Anxiety grips Panihati neighbourhood as SIR sparks fear after 57-yr-old’s suicide

Kolkata: Sadhan Das, 63, who runs a small grocery shop near Agarpara station, found himself at the centre of ridicule from a group of daily customers recently.

The jokes revolved around the upcoming SIR, as one of them taunted: “Is it time to pack your bags and return to Bangladesh again?”

Das, who migrated with his parents nearly five decades ago and possesses all essential documents, said: “After all these years, how can I prove I’m as rightful a citizen as you are?”

The Panihati neighbourhood of Mahajati Nagar was shaken by a tragic incident on Tuesday morning. A 57-year-old man, Pradeep Kar, was found dead at his home. According to police, a suicide note recovered from the spot mentioned, “NRC is responsible for my death.” Family members said Kar had been under severe stress since the announcement of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. They claimed he often voiced fears of being labelled a “intruder,” haunted by fear of the NRC process and its impact on ordinary citizens.

Panihati, which consists of Agarpara and Sodepur belt, is home to thousands of families who migrated from Bangladesh before or soon after Independence.

For many of them, the SIR has reignited old insecurities about belonging and identity. Despite possessing legal documents, several residents say they now fear renewed scrutiny over their citizenship. Bijoy Shome, another resident of Mahajati Nagar whose parents came from Dhaka around 1949, stated: “While shifting to our newly purchased flat, I couldn’t enter my name in the 2002 voter list. Now I’ve to go through a lot of harassment to prove my legitimacy.”

Panihati Municipality Chairman Somnath Dey expressed concern over the situation. “It is affecting rightful voters to such an extent that one of them had to commit suicide. We need a fair process where no one would be terrified in the name of legitimacy, and not one rightful voter would be left out of the list,” Dey said.

In areas where lakhs once arrived seeking peace and stability, anxiety now runs deep. For many families, the process meant to ensure inclusion has instead reopened wounds of displacement and doubt — a reminder that even decades later, the struggle for acceptance still continues.