Border villagers flee as electoral roll revision begins in Cooch Behar

With the launch of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, booth level officers (BLOs) across North Bengal have begun visiting households to distribute enumeration forms. However, the process has sparked a series of unusual and politically charged incidents in different parts of the region.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

In a village under the Mekhliganj block of Cooch Behar district, located close to the unfenced Indo-Bangladesh border where only a river separates the two countries, several families have reportedly fled their homes as BLOs began their door-to-door visits.

According to local residents, the families belonged to minority communities living on both sides of the border and were known to move frequently between the two countries. They allegedly held voter cards in India, often obtained with the help of local residents by producing false parentage. Fearing scrutiny during the SIR, these families are believed to have left their Indian homes temporarily to avoid controversy and conceal their identities.