transcends electoral politics and is fundamentally a struggle to protect the dignity and identity of Bengal's people. In a strongly worded warning, he said, "BJP agents who want to unmap the people of Bengal must themselves be unmapped from Bengal and driven out forever."
This episode has quickly become a flashpoint in the ongoing political tussle in West Bengal, with the ruling TMC accusing the central government and its affiliated institutions of disrespecting the state's intellectual legacy. The controversy highlights the sensitive intersection of administrative processes, political symbolism, and the status of celebrated figures in public life.
