Narrow brush with SIR puts mythological painter in Kurukshetra polls

Pingla (West Midnapore): Votes disappeared in SIR. The paintbrush was raised in protest. Scroll spoke before the vote in parliament. In the heart of Bengali Pattachitra, democracy was being painted frame by frame – each stroke carrying a question, each sentence demanding an answer.Patachitra artists—custodians of a centuries-old storytelling tradition rooted in the Ramayana and Mahabharata—are turning their craft toward a deeply personal subject: taking away their right to vote.In Naya village in West Midnapore’s Pinla district, at least 34 people were removed from the poll list after the SIR, residents said. Naya has about 300 patachitra artists, most of them from Muslim families with the surname “Chitrakar”. Residents said more women than men had their names removed.In response, art becomes testimony. Bahadur Chitrakar painted eight paintings depicting fear and uncertainty. Some people compare the lives of voters to kite strings that may break at any time. “Elections are like festivals,” he said. “This year, sadness has taken over.”Siraj-ud-daulah Chitrakar’s scroll relives childhood memories – walking to the polling station with his parents. “Now they are being asked to prove they belong here,” he said. “Through art, we show that we are Indian.”Those affected include relatives of nationally honored artists like Swarno Chitrakar and Anwar Chitrakar. Many people at booth 183 in the Sabang constituency are already registered voters.The mythical narrative of the past has undergone tremendous changes. Patachitras (long scrolls) and pater gan (singing as the scroll is unrolled) now tell of hearings, documents and rejections. “This is a matter of concern,” said Rahim Chitrakar, treasurer of artists’ collective Chitrataru. “At least 34 artists were excluded after the SIR was issued.”Sanuyar Chitrakar, 40, said his name had disappeared despite extensive documentation. He linked his credentials to his father, was listed on the 2002 rolls and submitted a deed to the land that was more than 50 years old. “My siblings are still on the list. I’m not,” he said. He requested a hearing on “logical discrepancies” and provided the required documents. “I even provided my passport. They said it was not needed.” His name was removed following a judicial review. He has filed a case in a tribunal set up on the directions of the Supreme Court.His daughter passed the review. He didn’t.Others recounted similar patterns. Anur Chitrakar said her name was not included in the list released on February 28. Her husband, who submitted his passport, was also excluded. In Bahar Chitrakar’s family, four names have been dropped among the senior artists praised by the president.Seramuddin Chitrakar points out the irony. One of his paintings of a scroll depicting scenes from the Ramayana was praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I don’t know why my wife’s name was removed,” he said.Jahanara Chitrakar recalls that she was the only sibling left out despite having identical documents. “All five of my siblings are on the list. I’m not,” she said.In Naya, where art spread through songs and stories, anger now flows through paintings.