India, Nov. 28 -- In the interior of South 24 Parganas district, lies Usthi, beyond motorable roads and reachable only by foot or bicycle. Here, one morning earlier this week, 42-year-old primary school teacher and Booth Level Officer (BLO) Sabeera Khatun was preparing for a day that promised to be long, like many recent days have been. Across West Bengal, the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has placed unprecedented strain on BLOs like Khatun.

At least five deaths by suicide linked to work stress have been reported since the exercise began in the Trinamool Congress-ruled state, though there is no way of establishing whether it is the extra work teachers such as Khatun have to do, that pushed them to death.

Wh...