ISLAMABAD: Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen has raised serious concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, calling the exercise hurried, unjust to voters, and potentially damaging to democratic participation as the state heads toward assembly elections in the coming months.
Sen said that while revising electoral rolls can strengthen democracy if conducted carefully, the current process in West Bengal lacks sufficient time and fairness, the Indian media reported on Saturday.
‘Unfair to democracy’
He argued that voters are not being given adequate opportunity to submit documents to establish their eligibility, making the exercise both unjust to the electorate and unfair to Indian democracy.
Sen said the time pressure was visible even among Election Commission (EC) officials.
Recalling his own experience, he said he was questioned about his right to vote from Santiniketan, his home constituency, despite having voted there earlier and having his details already recorded in official records.
He said officials questioned him about his deceased mother’s age at the time of his birth, even though both their details were already available in EC records.
‘Rigid gates’ of EC
Highlighting broader documentation challenges, Sen noted that, like many Indians born in rural areas, he does not have a birth certificate, which required him to submit additional paperwork to establish his eligibility.
While his case was eventually resolved with the help of friends, he expressed concern for voters who lack similar support networks.
He said he worried about those who may not be able to navigate what he described as the “rigid gates” of the Election Commission.
BJP might benefit
Sen was summoned for a hearing after a “logical discrepancy” was flagged regarding the age difference between him and his mother.
Asked whether the SIR could benefit any political party, he said he was not an election expert and could not answer with certainty, though he had been told by others that the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) might benefit from under-accounting.
He stressed, however, that no party’s potential gain should justify a faulty process.
Underprivileged at risk of exclusion
He warned that the poor and underprivileged were most at risk of exclusion, as required documents are often difficult for them to obtain, and said such requirements could introduce class bias.
He also flagged concerns about minority communities, including Muslims and some Hindu groups, facing possible discrimination.
He said, “Indian Muslims are sometimes relegated to disadvantaged positions through the activism of the recently bolstered Hindutva extremists. Some categories of Hindus also may face discrimination and targeting.”
Sen said the Election Commission and the Supreme Court must ensure that no adult Indian citizen faces difficulty in qualifying to vote.
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