Initially, voters were seeking guidance to fill out the complicated SIR enumeration form.

Now, they have anxious queries about what happens if their names are deleted from the electoral rolls despite appealing to the tribunals.

Metro spoke to a lawyer who has been offering her services pro bono to those denied their voting rights.

Hera Nafis, a Calcutta High Court advocate with her chamber on Colonel Biswas Road in Beck Bagan, shares her experience handling the new “clients”:

Since December, I have kept my chamber open for an extra two hours during lunch breaks to help people with SIR-related issues. At first, there was confusion. Now, there is fear.

The fear is of losing citizenship, of bank accounts being frozen and of passports or Aadhaar cards being blocked. There is a lot of uncertainty in the minds of those
whose names have been deleted from the supplementary lists.

We have assisted around 400 people so far, either physically or through video calls.

Initially, most were seeking help to fill out SIR enumeration forms. Some had basic queries, while others needed details about the 2002 voter lists, which they could not access.

Over time, more people started coming each day. In the past week, three to four people have visited my chamber every day, all with their names deleted from the electoral rolls. They come from different social and financial backgrounds — from daily wage earners to businessmen. Most are Muslims.

They are trying to understand what additional documents are needed to restore their names. Many have already attended several hearings and submitted numerous documents.

Now, I see a different kind of panic in them. They ask me whether they will be able to fill out a fresh form if their names are finally deleted despite appeals to the tribunal. “Will I be able to appeal for a new voter card? What happens to my Aadhaar and PAN cards? Will there be any effect on my passport or citizenship?”

Many are also approaching lawyers on what to say at tribunal hearings, which could be their final opportunity.

Unfortunately, I do not have answers to many of these queries, as the case is still being heard in the Supreme Court. Lawyers like myself are also awaiting answers.

People are seeking professional help because BLOs are often unable to answer their questions. Many BLOs made errors while filling out forms earlier, and those voters are still suffering.