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A day after the death of a Booth Level Officer in Kerala’s Kannur, allegedly due Special Intensive Revision (SIR) workpressure, hundreds of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) across the state skipped work following a strike call on Monday, November 17.
Many districts witnessed protest marches to district collectorates by BLOs, members of Action Council of State Government Employees and Teachers, and the Action Council representing service organisations of teachers.
“I have only finished 75% of my work, but I chose not to work today and go on strike,” a BLO from Thrissur told TNM. Another from Ernakulam said, “We are protesting for our rights. I will not distribute forms today, but I might need to go on ground to collect filled forms.”
Not all BLOs have joined the strike, citing the pending workload. A few BLOs TNM spoke to said that they chose to work as they need to complete the distribution before the deadline.
‘Can't afford to take a day off’
“We can't afford to go on strike as we need to finish the distribution,” a BLO from Kottayam told TNM. Another BLO from Kottayam said she had only a couple more houses for distribution, and so, she chose to work. “This is really stressful. I don’t know how to meet the deadline. This is the only thought I have in my mind, even when I am sleeping,” she added. She also mentioned that it would be helpful if the deadline is pushed.
A few BLOs shared concerns regarding a new task: the digitalisation of enumeration forms after collecting them from individuals. A BLO from Vypin in Ernakulam said, "In addition to the existing stress, we are now asked to digitalise the enumeration forms. How is this possible with our phones, which often don't have a stable network? We are hoping for a technical assistant who can operate a laptop to help us. Otherwise, this is going to be a huge issue for us."
On Monday, a BLO from Kasaragod fainted while distributing forms. Sreeja, an Anganwadi teacher by profession, was immediately taken to the hospital, and her health is currently stable.
Kerala CEO says there are no complaints
Speaking to the media after the death of Aneesh, Kerala’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ratan U Kelkar said that he had not received any complaints regarding work pressure from BLOs.
However, on November 11, the Kerala NGO association filed a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer, requesting to extend the deadline, highlighting the work load. The letter states that, although BLOs have been allotted time until December 4, the Election Department continues to exert constant pressure and issue threats, and insists that they finish the task soon.
“Along with enumeration form distribution, data collection through the mobile application increases the workload and causes a significant loss of time. The adverse weather conditions make it difficult to complete field verification within the stipulated time,” the letter said.
The letter also requested the appointment of an additional BLO in booths having more than 1000 voters, and that the deadline of December 4 be extended, in order to reduce the excessive pressure.
Meanwhile, a show cause notice, sent by the Kozhikode Sub-Collector to a BLO, has resulted in a protest by government employees. The notice sent on November 13, said the BLO has completed the distribution of only 390 forms out of 984 forms assigned to him. The notice said the BLO handled the task in an irresponsible manner and ignored official instructions.
“If there is any reason for not taking an action against you under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, you must explain it before the Sub-Collector, Kozhikode, on November 15,” the notice reads.
Political allegations
The deceased BLO, Aneesh George (41), was a school attendant by profession. He was found dead inside his house in Ettukudukka, near Payyannur, on Sunday, November 16. Following his death, his family alleged that he was under stress over the SIR enumeration form distribution. However, the Kannur District Collector denied the allegation.
Meanwhile, the Congress has alleged that members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] had a direct role in the suicide of Aneesh. VD Satheesan, the Leader of Opposition, said CPI(M) leaders and workers had threatened the BLO after he reportedly took a Congress Booth Level Agent (BLA) along for SIR-related verification work, and this contributed to his mental distress. However, CPI(M) leader EP Jayarajan, who hails from Kannur, denied the allegation and called it “baseless”.
Muslim League and Congress move SC
The Indian Union Muslim League in Kerala approached the Supreme Court of India to stop the SIR process in the state. According to reports, they also mentioned the death of Aneesh in the plea. The IUML leader PK Kunhalikutty, told the media, “This is not something that needs to be finished in a hurry. It is something that must be done with transparency and care,” he said.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) also informed the media that they will also approach the SC against SIR.
The Kerala government had already filed a petition in the High Court seeking a postponement, citing the administrative strain of managing both elections and SIR simultaneously.
(With inputs from Maria Teresa Raju)
If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help. Here are some helpline numbers of suicide-prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.
Tamil Nadu
State health department's suicide helpline: 104
Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in Tamil Nadu)
Andhra Pradesh
Life Suicide Prevention: 78930 78930
Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584
Karnataka
Sahai (24-hour): 080 65000111, 080 65000222
Kerala
Maithri: 0484 2540530
Chaithram: 0484 2361161
Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.
Telangana
State government's suicide prevention (tollfree): 104
Roshni: 040 66202000, 6620200
SEVA: 09441778290, 040 27504682 (between 9 am and 7 pm
Aasara offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.
24x7 Helpline: 9820466726
Click here for working helplines across India.