Bengal

XMalda: First, the Ganga took away their homes—now, the fear is that their very existence as citizens may be washed away too. Hundreds of residents from Panchanandapur and the erstwhile KB Jhaubona Gram Panchayat under Kaliachak-II block in Malda are in distress after discovering that their names are missing from the crucial 2002 electoral roll—the one being used as the base document for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists.

Between 1998 and 2000, massive erosion by the Ganga submerged entire villages, including KB Jhaubona, forcing residents to flee overnight and lose all land records and identity documents. “The Ganga swallowed everything—our land, our homes, even our papers,” recalled Khurshed Sheikh, a former resident of the area. “That’s why our names d

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