Citizenship settled by 2015 land pact, yet voters struck off rolls in Bengal: Rights body

By A Representative 

Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) has written to the Election Commission of India alleging grave constitutional violations in the Dinhata Assembly Constituency, Cooch Behar district, where names of bona fide Indian citizens have been arbitrarily deleted from the electoral roll. 

In a letter signed by MASUM Secretary Kirity Roy, the rights group claims that the deletions disproportionately affect erstwhile enclave dwellers who were granted Indian citizenship following the 2015 Land Boundary Agreement between India and Bangladesh. The letter argues that such actions undermine the constitutional guarantee of equality and the Commission’s principle that “No voter be left behind.”

The 2015 Land Boundary Agreement, ratified by Parliament in furtherance of the Indira–Mujib Pact of 1974, integrated former enclaves into Indian territory. Residents who opted for Indian citizenship were promised full constitutional and civic rights, including voting rights. MASUM notes that the Standing Committee on External Affairs had placed its report before Parliament in December 2014, and the framework was approved as a solemn constitutional commitment, not an administrative convenience.

The representation highlights individual cases to illustrate the alleged disenfranchisement. 

One is that of Golapi Khatun Bibi, a resident of Shiba Prasad Mustafi village, formerly an enclave, whose name was removed from the electoral roll despite valid documentation and lineage linked to an enrolled voter. 

Another is that of Subhana Das, an octogenarian resident of the same village, whose name was deleted from the roll despite being registered under the 2015 framework. Officials allegedly declared her “dead” during a hearing, raising questions about procedural integrity.

MASUM alleges that affected individuals submitted applications to the District Election Officer and District Magistrate, but these were ignored. The group describes the Special Intensive Revision process as non-transparent and exclusionary, violating Articles 14 and 326 of the Constitution. 

The representation calls for immediate restoration of deleted names, inclusion of all eligible enclave dwellers and their families, a time-bound inquiry into arbitrary deletions, clear directions to electoral officers to prevent exclusion on technical grounds, and suspension of further deletions until due process is ensured.

“The right to vote is the cornerstone of democratic participation. Arbitrary deletion of citizens—particularly marginalized and vulnerable groups—strikes at the very heart of democratic governance,” the letter states, urging the Commission to act swiftly to uphold constitutional guarantees.