Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, on Tuesday, lambasted the Election Commission of India (ECI) for allegedly issuing a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) notice to renowned economist and Nobel Prize winner Dr. Amartya Sen, framing it as a deliberate attempt to humiliate Bengal's icons and disenfranchise voters. Banerjee's remarks come amid escalating tensions between the TMC and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government, as West Bengal gears up for its assembly elections later this year. Speaking at the campaign event in Birbhum, Banerjee highlighted the notice to Sen as particularly egregious. “It’s so unfortunate they have sent a notice to Dr Amartya Sen, the Nobel laureate. He brought India name, fame and the glory. The world knows India through him and now SIR notice has been served to him. Can anything be more shameful than this?”, he asked.
He drew parallels to similar notices reportedly sent to Bengali actor Dev and Indian cricketer Mohammad Shami, suggesting a pattern of harassment aimed at "un-mapping" prominent figures from Bengal. “I saw yesterday famous actor of Bengal - Dev has been served a notice. Even indian cricketer Mohammad Shami has been given a notice. Shami played for India in World Cup, he is the reason India won so many matches. Today he is being served a notice. This is a ploy to un-map people. They who want to un-map people of Bengal, will people of Bengal not give a fitting reply to BJP for this humiliation, will Bengal not un-map them” he added. Banerjee urged voters to respond by rejecting the BJP, portraying the moves as a ploy to undermine the state's identity and electoral integrity.
At the heart of this uproar is Dr. Amartya Sen, whose contributions to economics and social justice have made him a symbol of intellectual excellence worldwide. Born in Shantiniketan, West Bengal, in 1933, Sen became the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences in 1998 for his groundbreaking work in welfare economics. His theories on social choice, poverty measurement, and famines revolutionised the field, emphasising human capabilities, freedom, and ethics over purely economic metrics. Sen's influential books, such as “Poverty and Famines” and “Development as Freedom”, have shaped global policies on inequality and human development, linking economic progress to social well-being. Despite his advanced age-now 92, Sen remains an active voice on issues like justice, education, and democracy in India. H has previously been critical of the Modi government on several occasions including the farmers protest over the farm laws which were brought by the BJP and later revoked after coming under fire.
The SIR process itself has become a flashpoint in Indian politics. Introduced by the ECI as a Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, SIR aims to verify voter lists, remove duplicates, and ensure accuracy through technology and field checks. Launched nationwide in phases starting in 2025, it involves sending notices to individuals for hearings to confirm their eligibility, particularly in cases of suspected discrepancies. Proponents, including the ECI, defend it as a lawful effort to clean up voter rolls and prevent fraud, such as double entries, which could undermine fair elections.
However, the initiative has been mired in controversy since its inception. Critics argue that SIR's implementation has been hasty and error-prone, leading to wrongful exclusions. Reports have surfaced of alive individuals being marked as deceased in draft lists, elderly citizens receiving notices without clear justification, and celebrities being disproportionately targeted. In states like Bihar and now Bengal, migrant workers and minority communities express fears that gaps in documentation could result in disenfranchisement, potentially affecting access to welfare schemes. The ECI's mid-process rollout of de-duplication algorithms, despite earlier admissions of software flaws, has further fuelled suspicions of bias.
This has escalated into a full-blown political showdown. The TMC, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has vehemently opposed SIR, labelling it a "conspiracy" orchestrated by the BJP to suppress non-BJP voters in Bengal. On the same day as Abhishek Banerjee's speech, the party approached the Supreme Court, challenging the exercise's constitutionality and demanding a halt to what they call "arbitrary" notices. TMC leaders argue that targeting figures like Sen - who has been critical of certain central policies - exposes the process's political motivations. In contrast, BJP spokespersons have dismissed these claims as election rhetoric, insisting that SIR is impartial and essential for transparent polls. Dr Sen has not issued an official statement as yet. The family has been approached for a reaction. The story will be updated as and when they react.
