Bengal elections 2026: Green activist couple finds names off SIR roll | Kolkata News
KOLKATA: A couple, who are known for saving East Kolkata Wetlands, find themselves disenfranchised by Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Bonani and Pradeep Kakkar had shifted to Hindustan Park from Ballygunge Circular Road last year. They flagged concern about not getting the enumeration form with the Block Level Officer. They also mentioned that they could not find their name on the draft electoral list. But the BLO kept assuring them each time that there was nothing to worry about. The officer had allegedly told them that they would be able to vote. On the final list, their names didn’t appear.The couple claimed to have informed their BLO at Hindustan Park about their concerns on several occasions. “On each occasion, he (the officer) appeared to be confident that our names would be on the list,” said Pradeep. He has been casting his franchise in elections since 1964. During 1990s, his address was Southern Avenue. But it changed to Ballygunge Circular Road in 2000s. But in case of Bonani, the permanent address has always been Hindustan Park. Her family has resided there for nearly a century. She claimed to have always voted from Hindustan Park. Unlike her husband, she didn’t cast her vote in the last general election due to health issues.“I was looking forward to voting in the Assembly elections this year. But this unethical SIR is denying us the opportunity,” she said.After returning from the US-where he studied along with his wife-in the 90s, he taught at IIM Calcutta. He worked in advertising agencies. He may have occasionally considered not voting. His wife, who worked with World Bank and Unicef, had always insisted on voting, he said. She is serving as the chairperson of the state advisory committee of WWF. Both claim to be passport holders. Bonani expressed grief that despite having documents they can’t vote. “I don’t know if it was a deliberate attempt to prevent some people from voting,” she said.
