In Bengal, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has sparked intense political controversy, with allegations that a large number of people are at risk of their names being removed from the electoral rolls. But in the Tibetan settlement of Kalimpong, many residents remember the experience of voter verification very differently – as a process that validates settled communities rather than excludes them.In this mountainous town, where Tibetans have lived for decades for generations, residents and settlement officials say investigations have so far revealed only a small number of anomalies. Many argue that when such exercises are done carefully and with reference to past records, they can confirm legitimate voters rather than disenfranchise them.In a small shop at 10th Mile, 72-year-old Khamji Bhutia dismissed apprehensions about the practice. He said, “We have no problem with SIR. We were born here.”That sense of confidence comes from a long local history. After China’s occupation of Tibet in 1959, not all Tibetans came to Kalimpong. Some families had already settled in the city when Kalimpong was an important trading centre. Traders traveled through Nathu La and Jelep La carrying wool, salt, borax and livestock; Some stayed, opened businesses and built homes.“I came many years before China took over Tibet,” said Jampel Kaldhen, 82, who came to Kalimpong in 1954 when he was 12. He said that language was not a barrier for him. “My third language was Sanskrit. I could communicate easily in Hindi.”Others came later, fleeing repression and rebuilding their lives in India. Many people found work as laborers before moving into small trades and businesses.“We all worked as labourers. We used to go to build roads in the lava, all men and women… we all worked. We built that road,” said Namdol Bhuta, 78, referring to the route to the tourist spot in Kalimpong district.For many here, that history shapes the way they view election verification. Inclusion of names in the voter list is not just a matter of documentation; It is a symbol of residence, labor and belonging built over decades.Residents and local officials say most Tibetans in Kalimpong already have documented continuity of residence. According to people familiar with the settlement, the Tibetan population in the area is estimated to be around 1,928. They say the current questions largely reflect a generational divide: many elderly Tibetans still hold refugee certificates, while younger members of the community, especially those born in India, are more likely to have Aadhaar cards and voter ID cards.“Those who remain with refugee certificates are often deeply attached to their Tibetan identity and prefer not to move away from it,” said Tenzing Bhutia, a resident of Kalimpong.Tashi Bhutia, a retired teacher of St. Augustine’s School, said his grandfather was born in Darjeeling. His father was later sent to Tibet to become a monk and returned years later. He emphasized that the community cannot be viewed through a refugee narrative. He said, “Not all Tibetans here fled Tibet after 1959. Some were born here. Some had been living here for generations.”Local Tibetan settlement official Tseten said that most Tibetans in Kalimpong had obtained documents before 2000, and had participated in earlier elections, including 2002. This has helped during the current revision as many names can be checked from the old voter list, he said.“We don’t have a lot of cases in the SIR, just a few cases. Most have their own documents,” Tseten said. “I don’t think there are deleted cases.”The Kalimpong experience does not address the larger political argument over SIR in Bengal. But this points to a difference: verification practices do not need to automatically become a means of exclusion. Where authorities rely on old records, documentary continuity and local history, settled communities are less likely to be treated as suspicious.
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