For many elderly citizens, the right to vote is sacred, but climbing stairs for it can be a painful test of endurance. The issue came into focus on Monday as the Trinamul Congress (TMC) leadership in Siliguri urged the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), who also serves as an Assistant Returning Officer (ARO), to make alternative arrangements on the ground floor or in the basement for senior citizens above 70 years, who are being asked to attend hearings on upper floors during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Political parties across the spectrum, including the TMC, BJP and others, have set up facilitation camps to assist voters summoned for hearings as part of the SIR process.
As per the Election Commission’s guidelines, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are expected to visit the homes of voters aged above 80 years to verify documents required for enrolment, sparing them the need to attend hearings at block offices.
However, the guideline appeared to falter on the ground on Sunday when a 96-year-old man, Nikhil Chandra Sarkar, was asked to attend a hearing at Dinhata Block I, despite being physically unfit. Sarkar arrived at the office accompanied by his wife, Aava Sarkar, and their son, Nimai Sarkar.
Election officials sought documents from Sarkar as his name did not appear in the electoral roll after 2002. Ironically, Sarkar had been issued an Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) as early as 1995 but was dropped from the voter list in 2002. Officials initially asked the family to produce a voter list from before 2002 showing his enrolment. When they failed to do so, other documents, including his ration card, were finally accepted.
Despite the submission of documents, the nonagenarian returned home with uncertainty over his voter status.
Reacting to the issue, Union minister of state for education, Dr Sukanta Majumder, remarked that if elderly men and women are keen to vote on polling day, attending hearings should not be a problem.
“My father is not physically fit, which is why he does not bother about electoral roll revision or attending hearings for SIR,” Dr Majumder said.