A critical analysis on new dimension of free and fair LS polls in Manipur

Ceety Khongsai *

Vehicles lining up for Polling Personnel at Hatta Kangjeibung on 16th April 2014 before the LS Election in Manipur :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam

The 16th Lok Sabha election, 2014 has officially been declared as peaceful and successful. And now, the state election department would surely be expecting commendations and even rewards from the Election Commission of India (ECI) for its self-assumed good job. At the same time, policymakers of the Congress-led SPF government will certainly claim credit for successfully conducting the election and the two Returning Officers (Inner and Outer) could have definitely be in the good books of the CM waiting future promotions.

In reality, however, the election was a complete failure. One eminent reason attributable for its failure is about the callous attitude of the ECI and the state agencies on rampant electoral malpractices. Judging by the actual voting pattern from ground reality, the meaning of 'free and fair'in this election can be appropriately interpreted as 'non-violent booth capturing' and 'peaceful proxy votes' by party workers.

Moreover, if viewed with an investigative mind about the unusually charged tempo of election of voters who otherwise were normally impassive towards MP elections, one can easily noticed the role of black money. Of the other factors which primarily enthuses the people in election centre around the protracted issue of fool-proof protection of the territorial boundaries of Manipur.

And, as anticipated beforehand by true sons of the soil, both national and regional political parties have maliciously used the catchword 'Territorial Integrity' as their main poll issue to woo voters although many of these party candidates' are in-and-out anti-integrity supporters. Unfortunately, all the political parties inclusive of both national and regional political parties in their manifestos have failed to give clear-cut policy to address the glaring issue of racial discriminations of north easterners in mainland India and the daily-basis extermination of Kangleichas (indigenous Manipuris) in a clinically planned CI-Ops including mysterious disappearances of many youths in our state have no place in the election manifestos.

One thing that adds flavours to this election is the Naga Peoples' Front (NPF) issue. Sensing imminent downfall of the O. Ibobi-led SPF governmentand construing the NPF inroads into Manipur as a direct attacked to the collective leadership of the ruling congress party, all the 40 plus congress MLAs and hitherto disgruntled MDCs were again re-united, at least, till announcement of election results and fought the election in unison. Sponsored by embezzled MLAs' contributions and powered by the undistributed MP funds of the last five to ten years of the two congress MPs, the ruling congress party allegedly seduces the Suspension of Operations (SoO) signatory UGs in their favour while voters of Thoubal District danced jubilantly in every lanes (Leikais) with the famous moonlight dance (Thabal Chongba) as showers of election package gifted to them by high profile central leaders were more than sufficient to meet expenses of the highly expensive thabal chongba!

Thus, in their attempt to book a ticket of five years validity Delhi-bound Parliament Express (bus) all the candidates have indulged in electoral vilification and vices. Therefore, if the results of this election which is marred by booth capturing, rigging, intimidation and proxy voting are considered 'Free and fair', then, there's no denying the fact that Indian parliamentary democracy is truly a mockery of true democracy as practised in other European countries. Loopholes and incongruities still marked our electoral systems.

Needless to say that booth capturing and proxy voting have become part and parcel of Indian electoral politics. However, there is a paradigm shift from the gangster days of the late seventies to well-armed sophisticated pseudo revolutionary era wherein voters are reduced to a mere beast of burden without having any say on their democratic rights. In this dirty game of politics, mastery over techniques of booth capturingand expertise in falsehood has become the essential entry level minimum qualifications for all aspiring politicians. In order to fulfil one's dream of becoming a seasoned politician in this highly expensive MP/MLA elections, one need to re-invent the Sophistic art of rhetoric in Machiavelli's Prince with expertise on the neo-technique of election called 'booth capturing' and 'proxy voting'.

Famous for its infamous drugs-insurgency trade and rotten to the core on corruption due to politicians-civil servants' nexus, political consciousness in a backward state like Manipur is at its lowest ebb; and, in a state where even half literate persons with dubious characters could become legislators, the question of free and fair elections is an utopia. Allegations and counter-allegations of booth capturing by rival candidates are mere election tactics schemed mischievously by rival groupsto increase one's position and weakened the other groups. In fact, there's no candidate or political parties which does not indulge in booth capturing but allegations are made only when candidates or political party feels that their winning chance is thinner than their rival candidates. In simple words, if candidates or political parties knew for sure that the polling booths captured were done by their workers and the proxy votes in their favour, they would say that there is free and fair election. Hence, elections in Manipur are a sham and winners are not elected by the people.

We took great pride and boast off as if our parliamentary democracy provides the purest form of government for a pluralistic society like India. But where is the uniqueness of this democracy if a single person or group of people sitting inside the voting compartment can casts all the votes assigned to a polling station? Where are the intelligent vigil eyes of the central para-military forces that they could not see rampant booth capturing in daylight?

What utility has the ECI's Model Code of Conduct and centrally deputed Election Observers if all forms of electoral offences are openly carried out under their nose? Or, is the election observers directed to silently observe the election rambling? Or, were the election observers came to Manipur for a picnic-cum-shopping trip toMoreh? And also, will the reports of this manipulative team of election observers be treated as authentic and accepted by the ECI for final determination of election results? If the answer is in affirmative,we can convincingly say that the parliamentary elections in our state are just a farce and the votes recorded in the EVMs are all proxy votes.

Substantiating our point, it will be appropriate to recountthe eye-witness account of booth capturing this writer had experienced inthe just concluded parliamentary elections in the hills. I was in total disbelief to see with my own perfect eyes an honourable Member of District Council (MDC) under 46-Saikul A/C at his home polling station blocking the entry-exit door by putting a chair between the door posts and seated himself with criss-crossed legsand his supporters capturing the booth in full view of the Indian security forces! It was also surprising to see an election official with a badge embossed 'Booth Level Observer' (BLO in short) sitting in the veranda being ignorant about the booth capturing taking place inside the voting compartment!!

Asking to myself, I said, "Are the BLOs election duty simply ends in observing booth capturing as mute spectators? Unconvinced with his role of silent observer, I politely enquired the BLO if something could be done to stop the booth capturing. But the BLO sarcastically replied, "Sir, everything is fine here in our polling station". When this booth capturing and proxy voting is seen as 'free and fair' (everything is fine) by election observers, anything done by election workers at the polling stations can be treated as fair and justifiable provided one has the backing and support of the ruling party.

Despite strong warnings from the ECI, apart from its Shadow Election Expenditures Observers, the role of black money in elections is an open secret. It may be noted that the hastily organised last minute street corner election campaign meetings in the valleys along with central leaders are a pre-planned election strategy skilfully adopted by political parties to facilitate distribution of black money to the voters. And, the 11th hour mid-night emergency summons to the village chiefs in the hills by the Ceasefire/Suspension of Operations (SoO) signatory UGs are nothing but final announcement of the name(s) of selected candidate(s) chosen arbitrarily by the UGs and a stern warning up to the level of death penalty to whosoever disobeyingsuch dictates.

For the hill men, the choice is between life and death and, as such, whereas serpentine queues with impressive voter turnout characterises the polling stations in the valleys, almost all polling booths in the hills were empty on poll day. Ironically, however, in the official records, the hills recorded a comparatively higher poll percentage than the valleys albeit polling officialsin some polling booths drowses heavily waiting for voters even as the beep sound and red lamp of the EVM's ballot unit never stops glowing till the last minute of closing time.

In fact, whether one believes it or not, elections in this part of the North East region have virtually been reduced to 'Selection' through a secret deal between the highest bidder candidates and the dominant underground organisations.

Reliability and accuracy of the presiding officer's diary in calculating the exact number of total votes polled at the polling stations is also now being challenged after detection of excess votes polled at certain polling stations. My sympathy goes to those unfortunate presiding officers whose services have been put under suspension. Nonetheless, presiding officers are not robots and as the old adage, "to err is human…" therefore, the harsh treatment of suspension reward for performing one's constitutional duty in election is bereft of logic and lacks humane attitude.

It will also be too simple to define the meaning of free and fair elections bymere tallying of votes recorded in the EVMs and Marked Copy of the electoral rolls withoutforensically authenticating the specimen thump impressions/signatures of voters recorded in the Register of Voters. In fact, presiding officer can easily manipulate the account of votes in his diary and supplied the same to the RO. However, will such manipulated account of votes be treated as authentic in determining the percentage of votes polled in the election? The Collection Centres at the ROs office on poll day evening speaks volumes about manipulation of PO's diaries and Account of Votes by the polling parties. Introduction of biometric ballot unit will ensure free and fair elections in the country.

Lastly, if we really are optimistic in building a new Manipuri society, we need to change the present system of electoral politics. If we sincerely dream of making Manipur a model state, we should condemned our moral deficient present leaders and elect new leaders with qualities of righteousness and farsightedness who canlead us to new heights of development and prosperity.

As true sons of the soil, we have our birth right to elect the right leaders and make our land as shining as Gujarat! Should we still go for money and suffer for it? Nothing on earth can stop Manipur from shining when the righteous men are elected to power. As the saying goes, "when the righteous men are in authority, the people rejoice". Need of the hour is change of leadership.