Mothers with newborns line up for hours at Malda SIR hearings
Malda: While more than 3,500 voters failed to attend the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearings in Malda district, scenes of hardship unfolded at several hearing centres where pregnant women and mothers carrying infants waited for hours to prevent their names from being struck off the electoral rolls.
According to Election Commission sources, nearly 10.03 lakh voters were issued notices for hearings across Malda’s 12 Assembly constituencies. Of them, around 3,500 voters did not turn up. Nearly 1,500 were listed as “unmapped voters,” while around 2,000 others were flagged under “logical discrepancies.” District authorities said the final figure of absentees would be clear only after all documents are uploaded.
Malda District Election Officer and District Magistrate Preeti Goyal said: “The hearing process in our district has been completed. We are hopeful that all remaining formalities will be finished within the stipulated time.” Officials added that reports from all hearing centres would be submitted to the Election Commission by February 11.
A total of 46 hearing centres were set up across the district. The final day of hearings on Saturday saw activity mainly in Baishnabnagar and Sujapur, while other centres remained open to accept pending documents.
However, the administrative exercise took a heavy toll on many women voters. At the Zilla School hearing centre in English Bazar, long queues were seen throughout the day. Several women stood in line with newborns in their arms, while others sat on the ground due to exhaustion.
Ruki Khatoon, nine months pregnant, arrived at the centre early in the morning after receiving a notice due to discrepancies in her father’s name. By afternoon, she was visibly in pain. “I am nine months pregnant. My delivery is due any day. I have been standing here since morning and can barely manage. Once the hearing is over, I will go straight to a doctor,” she said. After officials noticed her condition, her hearing was expedited.
Another resident, Tagori Khatoon from Lakshmighat, who recently underwent a caesarean delivery, said: “The doctor advised me to rest, but I had no choice. If my name is removed, I will lose my voting rights.”
Shakila Bibi, carrying her one-month-old child under the scorching sun, travelled nearly 10 kilometres to attend the hearing. “There is a mistake in my records. I don’t know when my turn will come, so I am standing here with my baby,” she said. The scenes highlighted the human cost of the SIR process, as many women endured physical hardship driven by fear of losing their right to vote.
