Bengal SIR: Amartya Sen gets EC notice

Kolkata: The Election Commission (EC) has sent a notice for hearing to Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen after logical discrepancies were detected in the enumeration form of the eminent economist, a senior official of the poll panel confirmed on Tuesday.

Sen’s ancestral house is at Bolpur in West Bengal’s Birbhum district. The hearing — a part of the ongoing special intensive revision of electoral rolls — is scheduled for January 16 at 12pm.

“There were some logical discrepancies in Sen’s enumeration form. We have sent him a hearing notice,” said a poll panel official, requesting anonymity.

Sen is 92. In December, the West Bengal chief electoral officer had directed officials to hold the hearing process for voters above 85 at their residences, if they so request.

The poll panel, however, later clarified that Sen, 92, is not required to appear for a hearing, an official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Since Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have the authority to correct minor errors, including spelling mistakes in voter names, the correction in the economist’s case will be handled administratively at the local level, he said.

“The confusion over the spelling is purely technical and has no bearing on the voter’s eligibility. Our officials have been instructed to resolve such matters at the administrative level to prevent unnecessary controversy,” the official said.

A family member of Sen told PTI that they had not yet received any hearing notice from the Commission.

The ruling Trinamool Congress slammed the poll panel.

“I came to know that Amartya Sen has been sent a hearing notice. He was awarded the Nobel prize. He carried India’s intellect and values onto the world stage. And yet today, even a figure of his stature is being humiliated by the BJP-controlled ECI,” Abhishek Banerjee, TMC national general secretary, said at a rally in Rampurhat.

This came days after cricketer Mohammed Shami, a resident of Jadavpur in Kolkata, was called for hearing on January 5.

“There must have been some discrepancies. The EC won’t send him a notice unnecessarily. He should cooperate. He is more than 90 years old. The EC has provisions for those citizens who are above 85 years. The hearing of former minister Kanti Ganguly, who is also above 80 years, was held at his home. Sen may call the BLO at his residence,” said Suvendu Adhikari, BJP legislator and leader of the opposition in the assembly.

Shami, who was supposed to appear at the Katjunagar Swarnamayee Vidyapeeth High School in Kolkata’s ward number 93 on Monday, could not attend the hearing as he was not in the city. He informed the poll panel and was likely to be called on another date.

“Mohammed Shami, and a few other persons including a Bengali actor and actress, were called for hearing on Monday. They are all residents of ward 93. Shami, however, couldn’t attend the hearing,” said Mousumi Das, councillor of ward number 93.

“There are some gaps in Shami’s enumeration form and that’s why he was called for hearing. He has informed the poll panel that he is out of Kolkata. His hearing would be rescheduled,” said another poll panel official.