Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee on Monday took to social media to register a note of defiance, sharing a poem that sharply criticises the alleged harassment of people amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal.
Titled ‘Ami Aswikar Kori’ (I Refuse), the poem strikes a tone of protest and resistance, articulating dissent against the administrative framework overseeing the revision process. Through its verses, Banerjee sought to give voice to what the Trinamool Congress has described as the growing anxiety, inconvenience and
distress faced by ordinary citizens, turning a bureaucratic exercise into a deeply emotive political flashpoint.
“In the depths of my inner turmoil over an insidious process that has shattered lives and echoing the collective anguish, pain, and righteous fury of our people, I have channelled these emotions into a humble verse,” the TMC national general secretary posted on X along with poem written in Bengali.
In the verses, the Diamond Harbour MP referred to himself as a “witness” to the alleged sufferings of people, citing instances of harassment and deaths purportedly linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive.
The poem employs strong political imagery and language to question the functioning of institutions, echoing the party’s criticism of the exercise.
Party leaders said Banerjee’s poem was intended to highlight the concerns of common voters and amplify what the TMC has described as irregularities in the revision process.
The ruling party in Bengal has been alleging that the SIR exercise has led to widespread anxiety among residents over documentation and verification procedures.
Banerjee’s literary intervention comes days after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee released multiple new books, including a poetry collection, at the recently concluded International Kolkata Book Fair, some of which also touched upon issues related to the alleged harassment of people during the administrative exercises.