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Author: BC Dutta
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: April 5, 2006
Many Muslims living in various Hindi-Urdu speaking States of undivided India, who had endorsed the creation of Pakistan, migrated to East Pakistan after partition. Owing allegiance to that country, they wanted to be repatriated there; but with Pakistan refusing to embrace them, they eventually infiltrated into West Bengal. Unfortunately in West Bengal, politicians helped them obtain ration cards, which enabled them to sneak into the country's voters' lists.
Most of these non-Bangla speaking Muslims have gone to other States in search of employment, leaving behind their ration cards and their names in West Bengal voters' lists to enable the political leaders to manipulate the poll process. This is the basis on which fictitious ration cards and non-existent voters have figured in the electoral rolls in West Bengal.
According to the 2001 Census, the population in West Bengal was about 47,39,000; but the distributed ration cards were 57,62,000. The population of the State is around 8,00,00,000 but the number of ration cards is 8,75,13,280. Now, considering the fact that many in rural areas do not have ration cards - though they need the cards more than the affluent class - how can ration cards for foreigners be justifies? It has been estimated that the number of false ration cards in West Bengal is over two crore.
However, even though ration cards usually formed the basis of a voter's identity, not all false cards can be used to prepare fake voters' list, as 35 per cent of West Bengal's population is below 18 years of age. According to one conservative estimate, there are one crore false voters present with the total number of voters being 4.7 crore. The false voters would give the ruling party an initial advantage of 21 per cent over their opponents in the election.
These fictitious ration cards endanger fair voting. With a 21 per cent initial advantage, the ruling front has possibly gained a thumping victory in consecutive elections in the last few decades in West Bengal. With such advantage, the CPI(M) has declared that in the upcoming West Bengal Assembly election they would secure 223 seats out of a total of 294 Assembly seats.
Despite sincere efforts of the Election Commission, it will hardly be possible to have flawless electoral rolls as the State employees assigned for the job are reluctant to prepare impartial electoral rolls. The Election Commission, however, has stressed on photo identity cards and has given top priority to issue them to electors before the elections. Earlier 92.5 per cent electors had voter I-cards; with the inclusion of 21 per cent new voters, it has come down to 90 per cent. In spite of the best of efforts, the manner in which the photo coverage is being conducted in West Bengal, it will be difficult to issue I-cards to all the voters before the Assembly polls.
If the Election Commission is serious about holding fair election in West Bengal, it should allow voters to vote with electors' I-cards. The small percentage of voters to whom electors' PICs could not be issued may be left out as Indian citizens whose names are not in the electoral rolls are not permitted to exercise their franchise. If the Election Commission allows voters without the electors' I-cards to vote, it may alternatively recognise bank credit/debit cards, property tax receipts, telephone/electricity bills and even PAN cards.
Despite the existence of a crore of fictitious ration cards in West Bengal, if the Election Commission prefers not to derecognise the ration cards as voters' identifying document, no fair election can possibly be conducted.
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