| Fear of Violence
Mal-practice is a normal affair in the elections in the hills. As a matter of fact elections in the hill constituencies of Manipur have never been a smooth affair, rigging, booth capturing and violence are very much part of this democratic exercise. Apart from money power, muscle power is one of the most important factors that have been deciding the fates of candidates.
If reports appearing in the local press are to be believed, threat and intimidation are galore in this round of election in the hill constituencies. Charges are also flying thick and fast that names of armed groups are being used by candidates in the electioneering to intimidate voters of rival candidates.
As a result there is a widespread fear psychosis among the voters. If the authority is not able to create an environment where the voters are not threatened and intimidated on the day of the polling it will never be election, but selection of the representative. The 20 constituencies spread across five hill districts
went to the polls on February 21. Although repoll was held in 31 polling centers of the first phase polling in the valley the election managers were happy that the election was conducted peacefully.
Now there should not be any room for complacency. There are enough indications that violence may disrupt the second phase polling to a large extent. The police chief himself fears that there may be lots of trouble, if not violence in the hills on the polling day. Of course, it is impossible to hold the election incident free given the inadequate strength of security forces provided by the Center for election duty.
However, it is necessary that the security personnel deployed for the poll duty should be put on highest alert to minimize the incident of rigging, booth capturing and snatching of ballot papers. Only armed security guards should be deployed, as area dominance is not going to be an easy task in the hilly terrains. It is demonstrated that unarmed guards deployed during the polling in the valley constituencies could do little when the booths were captured. After the polling is over in the hills all the ballot papers will have to be deposited safely till the counting of votes is over.
It is unfortunate that over the years candidates have assumed the role of a Mafia leader in Manipur. The just concluded voting in the valley has also demonstrated that some of the candidates have behaved like supremos of some Mafia organizations. These candidates unleashed hoodlums to intimidate voters, capture booths and cast the votes in their favor. There are also charges of misuse of the security guards by the candidates.
Presiding officers and polling personnel are bullied and threatened by workers and agents. These things are
nothing short of putting the democracy in grave danger. It is also unfortunate that violent incidents, leading to loss of human lives continued days after the polling. Two murder cases were reported after the polls. Indeed there were some changes in the voting pattern in the valley, but this is not the change the State is crying for.
(Courtesy: The Sangai Express)
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