A curious phenomenon is unfolding in select areas of West Bengal, where domestic helpers, reportedly undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh, are disappearing in the wake of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The announcement of this voter list update appears to have triggered a wave of departures.
Amit Malviya, a prominent BJP figure overseeing West Bengal affairs, drew attention to this situation via social media. He detailed accounts of housemaids in Birati, Bisharpara, and surrounding regions of North 24 Parganas district suddenly leaving their jobs. Malviya shared an anecdote about a woman, known only as Rahima’s mother, who had been employed for over 25 years, disappearing shortly after the SIR declaration. Investigations revealed she had absconded to Bangladesh.
Reports from various households in the affected district corroborate these disappearances. Some departing domestic workers allegedly communicated their intent to return to Bangladesh temporarily, planning to come back once the voter list revision process concluded. Malviya interpreted these events as a sign of instability within the ruling party’s voter base, suggesting a historical pattern of alleged political patronage for undocumented immigrants.
The BJP has long maintained that the Trinamool Congress’s resistance to the SIR stems from apprehension over the potential removal of illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya individuals from voter lists. The Trinamool Congress, however, has countered by labeling the SIR as a clandestine attempt by the BJP and the central government to introduce the NRC in the state.
The Chief Election Commissioner has slated the SIR for 12 Indian states, with West Bengal’s revision process scheduled to begin on November 4.