Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, Darjeeling, July 17, 2025 : A crucial meeting of the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha’s Executive Committee was held today in Darjeeling, where the party took serious note of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process being implemented in Bihar and other Indian states under the supervision of the Election Commission of India (ECI). The meeting focused sharply on the potential implications of the SIR process for the Gorkha community and other vulnerable populations in West Bengal’s hill regions.
The BGPM raised grave concerns about the systematic removal of legitimate citizens from electoral rolls, a trend reportedly emerging in Bihar under the guise of electoral roll purification. The Gorkha Democratic Front fears that such a process, if extended to West Bengal—particularly to the hill regions—could unfairly target Indian Gorkhas, many of whom have historically faced allegations of being “foreigners” despite long-standing citizenship.
The SIR process, intended to correct errors in the electoral rolls, is currently underway in Bihar. There, according to official data, booth-level officers (BLOs) have found that 1.59% of registered voters—about 12.5 lakh individuals—had died, 2.2% had migrated to other states, and another 0.73% had duplicate entries. While the ECI has positioned the SIR as a step toward ensuring voter integrity, the Gorkha Democratic Front sees it as a potential tool for disenfranchisement if misused or conducted without transparency and sensitivity.
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party pointed out that in Bihar, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been accused of manipulating the SIR process to selectively exclude certain voter groups. They expressed fear that in West Bengal, especially in the hills, such a process could have dire consequences for Gorkhas and Bengali-speaking people. The committee warned that Gorkhas—already frequently labeled as foreigners—might face heightened vulnerability under the SIR scrutiny. Drawing from past experiences during the NRC exercise in Assam, the party highlighted how thousands of Gorkhas were left out of the final list, facing prolonged uncertainty over their citizenship.
The situation in West Bengal remains in a state of watchfulness as the Supreme Court of India is set to deliver its verdict on July 28 regarding the SIR process. The decision will clarify whether the SIR can be extended to Bengal or not. The BGPM emphasized that if the process is allowed in Bengal, the party will take immediate steps to educate people—especially in the hills—about the 11 essential documents required for voter verification under SIR.
According to the party, the socioeconomic profile of the hill population, including large numbers of working-class families, tribal communities, and small traders, makes access to proper documentation difficult. Educational certificates, land deeds, and other formal records are often unavailable or lost due to migration, displacement, or generational gaps. As such, any attempt to implement SIR in Bengal without safeguards and inclusive measures could disenfranchise thousands.