Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen has expressed deep concern over the SIR process in West Bengal, warning that the exercise is being carried out with “undue haste” and may jeopardize democratic participation, especially with the State Assembly elections coming up in a few months.
Speaking to PTI during an interview from Boston, the 92-year-old economist reflected on the democratic value of voter roll revisions and the circumstances under which they can strengthen voting rights.
He stressed that such an exercise must be carried out with care and adequate time, conditions which he believes are “absent” in the Bengal case.
“A thorough review of electoral rolls done carefully and well in advance can be a good democratic practice, but that is not happening in West Bengal at present,” Mr. Sen said.
“SIR is being done in a hurry, with insufficient time for the eligible people to have sufficient opportunity to submit documents to prove their right to vote in the upcoming assembly elections. This is unfair to the voters and unfair to Indian democracy,” he said.
Drawing on his own experience during a particularly intensive revision of electoral rolls in Bengal, Mr Sen said the pressure of time was evident even among election officials.
“Sometimes the Election Commission of India (ECI) officials themselves seem to lack enough time.
“When they questioned my right to vote in my home constituency of Santiniketan – where I had voted earlier and where my name, address and other details are recorded in the official records – they asked me about my late mother’s age at the time of my birth, even though as a voter myself, my mother’s details, like mine, were also kept in their own official records,” he said.
Read Economist Amartya Sen need not attend SIR hearing due to spelling error, ECI says
The renowned economist went on to describe the documentation problems he encountered, noting that these difficulties are common for many Indians born in rural areas.
“Like many Indian citizens born in rural India (I was born in the then village of Santiniketan), I do not have a birth certificate and my eligibility to vote required the submission of additional papers on my behalf,” he said.
Although his problem was eventually resolved, Mr. Sen expressed concern for citizens who do not have similar access to help.
“While I could happily say (like the Beatles) – ‘Oh, I can do with a little help from my friends’ – I worried for others who don’t have so many loyal friends. My friends helped me get through the stiff gates of the formidable ECI,” he said.
The non-agenarian was summoned for hearing after the ECI termed a “logical contradiction” over the age difference between him and his mother Amita Sen in the electoral rolls.
Asked if the SIR could politically favor any political party in West Bengal, Mr. Sen said he could not offer a definitive assessment, stressing that democratic integrity should remain paramount.
“I’m not an election expert, so I can’t answer the question with certainty. I’ve been told by those who seem to know more that the BJP will benefit from undercounting.”
“I don’t know if this is true, but the point is that the ECI should not insist on a faulty arrangement and force our proud democracy to make an unnecessary mistake, regardless of who will benefit from it,” he said.
In the sections of society most at risk of exclusion during SIR, Mr. Sen pointed to the structural disadvantages faced by poorer citizens.
“The obvious answer must be the disadvantaged and the poor. The documents needed to enter the new electoral roll are often difficult to obtain for society’s underdogs.”
“The class bias that may manifest itself in the necessary requirement to obtain and produce specific documents in order to qualify for the new electoral roll will tend to work against the have-nots,” Mr. Sen said.
He also raised concerns about the broader climate in which voting rights are exercised.
“Muslims at a disadvantage”
“Another way to look at this might be the difficulties that minority communities sometimes face in having their rights respected, including voting rights. Indian Muslims are sometimes relegated to disadvantaged positions due to the activism of recently strengthened Hindutva extremists. Some categories of Hindus may also face discrimination and targeting.” Mr. Sen emphasized the need for vigilance at the highest levels.
“The EC and the Supreme Court must ensure that no adult Indian citizen faces any difficulty in qualifying for elections,” he said.
Mr Sen said he was still interested in casting his vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections, subject to practical restrictions.
“I would very much like to do that. But it depends on the exact date on which the vote in my constituency is set.” He explained that his professional commitments abroad often require careful coordination.
“As a professor at Harvard University, I have inextricable responsibilities in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and as former master of Trinity College, Cambridge, England, I have other responsibilities there,” Mr. Sen said.
He also recalled an earlier case that demonstrated his determination to vote.
“I have to try to fulfill all my commitments, including casting my vote in Santiniketan. On one previous occasion, I had to travel fast from Cambridge to London, to Delhi, to Calcutta, to Santiniketan, to Calcutta, to Delhi, to London, to Cambridge, all within 48 hours.” Mr. Sen reflected on age and concluded on a contemplative note.
“But now I’m 92 – a bit older. I was only about 82 then. I was able to re-read an old book by Rabindranath during the trip, where he explained why he was proud to be a product of three cultures – Hindu, Muslim and European. I hope I can think about Tagore’s explanation this time too – if I can do what I should,” he said, if I should.
Published – 24 Jan 2026 14:39 IST
