Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has claimed that a migrant worker from East Burdwan district died allegedly due to anxiety over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. This marks five suicides in the past few days out of fear of SIR, of which four people have died.
The deceased, Bimal Santra, 51, of Nabagram village in Jamalpur, had been working in Tamil Nadu and was “under severe stress and feared being declared a non-citizen if his name did not appear in the 2002 voter rolls,” his son, Bapi Santra, said.
In a social media post, the TMC alleged that Santra’s death was triggered by fear linked to the SIR process, describing it as “another precious life lost to @BJP4India’s politics of fear and hatred”. The party termed the revision drive an “instrument of intimidation” that forces people to question their citizenship and right to belong.
In a post on X, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has earlier stated: “We are witnessing the tragic consequences of the BJP’s politics of fear, division and hate. Within 72 hours of the Election Commission’s announcement of the SIR exercise in Bengal -
An exercise bulldozed through at the BJP’s behest. One avoidable tragedy after another has occurred.”
Appealing to the people not to lose faith or take any extreme step, Banerjee said: “For generations, the people of Bengal have lived with dignity. Today they are being forced to ask whether they still belong to the land of their birth. This cruelty is unconscionable and must not be allowed to stand.
I appeal to every citizen: Do not be provoked, do not lose faith, and do not take any extreme step. Our Maa-Mati-Manush Sarkar stands with you. We will not allow the NRC to be implemented in Bengal - neither through the front door, nor through the back door.
Vowing to fight for the rights of the people, Banerjee added: “We will not permit a single legitimate citizen to be branded an “outsider.” Until the last drop of our blood, we will fight to protect the rights of the people and to defeat the BJP and their allies’ nefarious agenda to tear apart the social fabric of our nation.”
The party also cited four similar recent incidents in the state—a 57-year-old man from Panihati who died by suicide leaving a note mentioning the NRC; a 63-year-old in Cooch Behar who attempted suicide, allegedly terrified of the SIR; a 95-year-old in West Midnapore who ended his life; and a 33-year-old woman from Titagarh who reportedly died on Thursday while gripped by fear of the process.
At a Press conference, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said: “Earlier, people used to elect the government. Now, this BJP government wants to select who will vote or not.” He announced that the party would hold a rally in Kolkata on November 4 to protest what it termed a “back-door NRC”.
Jamalpur MLA Ashok Majhi blamed the BJP for creating panic over SIR, saying many villagers had been forced to migrate after the 100-day work scheme was stopped. He said Santra’s family had told him that the deceased was deeply anxious about the process. “This is unfortunate,” he said.
Santra’s son said his father had been hospitalised after his health deteriorated under stress. “My father was under severe pressure. He was hospitalised. We contacted our MLA, who helped us a lot during this crisis,” he told reporters.