The fate of thousands of domestic workers in West Bengal hangs in the balance as their names are being removed from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) list, even after their cases were heard in the under-adjudication category. Many of them were on the 2002 SIR list, or are descendants of those who were, yet their names have been deleted.
“I wish my name were included in the voter list. My fear is that people are saying I will be sent to Bangladesh. I am from the North 24 Parganas district. Only my son’s and my name are not included,” said Sahana Bibi, who lives in Kolkata’s Patuli area. She even fell ill because of the stress and was admitted to the hospital, where she was put on saline due to a spike in her blood pressure and sugar levels.
Noor Jahan Bibi, another domestic worker from the same locality in Kolkata, faces a similar fate. “My parents are from the North 24 Parganas district. The fear is that they (authorities) will take me away. I have all the documents. I am not a Bangladeshi. My parents and grandparents were born here. I will fight if I have to,” said Noor Jahan.
For many like Sahana Bibi and Noor Jahan, what lies ahead is the option of appealing to the tribunal. However, the process is cumbersome, involving extensive documentation and legal fees, and many of them are illiterate. Some even have to run from pillar to post at police stations to obtain domicile certificates, a process that also involves spending money.
Paschim Banga Griha Paricharika Samiti is a domestic worker welfare organisation helping around 250 workers to get documents in place and approach the tribunal with legal help. Sabar Institute, which conducts research on minority representation in West Bengal, offers free legal help to get documents in order before these domestic workers approach the tribunal.
“To file these petitions, lawyers want Rs 1000-2000. If there are two members in a household, where will they go for this money? I feel that after coming here, a lawyer will be there for us while we appeal,” says Sapna Tripthi, an executive committee member of Paschim Banga Griha Paricharika Samiti.
“For a police verification certificate, they ask for Rs 2000-3000; they even ask for cigarettes. Those who don’t have money did not go back,” she adds.
The situation speaks volumes about the apathy towards the low-income families who struggle to get the necessary documents to get their names included in the voter list, fearing backlash at their workplaces or facing the threat of being sent to detention camps or Bangladesh.
“BLOs (booth level officers) EROs (electoral registration officers) called them for a hearing twice, and they produced several documents, including a domicile certificate. They had to go back to their native villages. Where do they go? Who do they go with? For police verification, they have to go to the police station, where they are asked for money. They thought their names would be in the supplementary list,” says Tripathi.
The Supreme Court order permitting individuals who are appealing to the tribunal for name inclusion to vote in the upcoming assembly elections has offered some reprieve to lakhs of voters. However, the long drawn battle of appealing to the tribunal with relevant documentation in place remains a challenge for these voters.
More than 90 lakh voters' names have been deleted from the SIR, of which close to 60 lakh voters were in the under adjudication category. Nearly 32 lakh cases have been cleared, while 27 lakh voters' names have been deleted, and they have to now appeal to the tribunal to include their names in the voter list. Of the 27 lakh deletions, the majority are from minority dominated districts of Murshidabad, Malda, North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas.