Anger and frustration ran high across Kolkata and New Town as elderly voters were made to wait for hours without seating or drinking water during hearings held under the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
At a north Kolkata school on Sunday, 80-year-old Kamal Chowdhury and his 75-year-old wife Chaitali stood in a queue clutching documents, despite her suffering from knee pain. The couple said they were neither offered chairs nor water and were not informed why they had been listed as “unmapped voters” — those not linked to the 2002 electoral roll.
“We don’t even know why we were issued a hearing notice,” Chowdhury said while waiting at Upendra Vidyamandir. “I was born and raised at Rabindra Sarani and have voted in several elections. I have brought all my documents.”
Chaitali said they had no option but to attend the hearing as they were temporarily staying at their daughter’s house in Patipukur. “We are among the oldest residents of our area, yet we were called without explanation,” she said, recalling how one of her documents fell into a roadside drain while she waited.
Similar scenes were reported across the city. Seventy-nine-year-old Gita Singh was seen sitting on the footboard of an autorickshaw outside the school after being unable to stand for long. “I told officials I couldn’t remain on my feet, but was asked to wait till my name was called,” she said, adding she had no idea why she was summoned despite voting regularly.
Another voter, Uma Das, who arrived with her husband, called the process “ridiculous”. “We provided all information during SIR enumeration, yet were called again without being told the reason,” she said.
At Ganabhaban, 76-year-old Bharati De broke down in tears while waiting. “I have brought my school-leaving certificate and bank passbook. I don’t know what more they want,” she said.
At Chetla Girls’ High School, 76-year-old Dinabandhu Das said he had been summoned due to a discrepancy after his late father’s name was confused with another voter. “I have voted here for 50 years. I still have to queue up,” he remarked bitterly. His neighbour Priya Dutta, who accompanied her 60-year-old mother, described the process as harassment.
Former joint police commissioner (crime) Pallab Kanti Ghosh, who was called to a hearing in New Town, said senior citizens were forced to wait for over two-and-a-half hours at APJ Abdul Kalam College. “Benches could easily have been arranged. There was no water. This is cruel negligence,” he said, questioning whether the situation was deliberate.
The second consecutive day of chaotic hearings has intensified criticism over the conduct of the SIR process, with voters demanding transparency, dignity and basic facilities, especially for senior citizens.
