Aneesh George (44), a school peon who was working as a BLO for the SIR exercise, was found hanging inside his home. The First Information Report (FIR) filed by the police states that George was under immense mental pressure stemming from his duties related to the SIR and preparations for the upcoming local body polls.
A family acquaintance, Shyam, told reporters that George had been struggling to meet targets. “His family said he was working till 2 am on Sunday, under immense pressure to complete SIR-related forms and distribute them across his designated area,” he reported. Police have registered a case of unnatural death and investigation is underway.
Statewide Boycott and Demands
The death immediately triggered a wave of anger among government employee unions, who alleged that the Election Commission (EC) was pushing BLOs to the limit with “unrealistic targets.”
Protest Action: Three major organizations—the Action Council of State Government Employees and Teachers, the Joint Committee of Teacher Service Organisations, and the Kerala NGO Association—announced a statewide boycott of all BLO duties on Monday, November 17.
Demonstrations: Joint protest marches were scheduled at the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office in Thiruvananthapuram and at collectorates across all districts.
Official Response
In contrast to the family and union allegations, the Election Commission officials denied any undue pressure:
Kannur Collector’s Statement: Kannur District Collector Arun K. Vijayan issued a press release stating that George’s work on form distribution was progressing satisfactorily and that “no pressure was put on him.” The Collector noted that the available information did not establish a clear link between the SIR duties and the death.
CEO’s Denial: Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U. Kelkar stated that he had not received any complaints of excessive work pressure from BLOs and sought a detailed report from the District Collector regarding the circumstances of the death. (IT)
For more details: Navamalayalam.com
