Kolkata: Bangla Ekata Manch, a forum working for social welfare and the rights of underprivileged and marginalized communities, on Tuesday staged a protest at the CEO's office, raising humanitarian and democratic concerns around SIR.
A five-member team, including actor Parambrata Chattopadhyay, director Indradip Dasgupta and Trinamool spokesperson Tanmoy Ghosh, submitted a letter to the CEO office. The members later raised various issues related to the SIR process and the alleged harassment of people in Bengal.
Vulnerable sections of society—including daily wage earners, migrant workers, elderly citizens, transgenders, minorities, and economically weaker communities—were living in fear over their voting rights, leading to widespread distress, confusion and a decline in public confidence in the electoral process, they said. Chattopadhyay said, "A person may not have any of the prescribed documents. In this country, every state has a different identity. Setting a homogeneous pattern for every state and its citizens is not right. Showing multiple papers is becoming mandatory for availing various schemes, and even citizenship is being questioned."
They also raised concerns about the dignity, security and democratic rights of Bengal's distinguished citizens, including Amartya Sen, Joy Goswami and other public figures, whose names were under suspicion or investigation.
Tanmoy Ghosh said, "This time they are trying to complete the entire process within two months, which is leading to extreme chaos and harassment."