The special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls conducted across Bengal, which despite being dogged by various controversies and problems, has brought broad smiles to three residents — two from Cooch Behar district and one from
Alipurduar district.

The trio, who had received notices from the foreigners’ tribunal of Assam and were asked to prove their citizenship, said they were confident that they would no longer face any problem in proving their Indian citizenship.

The trio said they have carried out the necessary formalities of SIR and have also found their names in the electoral roll of 2002 — a key document in verifying citizenship records.

Anjali Seal, a homemaker in Moymansingha Para, a locality in Falakata block of Alipurduar district, said she was finally relieved after submitting her filled-up enumeration form to the booth-level officer and confirming that her name had appeared in the 2002 voter list.

The 2002 list is being used by the Election Commission of India as the baseline for the current SIR exercise.

“I am quite relieved now. I have submitted my enumeration form to the BLO, and my name is already on the 2002 voter list. I don’t think there is any reason for me to feel concerned about the notice which I had received from Assam,” Anjali said.

On July 25 this year, Anjali had received a notice issued by the foreigners’ tribunal
in Assam.

“Unlike a section of people who had expressed worries over the SIR, we are relieved that the process happened. My wife’s name is there is the 2002 electoral roll. It clearly proves that she is an Indian citizen,” said Nitya,
Anjali’s husband.

Similarly, Uttam Brajbasi of Dinhata and Nishikanta Das of Latapata village in Mathabhanga, both in Cooch Behar, who had received such notices from the foreigners’ tribunal of Assam to prove their citizenship, sounded relieved.

The notices had created anxiety in both the Brajbasi and Das families, who insisted that they were long-time residents and legitimate citizens of India.

However, the tension to prove Indian citizenship has now eased in the Brajbasi and Das households.

Both families say they have completed the procedures under the SIR and have submitted their enumeration forms, which have reaffirmed their status as lawful voters
of Bengal.

“We belong to Bengal, and we have submitted all SIR forms,” said Uttam.

Mamoni, his wife, confirmed that all their names were there in the 2002 electoral roll.

“We have also submitted the enumeration forms. This proves that the NRC notice had been served by mistake,” she said.

Nishikanta and his family, too, appeared reassured.

“My name was there in the 2002 list, and I have submitted my enumeration form. I am waiting for the final list now. It will reaffirm my citizenship. It is disappointing that the authorities in Assam did not go through these details,” said the elderly
egg-seller.

That the trio have their names in the 2002 electoral roll and that they received and submitted the enumeration forms also led to political ripples.

“The chief minister and senior leaders of our party have time and again said that the BJP government of Assam is trying to harass these people on the pretext of verifying citizenships. But during the SIR process, they have all provided appropriate credentials. It only proves that the BJP had planned to intimidate people living in the border districts of Bengal to draw their support,” said Prakash Chik Baraik, a Trinamool member of the Rajya Sabha from Alipurduar.

A BJP leader, however, came up with a different logic.

“All three of them have connections with Assam, and the notices were served to them because there was some discrepancy in their documents. If they are Indian citizens, why were they so concerned over the notices?” said a party functionary in Cooch Behar.

The deadline for electors to submit enumeration forms in the ongoing SIR in nine states, including Bengal, and three Union territories was extended from December 4 to 11.

The final roll will now be published on February 14, 2026, instead of February 7.