West Bengal suicides linked to voter roll revision spark NRC fears

At least three individuals have died by suicide and one has attempted it in West Bengal since the Election Commission announced its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls on 27 October, with families linking the acts to fears of citizenship verification resembling the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using the process as a "backdoor NRC" to target minorities, while the BJP counters that TMC is fabricating the narrative for political gain.

Officials maintain the revision is a standard update using documents like Aadhaar and does not require citizenship proof, amid ongoing police investigations into the incidents. This wave of distress highlights the lingering trauma from past NRC debates in Assam and nationwide CAA protests, raising questions about communication gaps in electoral processes.

Announcement of voter roll revision

The Election Commission launched the SIR on 27 October to update West Bengal's voter lists, requiring residents to verify details with 11 documents, including Aadhaar, passports or ration cards. The exercise, aimed at removing duplicates and deceased names, follows similar drives in Bihar and Jharkhand but has triggered panic in Bengal due to historical NRC sensitivities. ECI officials clarified: "This is not an NRC; it's a routine revision to ensure accurate rolls ahead of polls." The process, running until November 25, has seen door-to-door verification by booth-level officers, with appeals available for exclusions.

Despite assurances, the announcement coincided with heightened political rhetoric, as TMC leaders claimed it could disenfranchise Muslims and migrants, echoing 2019 fears when over 100 suicides were linked to NRC exclusion in Assam.

Details of the suicides

The first suicide occurred on 28 October in North 24 Parganas, where a 45-year-old man hanged himself after reportedly expressing fears of losing citizenship. His family told police: "He was worried the revision meant proving nationality again." A second case in Murshidabad saw a 32-year-old woman take her life on 29 October, with relatives attributing it to anxiety over document verification. In Cooch Behar, a 50-year-old migrant worker attempted suicide on 30 October, surviving with injuries; his note read: "No papers, no vote, no citizenship." The third death, in South 24 Parganas on 30 October, involved a 60-year-old farmer who poisoned himself, leaving a family claiming: "He panicked thinking it was NRC 2.0."

Police have registered unnatural death cases, with investigations ongoing. A senior officer stated: "We are probing all angles, but no direct link to the revision has been established yet."

TMC accuses BJP of backdoor NRC

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh blamed the BJP: "This SIR is a backdoor NRC to harass minorities and the poor." CM Mamata Banerjee warned at a rally: "Don't fall for BJP's tactics—submit documents calmly, it's not citizenship-related." The party has launched awareness drives, with Ghosh adding: "BJP is spreading fear for votes." TMC MPs have raised it in Parliament, demanding ECI clarification.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar denied: "TMC is fabricating panic for political gain—SIR is routine, not NRC." He accused TMC of "playing the fear card to consolidate minorities." The ECI has reiterated: "No citizenship proof needed; it's voter verification using Aadhaar or similar."

Official clarification on the revision

ECI officials emphasised the SIR's purpose: "It's to clean rolls of errors, not verify citizenship." West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Aariz Aftab stated: "Documents like Aadhaar suffice; no NRC linkage." The revision follows Supreme Court directives for transparent processes, with online appeals for deletions. Despite this, panic persists in border districts like Murshidabad, where 2019 NRC fears led to similar incidents.

Human rights groups like Amnesty India called for counselling: "Address mental health amid misinformation." Psychologists note "collective trauma" from the CAA-NRC era.

The suicides highlight communication failures in voter exercises, with experts urging ECI to launch awareness campaigns. As Bengal heads to the 2026 polls, the incident could polarise voters, with TMC leveraging it against BJP's "anti-minority" image. Officials plan town halls to dispel myths, but as investigations continue, the tragedy underscores the human cost of political rhetoric.