Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 24: Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has voiced serious concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, warning that the rushed process is unfair to voters and could undermine democratic participation ahead of the state assembly elections. Speaking from Boston on Saturday, Sen emphasized that while careful revisions can strengthen democracy, the current exercise lacks adequate time and fairness.

“A thorough review of electoral rolls done carefully with adequate time can be a good democratic procedure, but this is not what is happening in West Bengal at this time,” he said. He added that the hurried pace leaves voters insufficient opportunity to submit the documents needed to secure their voting rights, calling it “both unjust to the electorate and unfair to Indian democracy.”

Sen recounted his personal experience during the revision process in his home constituency of Santiniketan, where his right to vote was questioned despite previously being registered. Officials even inquired about the age of his deceased mother at the time of his birth, highlighting the bureaucratic challenges involved. Reflecting on broader issues, he noted that many citizens, particularly those born in rural India like himself, lack birth certificates, creating additional hurdles to being included in the electoral rolls.

Although Sen’s case was eventually resolved with assistance from friends, he expressed concern for those without such support. He stressed that the poor, underprivileged, and marginalized communities are most at risk of being excluded, as the documentation required for the new rolls can be difficult for them to obtain. He also highlighted potential discrimination against minority groups, including Indian Muslims, and some Hindu communities, cautioning that institutional safeguards must ensure no voter is unfairly barred.

While Sen declined to speculate definitively on political beneficiaries of the SIR, he noted that concerns have been raised that certain parties might gain from under-accounting. He urged the Election Commission and the Supreme Court to act decisively to protect voting rights for all adult citizens.

Expressing his own desire to vote in the upcoming elections, Sen acknowledged that logistics will determine whether he can participate, recalling occasions when he traveled across multiple countries in 48 hours just to cast his vote in Santiniketan.