SIR in Bengal: A special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal led to an extraordinary family reunion on Monday, when Jagabandhu Mondal, missing for 28 years, returned to his native Bagdah village to reclaim his identity as a voter. His wife, Supriya Mondal, who had been raising their two children alone, recognised her husband as soon as he arrived.
“I recognised his ‘thickset face’ the moment he landed at our door,” she told the Times of India. Jagabandhu’s father, Bijoy Mondal, also confirmed that his son had returned.
Family’s Long Ordeal, Bengal SIR Comes As A Divine Intervention
After years of unsuccessful attempts to trace him, the family had even consulted an astrologer, who “confirmed” their worst fears. Supriya had performed her husband’s last rites and adjusted to life as a single mother. During this period, Jagabandhu’s name was apparently deleted from the electoral rolls in subsequent revisions.
Now 55, Jagabandhu said he decided to come back after losing his job in Chhattisgarh.
“My name is still on the voters’ list in Bankura,” he stated.
The Bankura entry sparked rumours that he had remarried, as the name “Sulekha Mondal” appeared next to his on the list, with her husband listed as Jagabandhu Mondal. The man denied any second marriage.
“I travelled to Gujarat and then Mumbai before returning to Bankura for a while. I finally settled in Chhattisgarh,” he explained.
Jagabandhu Mondal And Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal
Local booth committee member Samir Guha said, “His name is not there on the post-SIR 2002 rolls, but his father’s name is.” A designated Booth Level Officer (BLO) added, “With his name deleted from the rolls and no official proof of his whereabouts for 28 years, verifying his claims and restoring his status may prove a challenge.”
Following the successful SIR in Bihar ahead of the state elections, the Election Commission has now turned its attention to West Bengal under a court-mandated order to revise electoral rolls.
A senior EC team, led by Deputy Election Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti, will oversee preparations in Kolkata. The team is scheduled to meet the District Election Officers (DEOs) of Kolkata South, Kolkata North, and South 24 Parganas.
The team will then move to Krishnanagar for an overnight stay on Wednesday to review the SIR process in Nadia and Murshidabad districts. On Thursday, they will assess the SIR process in Malda district. The team will return to Kolkata on Friday to participate in a First Level Checking of EVMs workshop in New Town, attended by all 24 DEOs.
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
