KOLKATA: Benjamin, known as “Benji,” is a 50-year-old man who has faced profound loss throughout his life. Born in Kerala and orphaned at birth, he grew up without any memory of his parents. His journey has led him through various hardships, culminating in a sense of belonging that has now been abruptly disrupted again by state actions.
Recently, the Election Commission’s State Identification Register (SIR) of electoral rolls has removed Benji’s name, stripping away his only formal tie to identity as a voter. The SIR aimed to update and cleanse the electoral rolls; however, it has inadvertently marginalised individuals like Benji, caught amid a lack of documentation for their lived realities.
After losing his mother at birth and his father shortly thereafter, Benji spent time in a Kerala orphanage before running away as a teenager. He later joined a circus troupe and relocated to Kolkata at the age of 21, where he initially worked in a shop. Months later, he found stability under the care of Jayanta Baral, who ran a fast-food stall.
Since 1999, Benji has lived with the Baral family and considers octogenarian Padmarani Baral his mother. This arrangement provided him a sense of security and eventually enabled him to acquire citizenship documentation. After much effort, he successfully applied for a voter ID before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and participated in the vote. He also possesses a ration card.
However, the recent SIR exercise has nullified that essential recognition. Upon applying again for enumeration, Benji named Padmarani as his guardian, but officials did not accept this relationship. His situation progressed no further due to the absence of documented evidence concerning his biological parents—information he cannot recall—leading to his name being removed from the electoral rolls.
“I felt important for the first time during the 2024 Lok Sabha election,” Benji stated. “Now, losing that right hurts even more.”
Regular patrons of the fast-food stall, where he has worked for decades, remark that bureaucracy has overshadowed human connections. Benji is now engaged in a quest to reinstate his name on the electoral rolls. This involves navigating a complex landscape of paperwork, affidavits, and appeals, as he seeks to re-establish his identity formally.
