Alipurduar, December 08 (Siliguri Chronicle) – The special intensive revision (SIR) of Bengal’s electoral rolls carried out despite several controversies and hurdles has come as a major relief for three residents, two from Cooch Behar and one from Alipurduar.
All three had earlier received notices from Assam’s foreigners’ tribunal asking them to prove their citizenship. After the SIR process, they said they now feel confident that there will be no further hurdles in establishing their Indian citizenship.
The trio said they had completed all SIR formalities and also located their names in the 2002 electoral roll, a key document used to verify citizenship.
Anjali Seal, a homemaker from Moymansingha Para in Falakata block of Alipurduar district, said she finally felt relieved after submitting her filled-up enumeration form to the booth-level officer and confirming that her name appeared in the 2002 voter list.
The Election Commission of India is using the 2002 voter list as the baseline document for the ongoing 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 received a notice from 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 also received notices from Assam’s foreigners’ tribunal, said they too felt relieved.
The notices had caused deep anxiety in both families, who maintained that they have lived in Bengal for generations and are legitimate Indian citizens.
Now, they say that tension has eased. Both families have completed the SIR procedures and submitted their enumeration forms, which reaffirm 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 appeared 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.
The fact that all three have their names in the 2002 electoral roll, and that they received and submitted their enumeration forms, has also sparked political reactions.
“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 voters to submit their enumeration forms under the ongoing SIR in nine states, including Bengal, and three Union territories has been extended from December 4 to December 11.
As a result, the final electoral roll will now be published on February 14, 2026, instead of February 7.
