The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Kerala was affected across the state on Monday as booth-level officers (BLOs) boycotted work following the death by suicide of an officer, allegedly due to work strain.
Aneesh George, 44, a BLO in Payyannur, Kannur, was found hanging at his house on Sunday. Family members and local residents alleged that he took the extreme step because of work-related pressure linked to the SIR exercise.
Various trade unions of state government employees, including the Action Council of State Government Employees and Teachers and the Joint Committee of Teacher Service Organisations, held protests at district collectorates. They demanded that authorities refrain from exerting excessive pressure on BLOs and consider postponing the SIR. The Kerala NGO Association also staged protests across the state, demanding that SIR procedures be stopped to prevent further suicides.
Meanwhile, George’s body was handed over to his relatives after a post-mortem examination on Monday. George’s family reiterated that he had been under severe work pressure related to the SIR. "He did not even get time to have food and sleep properly. He was under severe strain to complete work assigned as part of the SIR exercise," Saiju, George’s brother-in-law, told the media. Saiju added that George was frequently contacted by senior officers for updates. "Seeing the severe workload, George’s father told him not to worry even if he loses his job," he said.
Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan said a preliminary probe indicated that the role of CPI(M) workers in George’s suicide should also be examined. "We came to know that George was threatened after a Congress booth-level agent accompanied him for enumeration," he alleged.
He further alleged that both the Bharatiya Janata Party and CPI(M) were attempting to keep traditional Congress voters off the rolls. "While the BJP is implementing SIR with ill intent, CPI(M) is carrying it forward in Kerala. We will oppose it strongly, legally and politically," he said.
Satheesan urged the state government and the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure the safety of BLOs and conduct a thorough investigation, noting that most BLOs are women and face pressure to visit 700-1,200 voters multiple times in a short period.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph alleged that a telephonic conversation by George revealed he was threatened by CPI(M) workers for accompanying Congress booth-level agents during enumeration. "The conversation revealed that CPI(M) threatened to file a false complaint against George, accusing him of distributing Congress pamphlets at houses. Apart from work strain, this political threat led to his suicide," Joseph claimed.
He added that the Congress party fully supports the protesting BLOs and hopes their action will compel the Election Commission to open its eyes, especially since the SIR was decided upon after the local body election was announced. Joseph also said that the party would approach the Supreme Court against the SIR process, alleging that the exercise is eliminating the basic democratic rights of citizens.
Also read: Kannur BLO dies by suicide; family blames SIR work stress
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