Suicide, death in Bengal over NRC fears

Kolkata, Sep 20 (IANS) One person committed suicide in Jalpaiguri, while another died after falling sick while standing in a queue for amending his ration card in South Dinajpur district, with both families claiming the victims were panic stricken over any possible NRC exercise in West Bengal.

The body of Annada Roy, a resident of Moyanguri in Jalpaiguri district, was found hanging near a railway crossing on Friday morning. Police said it was a case of suicide.

Roy's family members claimed that he was very tense for days about losing his citizenship in case there was any National Register of Citizens exercise in the state.

Roy had lost all old records about his land ownership which made him apprehensive about his fate in case the authorities ordered an NRC in the state, his grieving family said.

Fifty-two-year-old Mantu Sarkar, who was standing in the queue outside the Balurghat Block Development Office, suddenly complained of uneasiness. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he died.

His family members said Sarkar was very tense fearing an NRC exercise, "that's the reason he had rushed to the BDO office to make some corrections in his ration card."

Panic has gripped people in different parts of Bengal following the BJP's repeated assertions about an NRC exercise in Bengal. There are daily long queues before BDO offices, municipalities, municipal corporations, banks and post offices, with people rushing to update and rectify mistakes in official documents.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee condoled the deaths. She promised help to both families.