Migrant worker’s death in Tamil Nadu sparks political row over SIR fears

Kolkata: The death of a migrant worker from West Bengal has triggered a political controversy, with his family claiming he died from anxiety over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the state’s voter list, while rival parties dispute the cause.

Bimal Santra, 51, a resident of Nabagram in Jamalpur, East Burdwan, had travelled to Tamil Nadu for work and reportedly fell ill on 26 October. He was admitted to hospital and died on Thursday while undergoing treatment. His body was brought back to his village on Saturday evening, where local Trinamool Congress leaders visited the family and offered condolences on the instructions of party MP Abhishek Banerjee.

Santra’s son, Bapi, who travelled to Tamil Nadu after receiving news of his father’s death, filed a case of unnatural death at Orathanadu police station in Thanjavur. He told reporters that his father had been deeply worried about the SIR process and feared his name might be removed from the voter list, which he believes contributed to his declining health.

Trinamool leaders, including Jamalpur MLA Alok Kumar Majhi and state minister Swapan Debnath, echoed the family’s concerns, alleging that the Election Commission’s voter revision exercise had created widespread panic. Debnath claimed the incident amounted to another suicide linked to SIR anxiety and held the Commission responsible. The party has previously cited similar cases in Panihati, Dinhata, Ilambazar and other areas, alleging that fear over SIR and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) has led to multiple suicides.

However, the local BJP dismissed the claims, arguing that Santra’s death was unrelated to the voter list revision. Jamalpur-1 Mandal President Pradhan Chandra Pal said the Trinamool was politicising the tragedy, asserting that the worker died due to other reasons and not out of fear of SIR.

The incident has added fuel to the ongoing debate over the impact of the SIR process in West Bengal, with both parties trading accusations as tensions rise ahead of the electoral exercise.

(Inputs from IANS)