Siliguri, April 20 -- In the wake of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, some eminent personalities of Siliguri have come forward in support of those whose names were allegedly excluded from the voter list. Just three days ahead of the elections, a sit-in protest was held at the base of Mahatma Gandhi's statue near the Siliguri Head Post Office on Monday.

The demonstration saw participation from members of theatre groups, academicians, artists, social workers and other distinguished individuals from various fields. Alongside the protest, anti-SIR posters have surfaced across different parts of the city.

The posters carry messages such as: "I am not satisfied with this SIR. I am concerned for our fellow citizens."

Among those featured are social worker Dipojyoti Chakraborty, academic and writer Sutapa Saha, artists Jhulan Sarkar, Mousumi Dey and Arumoy Chakraborty, Baul artiste Arjun Das and hotelier Ujjwal Ghosh. The use of their names and images has sparked political speculation, although each of them has denied any direct political affiliation.

They have reiterated their call for a peaceful and fair electoral process. Speaking on the issue, theatre personality Alok Chakraborty said: "West Bengal's culture is rooted in secularism. Politics based on religious division is unacceptable. The exclusion of so many names after the SIR process is deeply concerning."

He also questioned the heavy deployment of central forces, adding: "Such a large presence of CAPF and bulletproof vehicles is creating fear among people. Are the people of West Bengal being treated as terrorists? There has never been such a situation here."

Dipojyoti Chakraborty, eminent social worker, said: "We are not satisfied with the SIR process. There is nothing related to politics."

Partha Pratim Roy also emphasised the need for maintaining secular values during the election.

"We have urged the Election Commission to ensure that elections are conducted while upholding religious neutrality. As a constitutional body, the Election Commission must not become a tool in the hands of any entity," he said.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.