Rinku Tarafdar, a 51-year-old para-teacher and booth-level officer (BLO) from Krishnanagar, Nadia district, West Bengal, died by suicide citing alleged unbearable work pressure related to the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) voter list update drive.

Leaving behind a suicide note blaming the Election Commission for the “inhuman work pressure,” she revealed her struggle to cope with digitised election duties due to lack of technical skills, despite completing most offline work.

The incident has caused widespread political and administrative reactions, with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condemning the SIR process and demanding an immediate halt, while the Election Commission is investigating the circumstances.

Discussions now focus on the toll of administrative overload on grassroots workers and the urgent need for institutional reforms.

Unbearable pressure of grassroots democracy: The final note

Rinku Tarafdar was a para-teacher at Vivekananda Vidyamandir and served as BLO for Booth No. 201 in Chapra-2 Panchayat under Krishnanagar. On Friday night, she was found hanging in her home, leaving behind a detailed two-page suicide note written in Bengali.

In the note, she expressed deep distress and pain over mounting election duties imposed by the SIR exercise, writing, “I want to live… but they didn’t let me. They pushed me to the brink. Election Commission is responsible for my fate.” She described herself as an ordinary person who “does not support any political party” but was unable to withstand the “inhuman work pressure.”

Despite completing 95% of her offline enumeration tasks such as door-to-door distribution and collection of forms, she admitted complete unfamiliarity with the mandatory online data entry and uploading, which was a source of intense stress and helplessness.

Her repeated requests for technical help and relief were ignored, deepening her despair.

Her husband, Ashim Tarafdar, labelled her death not as suicide but as a consequence of the Election Commission’s negligence, stating that the digital demands were overwhelming for someone unaccustomed to computers.

He pointed out that she had been virtually forced into this role by the administration without adequate preparation. This tragedy is not isolated; another BLO from Jalpaiguri, also struggling with the digital workload and language barriers, died by suicide days earlier.

Families of these workers have spoken out about the immense mental and emotional toll exerted by the rushed and unplanned SIR process.

Political upheaval and administrative tension

Rinku’s death has ignited a political storm in West Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee publicly shared the suicide note, stating she was “profoundly shocked” and questioned, “How many more lives will be lost? How many more need to die for this SIR? How many more dead bodies shall we see for this process?”

In a strongly worded letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, Banerjee demanded an immediate halt to the SIR, describing it as “chaotic, coercive and dangerous,” accusing the ongoing exercise of prioritising speed over human welfare.

West Bengal’s election officials and district magistrates have been asked to provide a detailed report on the circumstances surrounding Rinku’s death.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bengal has expressed grief over the passing but cast doubts on the authenticity of the suicide note and questioned whether political pressures from rival parties like the Trinamool Congress may have contributed to her stress.

They called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe to establish facts.

The Election Commission has maintained its stance of cleaning electoral rolls and stressed that the workload is part of democratic accountability, but they are reviewing the reports submitted by local officials.

A national crisis: Beyond Bengal

Rinku Tarafdar’s suicide is part of a broader national crisis linked to the SIR process. The drive to update electoral rolls has caused similar suicides of BLOs and poll workers in several states including Kerala, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu.

These deaths point to systemic issues such as inadequate training, linguistic barriers, lack of mental health support, and unrealistic deadlines imposed on largely part-time and underpaid workers with limited technological capabilities.

The tragedy has thrown light on the critical need for reforms to protect election functionaries who are pivotal to the electoral process yet remain vulnerable.

The Logical Indian’s perspective

The tragic death of Rinku Tarafdar is a stark reminder of the human cost embedded within bureaucratic machinery. Democracy depends not just on free and fair elections but also on the dignity and welfare of those who run it at the grassroots level.

The Logical Indian urges authorities to prioritise empathy, adequate training, and mental health support for frontline election workers.

Administrative efficiency must never come at the price of human lives and wellbeing.

This sorrowful event compels society to rethink and reform electoral processes, fostering a humane, supportive environment that balances technological progress with inclusivity.