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Author: Udayan Namboodiri
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: February 11, 2006
The Election Commission (EC) has lashed out at the Marxist Government of West Bengal for deliberately creating conditions hostile to the holding of free and fair elections. The 19 observers sent to the State for the second time in four weeks returned to home base on Friday to confess to Chief Election Commissioner BB Tandon that democracy and Bengal are two mutually exclusive concepts.
An "informal release" issued by EC spokesman Rajesh Malhotra unequivocally stated that the observers reported "incidents of intimidation to the people who chose to make complaints to the observers on the fidelity of the rolls and inaction on the part of local administration in registering FIRs and in taking immediate action against the culprits."
The CPI (M)-led Left Front Government's hostility towards the EC for the unprecedented measures taken by the constitutional body to restore people's power in a State saturated by a Stalinist system for 28 years, has been expressed in a hundred little ways by now. Apart from threats, intimidation and house burning, CPI (M) leaders like Anil Biswas, have even talked of Ganaabhuthhan (mass uprising) if the date of the election is pushed beyond the June 13 deadline. That was on January 17, even before the EC could take stock of the first tour of the observers.
Once again, the partisan role of the State's police force has featured in an EC document. "The EC also noted with concern the poor performance of the administration in executing the non-bailable warrants against the criminals and in the seizure of illegal firearms. The Commission has decided to take up the issue with the State Government".
There are at least 15, 000 NBWs pending against political activists in the State. Where they involve Trinamool, BJP or Congress supporters, the police have no problem executing them. But the problem stems with those relating to the CPI (M) and its allies. The most glaring examples are those relating to the Chota Angaria mass murder which occurred in 2001 in a village under Gorbeta block of West Medinipur district. In spite of specific cases against CPI (M) local leaders Sukkur Ali and Tapan Ghosh, they are roaming about freely and even giving interviews to the Bengali press. When the CBI asks the State Police to execute the warrants, the latter mechanically replies that the two are "absconding".
The EC observers have only put their stamp of confirmation on what the special observer for the 2004 Lok Sabha election, Afzal Amanullah, had written in his dispatches during and after a poll that symbolised institutionalised rape of a democratic process. The IAS officer who had earlier conducted the first ever credible elections in Jammu and Kashmir (2002) was aghast to see on his arrival in Bengal that democracy has no chance in a State where the police and officialdom are politicised.
The EC has "noted with concern that the work of deleting the names of the dead and shifted voters was found to be far from satisfactory".
The statement went on to say: "Having taken stock of the situation, the EC has decided that the process of identifying dead and shifted voters and deleting their names will continue even after the final publication of the rolls. As of now the final publication is due on February 22."
This may be a veiled warning to the Marxists that the EC would not be intimidated by the clock and the calendar when it comes to cleaning up the "Rig" Veda of Bengal - its electoral rolls. As reported by The Pioneer on Friday, the State's voters' growth rate is higher than that of the population. In addition it has more ration cards than people.
The EC's statement has been greeted with vindication by the West Bengal Pradesh Congress. Contacted in Kolkata, spokesman Manas Bhunia said: "The CPI (M) has denied the people of Bengal an opportunity to have a fair election for two decades. At last we have some assurance from the Election Commission that there is hope this time. We want it to take all the time it needs to clean up the voter's list. Otherwise, we cannot accept an election based on the existing rolls."
Coming as it does from a party that normally shies from passing harsh remarks against the Marxists, Bhunia has made it clear that the Congress cannot be perceived as a stooge of the CPI (M)'s fraud. He does not want to utter the impossible word - President's Rule. But it is there in his heart.
Profile of a star performer - 2
In spite of being a Lok Sabha MP since 1984, few in Delhi know much about Anil Basu of Arambagh. But this shadowy character "won" his seat in the 2004 election by a record margin of over 592, 000 votes. The fingerprints of the crime committed in the name of democracy are all over the booth-wise results. Consider:
Pursura Assembly segment
Booth No.----------------- Anil Basu------------Nearest
opponent
73 -------------------------------638----------------------- ------1
78 -----------------------------1,160 ---------------------------- 0
83-------------------------------- 788 ------------------------------ 3
Khanakul Assembly segment
91 ------------------------------- 854 ----------------------------- 1
115 ------------------------------646----------------------------------2
162--------------------------------818----------------------------------0
Goghat Assembly segment
69 --------------------------------934-----------------------------------0
71--------------------------------737------------------------------------0
77------------------------------- 927 -----------------------------------0
157------------------------------ 948 ---------------------------------- 0
Anil Basu has, in a way, set a new threshold
for the CPI (M)'s young achievers in future elections. This was manifested
in the municipal elections held over May and June 2005 when the CPI (M) reported
so many "embarrassing" victories that even the party high command
was left blushing.
(Concluded)
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