After SC hearing, faith in vote hangs by a thread

Kolkata: Following Monday's Supreme Court hearing, the fate of lakhs whose names have been deleted in the SIR process and have applied to the tribunal remains uncertain, oscillating between faint hope and deep despair over their right to vote in the upcoming Assembly elections. About 10 days before the election, their franchise still hangs in balance as their only query goes unanswered – whether they will be allowed to press the button of their choice on the EVM this time. The apex court is scheduled to hear the case again next Monday, just three days before the first phase of the election in Bengal.

Many people across the city, after failing to clear judicial adjudication, have been waiting anxiously to learn about the tribunal's opinion about their voting right. Renu Pramanik from Bhowanipore constituency felt that there was "little hope" for her at this moment. "I have not given up my hope yet since I have been voting in the city for a long time. The anxious wait keeps lingering and I am just looking forward to know whether my voting right will be restored before the city goes to the polls on April 29."


Rizwanal Haque, professor of Aliah University who lives in Park Circus, is a voter from Malda. "I don't think I shall be able to cast my vote this time. The next hearing will be held in SC on April 20 while the poll in Malda will take place just three days later. I did not receive any call for hearing but I was placed under adjudication, the reason of which was not clarified to me. After making an appeal on April 3, I am waiting for the verdict of the tribunal on whether I would be allowed to vote," he rued.

Sukalyan Ari, a deleted voter from the final roll, and his fresh application by filling Form 6 was also rejected. He was not very sure that the scenario would change in the coming week. "In my family, most of the voters have lost their voting rights and we have no hope till the election is over. I don't think that these matters will be resolved soon so that these people can vote," he added.

Former Indian Air Force officer Wing Commander Md Shamim Akhtar (Retd), who served the nation for 17 years, found his name abruptly deleted from the electoral rolls. Despite a distinguished career that included holding a diplomatic passport and serving in various key positions, Akhtar now has to prove his citizenship and get his right to vote restored. "I am waiting for the tribunal to function so that the cases are disposed of quickly. We have to be positive amidst such a situation. I hope that genuine voters will get back their lost rights."

The name of Zaidul Haque, 60, a Magrahat voter, was deleted on the supplementary list. He filed an appeal before the appellate tribunal on March 30 and it is still pending. "My father Mojidul Haque had been a mokhtar (lawyer) since pre-Independence, practising in Alipore court. He was a student of Mitra Institution of Bhawanipore. He had also been the union board president of Magrahat in South 24 Parganas since Independence. Our family has Waqf Estate enrolled in 1947 in West Bengal Waqf Board and presently 518 bigha land under Haji Desarat and Mojidul Haque Waqf Estate. I submitted 24 documents, including my passport. Yet my name was deleted," he said.

(With inputs from

Srishti Lakhotia)
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