West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday claimed that at least 110 people have died in the state due to anxiety and panic triggered by the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Inaugurating the 49th International Kolkata Book Fair, Banerjee said her 162nd book, a compilation of 26 poems reflecting the hardships faced by citizens during SIR, will be released at the fair.
“Scores of people, including the elderly, queue for hours at SIR camps every day. Many have suffered immense stress,” she said. “The Election Commission is citing minor discrepancies, such as Bengali surnames, which have been accepted for generations. I am known as both Mamata Banerjee and Mamata Bandyopadhyay. Similarly, Chatterjee and Chattopadhyay are the same. Even Thakur became Tagore during British rule.”
Banerjee highlighted that parents with multiple children are being asked to justify age gaps, while elderly citizens are required to produce birth certificates. “Many of our mothers cannot even recall their exact birth dates. Even former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee acknowledged his date of birth is not exact. Why harass our senior citizens?” she asked.
Also read: Abhishek steps up attack on BJP, EC after SC’s SIR verdict
The CM also shared details of her personal literary and artistic pursuits. “I have authored 153 books and will release nine more at this fair, including the 26 poems on SIR,” she said. She noted that she funds her personal and professional expenses, including hotel stays, from book royalties and her earnings, without drawing a salary or pension.
Regarding her paintings, Banerjee said she began exhibiting seriously after encouragement from painter Suvaprasanna. “I have always believed in not taking abuses lying down, as Sri Krishna advised in the Gita,” she remarked.
The book fair, she added, sees participation from over 1,000 stalls, with countries including Argentina, the UK, Germany, France, Australia, Spain, China and Ukraine present. Argentina is the theme country, while China returns after 15 years and Ukraine participates for the first time. She lauded the fair for rivaling the Frankfurt Book Fair in scale and sales, with 27 lakh visitors and Rs 23 crore in book sales in 2025.
Banerjee also announced a Rs 10 crore grant to the Publishers and Booksellers Guild to establish a “Boi Tirtha” ahead of the fair’s 50th anniversary in 2027.
Follow us
