At a civil rights gathering held in Kolkata on Sunday, participants examined two policy areas — the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls and the detention of Muslim migrants along with people from disadvantaged communities — with those who addressed the assembly arguing that barring otherwise eligible voters from participation, alongside constraints on peaceful protest, posed a threat to the functioning of representative democracy.
The Science City Convention Centre hosted a state-level gathering in West Bengal convened under the banner "Lawyers and Rights: Activists for Justice" and organised by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), which brought together attorneys, human rights practitioners, scholars, and delegates from a range of community groups. At that same gathering, APCR's operations in West Bengal were formally set in motion.
Voices from the judiciary, human rights circles, and community leadership raised concerns that the SIR process may leave eligible voters off electoral rolls, a development they argued could weaken the foundations of multiparty democracy in India. Those opposing potential voter removal from electoral rolls contended that access to the ballot underpins any genuinely representative system of government, and that roll-revision procedures should be designed so that no qualified citizen loses their place in the political process. Electoral rights entered the discussion at the convention as part of a wider framework addressing constitutional protections, free expression, and adherence to the rule of law.
Lawyers and rights advocates who were detained following the 10 October protests in Delhi drew attention at the gathering, where those present raised questions about whether the arrests reflected constraints on the freedom to assemble and voice public opposition. Lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who holds senior advocate status at the Supreme Court, raised questions about the proportionality and legal basis of police conduct after lawyers heading to a protest were detained, arguing that such action places pressure on the rule of law and the right to gather peacefully. Two points anchored his remarks: that the right to protest peacefully warranted protection, and that law enforcement action needed to stay within legally defined boundaries.
Former Bombay High Court judge Abhay Mahadev Thipsay, in closing his address, argued that democratic governance rests not on majority consent alone but on the protection of minority rights, and went on to stress that an independent judiciary applying the law without favour stands as the primary safeguard for the rights of ordinary citizens.
Apoorvanand, a Delhi University professor and political commentator, put forward the view that safeguarding civil liberties carries obligations that stretch far beyond lawyers and activists alone. He argued that any functioning democracy must safeguard the right of its people to voice opinions, challenge authority, and take part in civic affairs, and that upholding such a shared undertaking meant honouring the constitutional framework, the principle of equal treatment, and the entitlements belonging to each person under the law.
Nadeem Khan, a human rights practitioner, called on those present to hold firm against hopelessness when confronting wrongdoing. Citing the Urdu phrase — "Na-ummeedi kufr hai aur is desh mein na-ummeedi maut hai," which holds that despair constitutes a repudiation of faith and that, given the country's present circumstances, it constitutes an equal repudiation of life itself — he called on all sections of society to remain steadfast, act in concert, and sustain collective effort in protection of the republic's constitutional and pluralist order.
Among those who took part were Malik Mohtasim Khan, a community leader, alongside Mukhtar Khan, whose work spans election analysis and human rights advocacy, the columnist Barnali Banerjee, and Bhaskar Gupta, who previously served as vice-chancellor of Jadavpur University. Facilitation of the programme fell to Fawaz Shaheen, a researcher and social activist, alongside Umar Awais, who holds the position of APCR West Bengal secretary.
Tied to its state rollout, APCR set up a dedicated phone line — 8100010233 — through which residents can seek guidance on matters involving potential breaches of their constitutional, legal, and civil rights. Four areas of support — legal aid, human rights complaints, voting rights, and related enquiries — are covered under the service, the organisation stated.
A name-restoration programme run by the organisation invites voters to file requests with the Chief Electoral Officer and the Election Commission of India, asking that their entries be reinstated on electoral rolls. Further details about the initiative are available at namerestoration.apcrbengal.org.
Lawyers, activists, academics, and community representatives were brought together at the convention with the shared aim of addressing questions around access to justice and civil liberties. Many electoral scholars and advocates present held the view that the legitimacy of democratic governance rests on whether everyday citizens can go to the polls without facing exclusion or coercion.
