Constitution illustrator Nandalal Bose’s grandson dropped from Bengal voter list

Kolkata: The 88-year-old grandson of Nandalal Bose, the renowned illustrator of the Constitution of India, said that his and his wife’s names are missing from the voter list after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.

Bengal is among the 12 states and Union Territories undergoing the SIR process. On February 28, the Election Commission of India published the electoral roll showing over 61 lakh voter names deleted.

Expressing disdain, Bose’s grandson, Suprabuddha Sen, and his wife, Deepa Sen, 82, told ETV Bharat that they will not be casting votes in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections because their names were found missing, despite having submitted all required documents.

Initially, Sen and his wife’s names were placed under “pending” status. They submitted documents during the hearing to the Election Commission, including certificates showing both had completed schooling in the state

“First, a hearing was held during which I submitted all the necessary documents,” Sen said. “After this, the (Election) commission officials visited our home, and I provided them with whatever information they requested. Yet, my wife’s and my names have been excluded,” Sen said

“We find no logic behind this decision,” he added.

Suprabuddha Sen is the son of Jamuna Sen, Nandalal Bose’s younger daughter. The couple resides in Santiniketan.

Nandalal Bose is recognised in the field of modern Indian art as a pioneer. He, along with his team, illustrated the original manuscript of the Constitution.

His illustrations in the Constitution depicted themes and scenes from Ramayana, the lives of Buddha and Mahavir, and the Vedic Asram. It has portraits of Akbar, Shivaji, Tipu Sultan, Rani Lakshmibai, Mahatma Gandhi, and Subhas Chandra Bose.

Name of Ex-Calcutta HC judge also removed

Former Calcutta High Court Justice Sahidullah Munshi was also among those excluded from the initial voter list in Bengal. His name was eventually added after he questioned the procedure, noting that his name remained missing from the rolls despite two rounds of document submission and verification.

SIR in West Bengal has come under tremendous scrutiny, with the ruling Trinamool Congress alleging voter disenfranchisement after multiple names were missing from the official record.