Grandson of Nandalal Bose, who fought to get his name back in electoral roll, dies at 88
Suprabuddha Sen and his wife, 82-year-old Deepa Sen, were excluded from the electoral roll during the Election Commission’s SIR exercise, forcing them to seek relief from the Supreme Court.
Suprabuddha Sen, the grandson of celebrated modern artist Nandalal Bose, passed away on Monday morning, days after he was admitted to a hospital in Durgapur with breathing difficulties. He was 88.
Suprabuddha Sen and his wife, 82-year-old Deepa Sen, were excluded from the electoral roll during the Election Commission’s SIR exercise, forcing them to seek relief from the Supreme Court.
Residents of Visva-Bharati in Santiniketan mourned his death. A member of his family, Chakradhar Nayak, said, “His passing is an irreparable loss for us. This void will not be easy to fill.” According to his family, Suprabuddha was admitted to a private hospital in Durgapur on Sunday with breathing difficulties.
He died there on Monday at around 7. 15 am after suffering a cardiac arrest. Anil Konar, secretary of the Santiniketan Trust, said, “He was a gentle person. He had no arrogance. He could easily make everyone feel at ease.” Suprabuddha Sen hit the national headlines after his and his wife’s names were deleted from the electoral roll following the SIR exercise. The couple has been living in their ancestral Santiniketan home since Suprabuddha retired from Damodar Valley Corporation in 1996.
“What will I say? I really do not know why my name was deleted. Only those who deleted my name can give the reason… I was called for the hearing, but given my age, the officers came to my residence, and the hearing was conducted here. I gave my 1954 matriculation certificate from Patha Bhavana at Visva Bharati and my passport. Since my passport had expired, they said it could be accepted. I told them that since a passport was issued, it means the Government of India had done stringent police verification and had found that I am an Indian citizen, so they issued it,” Suprabuddha had told The Indian Express, a day after his petition was heard in the Supreme Court.
In his petition to the Supreme Court, Suprabuddha had said that despite the lineage of Nandalal Sen, intimately connected with the constitutional history of the nation, his name was deleted from the electoral rolls.
“This is not invoked as a matter of privilege, but as a reflection of the stark disconnect between constitutional ideals and administrative reality, where even the most undisputed identity, long-standing civic participation, and unimpeachable documentation are rendered inconsequential,” his plea stated. The Supreme Court later ordered him to approach the special tribunals for hearing the SIR deletion case.
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Just before the first phase of polling for the West Bengal Assembly elections on April 23 this year, the tribunal had ordered his name to be included in the voters’ list. However, on the day of the voting, booth officials turned him and his wife away. After escalating the issue to the district magistrate and Election Commission officials, the couple was successfully escorted to the booth to cast their votes.
That was the last time he exercised his franchise.
“I do not feel bad that I won’t be able to vote this time, but I just have to take it in stride that the two parties fighting led to the deletion of our names,” he had said after his name was deleted.
Suprabuddha was the son of Jamuna Sen, the youngest daughter of Nandalal Bose, one of the pioneers of Indian art. Nandalal Bose served for many years as the principal of Kala Bhavana. He is celebrated for his role in illustrating the original manuscript of the Indian Constitution and for his iconic linocut of Mahatma Gandhi during the Dandi March.
Moreover, Kshitimohan Sen, the grandfather-in-law of Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen, was Suprabuddha’s maternal uncle by marriage.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
