West Bengal: Minority organization creates action plan over SIR concerns

Concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) have prompted minority organisation Jamait Ulema-i-Hind in West Bengal to set up special units at the district level to assist its members with relevant documents as per the norms of the Election Commission (EC). There will be emergency organisational meetings at various districts on October 29, Wednesday, to chart out a course of action. This involves forming a group of 5–7 people to take charge at the district level. A WhatsApp group and a control room will be created to coordinate efforts. The team will visit villages to raise awareness about necessary documents and encourage people to reach out to those in charge for assistance.

 

“We want to rise above politics and help the people of West Bengal. Bengal has been targeted because of an anti-BJP government, and this (SIR) is being done to create trouble, to ruin the environment in Bengal,” said Siddiqullah Chowdhury, President of Jamait Ulema-i-Hind, West Bengal. Chowdhury is an MLA from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and also a minister in the Mamata Banerjee government.

 

The Manteswar MLA also said that there are civil courts in districts where advocates will look into issues and if needed, members of the Jamait Ulema-i-Hind will hold rallies to create awareness as Chowdhury believes Indian voters should not be harassed. There is a list of 14 advocates in the 22 districts who will help people with documentation work if required.

 

“Citizens in the state cannot be removed; there should be no one at the receiving end of injustice. We will look at the documents of people and then go to the EC if there are concerns and revolt if the EC does not genuinely conduct the SIR exercise,” explained Chowdhury.

 

The Jamait Ulema-i-Hind is a 106-year-old organisation with 1.5 crore members across India, of which 14 lakh members are spread across 22 districts and 725 units in West Bengal.

 

The concern for the minority community stems from general apprehensions of many voters in the state over the SIR. The support of Mamata, who has been vocal about the voter revision exercise, calling it a backdoor ‘NRC’, also prompts voters to be concerned about the challenges they might face. Meanwhile, comments by BJP leader Shantanu Thakur that 1.2 crore voters will be removed from the voter list post the SIR have not been encouraging for many voters in West Bengal either. The SIR will involve referring to the 2002 SIR list; for others who are not part of that list, a list of 11 relevant documents, as suggested by the EC, will be required.

 

“BJP can say this as a political party, but the Election Commission has to decide. BJP is not India; it is a political party which might be in power today and not tomorrow. The people of India are Indians,” said the minister.

 

“Will the EC decide or BJP or RSS? They (BJP, RSS) are not the Election Commission. They are political parties and they (the EC) are under their influence. They (BJP) want to make this political, and we want to rise above politics and see that there is no discrimination amongst the people of India; we have to look into that,” said Siddiqullah Chowdhury.

 

The SIR in West Bengal is expected to begin by November and be completed by February 2026 ahead of the Assembly elections in April-May.

India