Administration Assurance Ends Sanjeev Roy’s Hunger Strike On SR Discrepancies

Social activist and Congress member Sanjeev Roy ended his indefinite fast on Friday evening (January 30) after Cachar District administration reportedly agreed to address allegations of harassment and false complaints during the ongoing Special Revision (SR) of electoral rolls.

Roy began his hunger strike at 11 am on Thursday at the pedestal of the Khudiram Statue in Club Road, Silchar, alleging that the SR process was being misused to target genuine voters. He claimed that false objections were being filed through Form 7 to remove names from the voter list, creating fear among citizens ahead of elections.

Addressing the media, Cachar District Human Rights head, Swapan Das, said, “Sanjeev is on a strike (ansan) for a valid reason, and it is our duty to stand with him. He is doing this for every human being.”

Roy said around 23 organisations from the Barak Valley, along with several dissenting voices, extended their support to the protest.

“Since yesterday at 11 am, I have been on this ansan. Around 23 organisations of this Valley came to support me in the field, along with vocal voices who have always been against the government’s conduct. I am delighted. I knew everyone would stand beside me as I always try to stand beside everyone,” he said.

He added that the protest sent a message of unity. “People of Barak are united despite their differences of caste, creed, religion and language. Because of this, district administration today agreed to our demands,” Roy said.

According to him, the administration assured that action would be taken against those filing false allegations and that genuine voters would not face harassment. However, Roy said the fight is not over.

“We will keep an eagle’s eye, and if any voter continues to face harassment, we will prepare for our next step,” he added.

Roy’s main demands included stopping alleged misuse of the Special Revision process, ending harassment of citizens, taking strict legal action against false complainants, and ensuring that the revision remains a genuine administrative exercise rather than a tool for revenge.

The background to the protest lies in growing complaints from voters across Cachar who claim that objections were filed against their names using Form 7, falsely stating that they had permanently shifted residence. Many feared deletion from the voter list just before elections.

Roy earlier described the situation as a “black chapter in the legal history of Assam” and called for identification of those responsible, public disclosure of their names, and registration of FIRs. With administration reportedly assuring action, Roy said he considers the protest successful but will continue monitoring the situation.

During the course of the hunger strike, Roy’s health reportedly deteriorated as his blood pressure rose significantly and he showed signs of dehydration. Supporters and well-wishers closely monitored his condition at the protest site. The stir received support from around 23 organisations across the Barak Valley, highlighted unity among citizens, and drew solidarity from lawyers, civil society members, veteran leaders and Congress members, including Dr Amit Kalwar and Abhijit Paul.