One more BLO dies by suicide in West Bengal, family alleges SIR-related stress

KOLKATA: Another Booth Level Officer (BLO) in West Bengal died by suicide on Saturday, just days after a BLO from Jalpaiguri district took her life on Wednesday. The incident has intensified the ruling Trinamool Congresss campaign against the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Since November 9, three BLOs have died, including two by suicide. Another officer succumbed to a cerebral attack in Memari, Bardhaman district, reportedly triggered by unbearable work pressure linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Bereaved families of the three deceased have alleged that the deaths were caused by deep depression resulting from the unbearable workload linked to the electoral roll revision drive in the state. On Saturday, the body of 53-year-old BLO Rinku Tarafdar was recovered from her house in Krishnagar, Nadia district. She was found hanging from the ceiling of her room. According to police sources, a suicide note was recovered, stating: There will be tremendous pressure on us (BLOs) if we cant complete SIR-related work by stipulated timelines. It was not possible for me to bear the work pressure. Family members alleged that Rinku took her life because she could not cope with the daily workload. She was a para-teacher but was never accustomed to computerised work like data entry of voter names after door-to-door distribution and collection of filled enumeration forms following thorough verification. She was virtually forced to do the SIR job by the administration. Finally, she killed herself because of depression and stress, they said. 'I cant do this SIR work anymore...': Gujarat teacher dies by suicide, cites BLO workload pressure On Friday, Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, requesting a halt to the SIR process. Now, I am compelled to write to you as the situation surrounding the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has reached a deeply alarming stage. The manner in which this exercise is being forced upon officials and citizens is not only unplanned and chaotic, but also dangerous. The absence of even basic preparedness, adequate planning, or clear communication has crippled the process from day one, her letter states. The human cost of this management is now unbearable. Yesterday, an anganwadi worker serving as a BLO in Mal, Jalpaiguri, died by suicide reportedly under crushing SIR-related pressure. Several others have lost their lives since this process began. A revision that previously required three years is now being forcibly compressed into three months, subjecting BLOs and officials to inhuman working conditions and forcing common people under the shadow of fear and uncertainty, the letter adds. With reports of BLO and voter deaths allegedly linked to SIR since the national poll body announced the electoral roll revision exercise in nine states, including West Bengal and three Union Territories, the Trinamool Congress has been demanding the withdrawal of the process. Mamata Banerjee has decided to intensify protests against the SIR through rallies and marches to reach out to voters. She is scheduled to kick off anti-SIR and CAA movements by addressing a party rally at Bongaon on Tuesday and participating in a protest march at Thakurnagar, a religious and administrative headquarters of the Matua community in North 24 Parganas district. The Trinamool Congress aims to woo the Matua vote bank, which influences the fate of more than 30 assembly constituencies in three districts, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, and Jalpaiguri, traditionally during assembly polls in the state. Matuas fear that a large number of voter names from their community may be deleted from the electoral rolls following the SIR. By intensifying its protest against the SIR, the Trinamool Congress seeks to reclaim Matua voters who had supported the rival BJP in previous elections.