EDITORIAL IDENTITY AND INCLUSION

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal has kicked off this week, with Booth Level Officers (BLOs) fanning out across neighbourhoods to verify voter information. The initiative, while procedural in essence, carries unusual political weight this time around. With state-level debates on citizenship, identity, and migration often spilling into electoral discourse, the SIR exercise is more than just a bureaucratic update — it isa litmus test of administrative neutrality and voter confidence in the democratic process. At its core, the SIR is meant to ensure that every eligible voter's name remains intact in the rolls and that all ineligible entries are weeded out. It is both a constitutional necessity and a civic responsibility. Yet, in a state where political contestation runs deep, the process has invited heightened scrutiny. Every step of the enumeration — from the arrival of the BLO at the doorstep to the completion of the final rolls — has implications for transparency, trust, and fairness in the electoral process. BLOs, now the most visible face of the Election Commission, have been tasked with reaching every voter under their jurisdiction. They will carry official identification cards bearing QR codes that can be verified online, a digital feature designed to reassure citizens of authenticity. Their visits, spread across several weeks, aim to account for every household, ensuring that no eligible voter is left out because of absence or oversight. In most cases, BLOs will make repeated attempts — up to three visits — to contact residents and complete the verification. In some areas, political party representatives, designated as Booth Level Agents (BLAS), are likely to accompany them, adding another layer of visibility and, perhaps, tension to an already charged process.

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‘The procedural aspects are straightforward but demand precision. Voters must fill out enumeration forms in duplicate, with their BLO countersigning them. One copy will be retained by the officer while the other, stamped and acknowledged, will serve as the citizen's proof of participation. Voters are expected to have key documents ready — their EPIC (voter ID), Aadhaar card, and two passport-size photographs. For many, the 2002 electoral roll will play a crucial role, as it serves as the reference point for verifying longstanding voter entries. If a voter's or their family’s name appears in that roll, the process becomes simpler. If not, they will be asked at a later date to produce additional citizenship credentials, following guidelines set by the Election Commission of India (ECI). The use of the 2002 roll as a benchmark has generated quiet unease in some quarters. For many families, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, documentation trails before that period may be incomplete or inconsistent. The Commission has clarified that the SIR exercise does not determine citizenship but only verifie