A serious irregularity has emerged in Mayapur, West Bengal, where several entries in the 2002 voter list reportedly listed ISKCON spiritual gurus in the place of voters’ parents' names. The issue surfaced during a routine verification process and has quickly drawn attention from both residents and election officials.
While some names appear to have been updated incorrectly, others seem to be the result of confusion between spiritual identification and government documentation requirements.
What Exactly Happened?
Local authorities found multiple cases where voters’ “father’s name” or “mother’s name” fields contained the names of ISKCON’s spiritual mentors, instead of biological parents.
This happened primarily among residents and international devotees living around the ISKCON headquarters in Mayapur, where spiritual identification often carries more cultural importance than familial identity.
However, such entries are not valid as per voter database rules.
Official Reaction: Mandatory Parent Name Required
Sub-Divisional Officer Sharadwati Chowdhury confirmed the error, stating that a parent’s name must be mentioned in the voter list and no spiritual figure can be substituted in its place.
Her clarification:
Voter records require legal, biological parent names
Spiritual names, titles or gurus cannot be used
Incorrect entries will be corrected after verification
Fresh KYC-like documentation may be required from affected voters
The SDO assured that the issue is being addressed with priority.
Why Mayapur Saw This Issue
Mayapur is a global spiritual hub and ISKCON’s international headquarters. Many devotees:
Adopt spiritual names
Consider their gurus as primary identifiers
Use spiritual mentors informally in place of family names
In community settings, this is normal.
But for official government documents, these naming formats violate required identity norms.
Local officers believe that some of the incorrect entries may have come from:
Self-declared forms
Volunteers entering details without verification
Voters misunderstandings during earlier registration cycles
Lack of strict documentation checks in older lists (pre-2010 era)
Election Commission Calls for Re-Verification
District election officials have ordered:
Full manual verification of the affected entries
Collection of supporting documents
Correction of family details
Possible re-issuance of updated voter ID cards
They also warned that future voter applications will undergo stricter scrutiny to avoid such errors.
Impact on Voters
While the issue is administrative, it affects:
Eligibility for voting
Corrections of voter ID cards
Identity mismatches in government records
Problems while applying for Aadhaar, PAN or passport
Residents have been urged to review their voter details at the earliest.
Community Reaction
Members of the ISKCON community emphasised that the mix-up reflects cultural practices, not intentional misrepresentation. Many devotees expressed willingness to cooperate with authorities to correct the records.
Why This Matters
This incident highlights a broader challenge seen across India:
Incorrect legacy data in old voter lists
Cultural naming patterns conflicting with documentation rules
Identity mismatches leading to administrative hurdles
Mayapur’s case has triggered conversation on ensuring proper documentation in spiritual or multi-cultural populations.
FAQs
Q1. Why were ISKCON gurus listed as parents?
Some devotees used spiritual names in forms, leading to errors during data entry or verification.
Q2. Is this allowed in voter lists?
No. Only biological parents’ names are permitted.
Q3. Who is correcting the issue?
Local election authorities led by the Sub-Divisional Officer.
Q4. Will voters need to re-submit documents?
Yes, affected individuals may need to provide proper ID and family details.
Q5. Does this affect voting rights?
Temporarily, it may delay voter card updates, but rights will be restored once records are corrected.
Published on : 14th November
Published by : SMITA
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Source Credit : Reported by: Sreyashi Dey / NDTV