Identity on the Line: Kolkata's Slum Dwellers in Limbo Post-Fires

In fire-affected slums of Kolkata, residents fear exclusion from electoral rolls due to lost identity documents. The ongoing electoral verification drive has intensified anxiety, leaving many worried about their future as citizens, especially those unable to promptly reapply for essential papers. Authorities are coordinating recovery efforts but fear persists.

Residents in Kolkata's fire-ravaged slums, from Topsia's Majdoorpara to New Alipore's Durgapur bridge settlements, face growing anxiety. The loss of vital identity documents in recent blazes poses a risk of exclusion during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Worry encompasses all, as lacking Aadhaar, voter, and PAN cards could mark many 'non-existent' in the verification exercise. For many makeshift home dwellers, the loss of identity papers hits harder than the destruction of their homes.

In Topsia's Majdoorpara, a fire leveled homes, and while some salvaged essential papers, many could not. Despite local advocates pushing for reissuing these documents, fear remains prevalent, accentuated by the ongoing state-wide verification drive intertwining with the routine challenges faced by those living under bridges or along canals.

(With inputs from agencies.)