In a development that underscores the complex interplay between citizenship grants and electoral rights, a carpenter in West Bengal's East Burdwan district has been granted citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) even as his status on the voter rolls remains uncertain due to a simultaneous summary revision process.
Citizenship Granted, But Voter Status in Question
Sabuj Das, a 39-year-old carpenter and local BJP worker from Purbasthali, received his citizenship certificate last Friday. This came just nine days after he attended a hearing for the Summary Revision (SIR) of voter rolls on December 31. Das, whose family migrated from Bangladesh 26 years ago, had applied for citizenship under the CAA four months ago, anticipating issues during the voter list verification.
The timing has created a unique predicament for Das. He is now unsure whether he should submit his new citizenship document to election officials or if he must apply afresh as a voter, as the final outcome of his SIR hearing is still not known. "I don't know if we will be called for a second hearing. We are waiting to see if our names are in the final voter list," Das stated.
A Journey Marked by Documentation Challenges
Das revealed that his and his father's names were absent from the 2002 SIR list. He managed to get his name on the voter list previously using his mother's documents. The announcement of the SIR in Bengal worried him, prompting his family to seek citizenship under the CAA. "Around four months ago, my mother, brother and I applied for citizenship under CAA. Last Friday, we were called to the post office where our citizenship certificates were handed over," he explained.
Das serves as the youth convener for the BJP in the Purbasthali North assembly constituency and is a member of the Kalikatala gram panchayat. His case has been highlighted by local BJP workers as an example, suggesting that even if names are struck off during SIR, a citizenship certificate can facilitate re-inclusion.
Official Process and the Path Ahead
Biplob Biswas, the Booth Level Officer (BLO) for Das's area, confirmed that Das was called for the SIR hearing precisely because his name was missing from the 2002 reference list. However, Biswas declined to disclose the specific documents produced during the hearing, citing procedural confidentiality.
The Election Commission lists a citizenship certificate as one of the acceptable documents for inclusion in the voter rolls. This leaves Das in a bureaucratic grey area—holding a valid proof of citizenship but awaiting clarity on his electoral enrollment status. His situation illustrates the practical challenges individuals can face when two significant governmental processes—citizenship verification and electoral roll revision—overlap.
