‘I Want to Live… But I Can’t’: UP BLO’s Chilling Last Words Before Suicide

The recent deaths of several Booth Level Officers (BLOs) during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls have sparked serious concern about the heavy workload and mental pressure these frontline

election officials endure. The most recent incident took place in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, where 46-year-old teacher Sarvesh Kumar-assigned as a BLO for the first time-was found dead at his home.A video later emerged in which Kumar apologises to his family for not being able to finish his duties and urges them to look after his four daughters. He reportedly said he wanted to live but the pressure had become “too much.” A note recovered from his home suggests he was overwhelmed by work-related stress.In his handwritten suicide note, Singh, according to a report by TOI, said, “Nights barely pass and days bring no peace… I want to live, but what can I do? In this restlessness and suffocation, I feel scared within myself.”Singh's wife, Babli, said that he had been sleeping only two to three hours a night for several days. "He struggled with understanding the digital process, especially form uploads and daily targets and feared disciplinary action. He was continuously receiving messages from officials demanding updates and warning him of consequences if work was not completed.”Singh's family, which includes four minor daughters and his elderly mother, has refused a postmortem. They have demanded Rs 5 crore in compensation and a govt job for one family member. Moradabad DM Anuj Singh told TOI that Sarvesh's performance had been satisfactory. "His work was exceptional and he had almost met his tasks. Since the SIR was announced, we had given training to the BLOs and we were going well. We are investigating why he took such an extreme step. We will provide them with a job, financial help and take care of all education expenses of the deceased employee.”BLOs play a crucial role in verifying voter details at the ground level to keep electoral rolls accurate. Their responsibilities range from door-to-door data collection and cross-checking entries with official records to distributing and retrieving thousands of forms and conducting repeated household verifications.During the ongoing SIR drive, being carried out across 12 states and Union Territories, including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Rajasthan, Goa, Gujarat and Puducherry, these officials are performing these tasks in addition to their regular duties, often putting in 14 to 18 hours a day for minimal pay.Notably, at least 10 BLOs have died in the past week due to stress or suicide. Among them are Rinku Tarafdar (Bengal, Nadia), Kamal Naskar and Zakir Hossain (Bengal), Aneesh George (Kerala), Hariom Bairwa (Rajasthan) and four teachers in Gujarat, whose death have been linked t the unbearable SIR workload. Several other BLOs have resigned in protest over impossible workloads.