Third-Generation National Flag Maker Stripped of Voting Rights in Kolkata
In a shocking development from Kolkata, a man whose family has been manufacturing the National Flag since India's Independence in 1947 has been stripped of his voting rights. Raju Halder, a third-generation Tricolour maker and one of the largest suppliers of national flags in eastern India, discovered his name was dropped from the voter list when the supplementary list was published.
Decades of Service and Sudden Exclusion
Halder, a voter of the South Howrah Assembly constituency, has since filed an appeal at the tribunal through a lawyer. His home in the south Howrah neighbourhood of Unsani stands as a vivid testament to his passion for the Indian flag. Painted entirely in saffron, white, and green, the three-storey house is a striking tribute to the Tricolour that three generations of Halders have been crafting for nearly eight decades.
"We are ten brothers and sisters. Out of them, only my name has been deleted. My mother's name is also there in the electoral rolls. I even voted in 2002," Halder stated. He explained that he was called for a hearing because officials claimed his father's name, Nurezzaman Halder, did not match with his. During the hearing, he submitted all relevant documents, including his international passport and land records dating back to 1982, which clearly listed his father's name. Despite this, his name was removed.
Family Legacy and Broader Concerns
The 46-year-old flag maker revealed that his family has been residing in south Howrah since the British period. "I have been living here all my life. I was born here. I work here. My grandfather started this business of stitching National Flags and supplying them. After my father, I am carrying it forward," he said. The Halders supply National flags primarily to Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, and occasionally to Delhi.
Halder expressed deep concern about the implications of his sudden exclusion. "If my name is excluded all of a sudden, what will happen to my children?" he questioned. He also noted that one of his cousin brothers, a sister-in-law, and an employee who also makes the Tricolour flag have been deleted from the electoral roll, suggesting a pattern.
Allegations of Random Deletions and Mental Stress
Halder feels that the Election Commission is randomly deleting names without properly checking documents. "In their haste, they are excluding names without properly checking the documents. How is it possible to check the documents of millions of people properly? They are just excluding people randomly," he alleged. He added that irrespective of religion, both Hindus and Muslims are being targeted, and he perceives it as an attack on Bengalis and Bengal.
The National flag-maker shared that colouring his house in the Tricolour was a long-cherished dream, symbolizing his love for the country. "Even one of the rooms in my home is painted in Tricolour," he added. However, the current situation has caused significant distress. "It is a lot of harassment and mental stress for so many common people," Halder concluded, highlighting the broader impact of such electoral discrepancies.
