Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on Saturday expressed concerns about the Special Intensive Revision Process in West Bengal, warning that the exercise is being conducted with “undue haste.” Sen also said that this may jeopardise the democratic process, particularly with the assembly elections close by.
The 92-year-old economist was speaking in an interview with PTI during an interview in Boston. While he said that SIR can be a “good democratic process,” Sen also added that those conditions are “missing” in Bengal's case.
“A thorough review of electoral rolls done carefully with adequate time can be a good democratic procedure, but this is not what is happening in West Bengal at this time," Sen was quoted as saying.
SIR being done in a hurry
Sen asserted that SIR is being conducted in a hurry in West Bengal, with insufficient time given for people to submit documents. He said people are not being given enough time to submit documents to vindicate their entitlement to vote.
"This is both unjust to the electorate and unfair to Indian democracy,” he reportedly said.
Also read: ECI likely to extend the February 14-deadline for SIR in Bengal
{{/usCountry}}Also read: ECI likely to extend the February 14-deadline for SIR in Bengal
{{/usCountry}}Amartya Sen was summoned for a hearing after the Election Commission found a “logical discrepancy” over an age difference between him and his mother, Amita Sen.
Drawing on his own experiences during the SIR in Bengal, he said that time pressure was evident in the process, and even Election Commission officials seemed to lack enough time.
Talking about the documentation challenges, Sen said that these difficulties are encountered by many Indian-born individuals in rural areas.
In his own experience, Sen said that he was born in rural India and does not have a birth certificate needed to prove his eligibility to vote. While his issue was resolved, Sen feared that many people lack similar assistance.
Also read: UP SIR hearing rules eased, no need to appear in person: What EC said
Can SIR advantage any political party?
When asked whether SIR could benefit any political party, Sen said he could not answer with certainty, as he is not an expert.
“I have been told by those who seem to know more that the BJP will benefit from the under-accounting,” Sen was quoted as saying.
Without clarifying whether this will be the case, Sen said that EC should not insist on a “faulty arrangement ” and force the democracy to commit “unnecessary error.”
Poor citizens being excluded from SIR
On sections of society being excluded the most, Sen said that the underprivileged and poor face structural disadvantage. “The documents needed to be allowed into the new electoral roll are often difficult to obtain for the underdogs of society,” he added.
He pointed out a class bias in getting the necessary documents to qualify for the new voter's list.