In Santiniketan, tribals of the land bear SIR deletion brunt

Santiniketan: In Santiniketan, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has done more than alter the electoral roll. It has threatened the identity of indigenous people of the land living here for generations, possibly even before Visva-Bharati was founded. Ashramiks have not been spared either.

The deletions have been severe in tribal hamlets surrounding Rabindranath Tagore's "abode of peace", an area shaped by his intellectual and cultural legacy.



As Santiniketan, under Bolpur assembly constituency, goes to vote on April 23, residents point to the harassment faced by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen and Nandalal Bose's grandson, Suprabuddha Sen, as examples of a pattern that has hit ordinary citizens, especially poor rural people, far harder.

Amartya received a notice from the Election Commission citing a "logical discrepancy" over the age difference between him and his mother. Suprabuddha and his wife had their names struck off despite providing documents. EC officials said his voting rights were later restored Both Amartya and Suprabuddha are voters in ward 2, which includes Ashrama complex, Sreepalli, Purbapalli and Ratanpalli.

Gitikantha Majumdar, who looks after Amartya's Pratichi home and his official matters, said: "EC claimed the age gap between Sen and his mother was less than 15 years, while the actual difference is 19-and-a-half years. The notice and its language was an insult to the economist."

Ward 2 councillor Chandan Mondal said: "There are ashramiks, Biharis and a significant SC and ST population here. More than 90 indigenous tribals have been deleted from Phuldanga. At least 100 people, mostly STs, residing at Ratanpally have been deleted."

Gouri Tudu, councillor of ward 4 (Moldanga-Sriniketan), said most deletions occurred in tribal villages. "In Pearson Palli, Balipara and Kaligunge in ward 3, people are living for generations, possibly even before Visva-Bharati was founded. Ward 4 alone saw 152 deletions, including 48 from the Bagdi community and 35 from the Bauri community. They are an integral part of Tagore's Santiniketan."

Sudripta Tagore, principal of Santiniketan Sishutirtha and a fifth-generation descendant of Satyendranath Tagore's family, said: "The state failed its citizens and rural areas suffered more than urban centres."

VB philosophy professor Kausik Bhattacharya said: "My name was missing from the 2024 list though it was on the 2002 list. I submitted Form 6 but it was rejected."

Anil Konar, honorary secretary of Santiniketan Trust, said the SIR exercise was rushed and the form itself was confusing.
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