People in frail health, office-goers forced to take leave, and homemakers leaving unfinished work reported for hearings for the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of Bengal’s electoral rolls on Monday, for reasons unknown to them or their booth-level officers.
For many, the ordeal lasted hours, without access to drinking water or washrooms, as they bore the inconvenience to protect their voting rights.
Endless queues
When Reshmi Saha, 45, reported for her hearing around 1.30pm, she was at the tail end of a long queue. An hour-and-a-half later, she had barely moved a few steps.
“I am the only one in my family who has been called for a hearing. My maiden surname was Roy, but my voter card reflects my current surname, which I have used to vote before. What is the meaning of such scrutiny that leads to this prolonged harassment?” asked Saha.
Most people waited around two hours before reaching the assistant electoral registration officers to produce documents. After verification, they faced further delays for a photograph.
Gopa Biswas, 63, who arrived at 1pm, said she was still six people away from her turn at 3pm. “I came alone. My husband has passed away, and my daughter is married. The BLO had told me it won’t take long, but if this isn’t long, what is?” she said.
No basic arrangements
At a library in Behala, 86-year-old Kalyani Basu had to stand for nearly 20 minutes before local Trinamool functionaries arranged a few chairs. Yet, the number of chairs remainedgrossly inadequate compared to the number of people who needed to sit.
In north Calcutta, at a college venue, people jostled for space under a tree or on stairs, as no seating was available.
Basu’s grandson said: “At 86, my grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s, had to wait for an hour-and-a-half. The exercise does not consider age or illness. She cannot recognise familiar people, and we constantly have to explain why she is here.”
On Monday evening, the Election Commission announced that hearings for voters above 85, expecting mothers, and the ailing would be conducted at their homes. But many outside these categories may also require assistance.
Documentation woes
Forty-year-old Pinky Debi Singh said she was feeling unwell around 3pm but had attended to ensure her voting rights. At the hearing, she was asked to show a copy of her mother’s Aadhaar card. “My mother is 86, lives in Ara (Bihar), and isn’t familiar with smartphones. I hope there are no further document demands,” Singh said.
Some booth-level agents tried to accommodate elderly residents by allowing themto bypass queues, but thisoften prolonged waits for others. In south Calcutta, police had to intervene to calm a frustrated crowd.
Lack of facilities
A.K. Sadhu, 68, and his wife S. Sadhu, 59, from Bowbazar, took turns to stand in line on behalf of their son and daughter-in-law, who live in the US. Their son is a neuroscientist in Dallas.
“For an exercise that demands such long waits, there should at least be drinking water available,” A.K. Sadhu said. “We support the SIR and want only genuine voters registered, but basic facilities are essential.”
Elsewhere, 75-year-old Biswajit Mustafi searched an unfamiliar neighbourhood for a toilet for his 67-year-old wife. “Ultimately, a kind family let us use their restroom. Such harassment for seniors is completely uncalled for,” he said.