B D Sharma
Election time in our childhood used to be a time of festivities, processions and public meetings. It was a jolly good time for all those who used to study in the single teacher primary schools of 1960s. For many days, during the elections of 1962, the single teacher of the school used to be away on election duty, for getting training, for procuring election material, for poll duty and consequently, as the proverb goes, the mice used to have much time to play when the cat was away.
Children had a gala time when the local political leaders got them assembled for taking out procession in the accomplishment of the beat of a drum. In our village it was usually in favour of Master Dhian Singh(an upright gentlemen politician) of Praja Parishad party, fighting from Samba Kandi constituency, whose election symbol was rising sun. We would shout at the top of our voice, “Jitte ga bhayee jitte ga: Charhda Suraj Jitte ga.” Rising sun was his election symbol. As against Praja Parishad, the National Conference, the “Hal party”(Plough party) would take out the procession scarcely. However at the culmination of their procession they would distribute some refreshments amongst us. So we used to lament as to why the Plough party did not hire our services quite often.
Another occasion for celebration during the elections was the visit of Prime Minister Bakshi. With Model Code of Conduct without any teeth, school children were taken to give him a tumultuous welcome. One day was given off for getting our uniforms washed and another day would be spent in welcoming the VIP. Apart from the two holidays the candies in refreshments were got as a bonus.
By the 1967 elections the NC had merged in the Indian National Congress and the Praja Parishad in the Bharatiya Jan Sangh. Their old symbols of Rising sun and the Plough had been replaced with a Lamp and a pair of Yoked Oxen. And with ebullient Bakshi no more in power the enthusiasm for the elections didn’t remain at the same pitch as it used to be in his time.
The 1972 elections were also a dull affair again but a lot of curiosity surrounded the 1977 Lok Sabha elections. Announcement of the elections had provided a whiff of fresh air after the suffocation of the period of emergency. Thoroughly going through the newspapers and regular listening to BBC became a habit with all the persons who had some interest in the political developments. Babu Jagjivan Ram resigned from Congress party after the announcement and it gave boost to the opposition. The day of counting of votes left treasure of unforgettable memories. With more than 7/8 lakh ballot papers to be counted in each constituency, the process lingered on till late night. Many people didn’t have a wink of sleep that night. AIR and Samachar(merged entity of PTI and UNI) were caged birds and news unfavourable to the ruling party were released slowly. All the same they provided the hour to hour and round to round picture all throughout the day and night. Hustle and bustle remained in the bazars till late night. No other election result generated so much interest as the 1977 Lok Sabha election results did. PM Gandhi had lost much of the good will of the people and her defeat as well as that of her all powerful son Sanjay Gandhi was widely welcomed. However the people got disillusioned from the ramshackle new dispensation. They failed to rise to the occasion and proved their worthlessness soon. PM Desai shared security secrets of the nation with Pakistan President, Charan Singh could not see beyond the vindictive agenda against Mrs Gandhi and Raj Narain, the giant killer soon came out in his true colours as a joker. And it didn’t take long for Congress to come back to power.
In due course of time I had joined the Revenue Department which plays an important role in the conduct of elections. As the Electoral Registration Officer, as Assistant Returning Officer for Assembly elections and as the nodal officer for preparing training program, transport and deployment plans of election staff the Tehsildar’s role is very vital. 1984 Lok Sabha elections was a different kind of experience. Majority of the employees shirked to perform the election duty. The election duties had to be performed at odd hours. Negligible facilities were provided to them. Polling staff used to be carried on trucks in the inhuman conditions. At the Collection Centre, usually at district headquarter, the polling staff belonging to far-flung areas were left high and dry. They had to make arrangements for stay on their own. Meagre amount of rupees fifty as remuneration and similar amount for 3/4 times of meals were provided to each employee. At the Collection Centre even basic facilities were not provided. Many times these difficulties were highlighted but the Government /ECI showed helplessness or disinterestedness for taking remedial measures. Some improvements have since been made but still more needs to be done. In view of these reasons I, while serving in my home Tehsil, was approached by large number of employees for sparing them from election duty. Majority of them could not be obliged in view of obvious reasons and consequently lot of resentment was faced. When one school teacher from my adjoining village came to me complaining that he had not been treated well by me, I thought that he might have a grievance of being deputed for polling duty to a far-flung place. But I was pleasantly surprised when he asked me why he had been ignored for polling duty by “our own Tehsildar.” He was assigned the duty immediately as we were short of staff at some stations. Interestingly he even came to thank me also after the polls. And while narrating his experience he told me that in the process of polling duty he had saved some stationery items like pencil, white paper sheets, needle/thread, envelopes, gum bottle, sealing wax, candle, stamp pad etc for use in his Primary school. Schools in those days were not provided even sundry stationery items and the teachers arranged the same when such occasions came. Dr Karan Singh was a candidate in 1984 Lok Sabha elections and he was likely to have a smooth sailing. But a sympathy wave, because of assassination of Mrs Gandhi, started blowing in favour of the Congress candidate. This lead to lot of friction and bickering between the followers of the two candidates with some law and order ramifications.
During the Lok Sabha elections of 1989 peculiar problem was faced by me as Assistant Returning officer of Poonch Assembly segment of Jammu-Poonch Parliament seat. The polled ballot boxes were being received at the Collection Centre established in the Poonch Fort. Large number of polling staff had assembled to deposit the polled ballot boxes. Rain had started pouring in adding to the chill of December. One presiding officer, a senior District officer, instead of standing in the queue, went to his nearby residential quarter for a cup of tea along with the polled box before his turn came. Unfortunately this presiding officer was known to have some political leanings which went against the wishes of dominant group of Poonch lead by the popular leader, Yashpual Sharma. Somebody of that group raised an alarm that the presiding officer had gone for tinkering with the ballot box. A large number of young people of that group, popularly known as Durli group, let loose all the hell. They snatched the polled ballot box from the errant presiding officer and in the process the box fell in the drain flowing nearby.
The wet box was retrieved by them and they took it away. Others tried to gatecrash the Collection Centre also for taking away all the other polled ballot boxes stored there. We had a tough time to prevent it. Our only hope of retrieval of box was with Yashpal Sharma but it took time to locate him. He came to our help and got back the snatched ballot box very tactfully from his followers. After 2/3 days, when the votes were being counted at Ranbir Higher Secondary School Jammu and the turn of that particular ballot box came, Yashpal and his fellow counting agents raised a lot of hue and cry in the hall. They obstructed counting. They alleged that wet ballot papers in the box showed that election had been stage managed. Rigging had taken place and other things of this sort. I was amused to hear all this from the man who knew every bit of the reality. But political leaders are what they are. He was a very assertive and vociferous leader and had to be dealt with tactfully. Any use of force could impact the process in other sixteen counting halls. So this particular box was kept aside and counting of other boxes taken up. After some persuasion he agreed to let the counting of that box also taken up. Though the political leaders do not miss any capitalization of opportunity yet cordial relations with them prove helpful. After some time, he hinted me to go ahead with counting even if they raised protest and boycott the counting. There is a lot of lesson in this episode for all the Election staff. They have to be very cautious in the performance of election duty. They must act not only in an impartial manner but must also look to be fair. Secondly amiable relations with the political leaders of all hues can prove helpful to the field officers in the management of crisis.
I had developed a disliking for the god men because of the exploitative practices resorted to by majority of them. When I was posted as AC Nyoma, I shared these feelings with my Deputy Commissioner, SS Kapoorji, particularly in the context of a particular Lama. He advised me not to be a slave of preconceived notions and never nurse ill feelings for the people having religious feelings. On the other hand, he advised me to utilize the religious inclinations and beliefs of the people in such a manner as might help in sorting out our administrative problems. Many years afterwards I had an occasion when I shrewdly made use of the predilection and inclination to religious beliefs of one key player in tackling a law and order problem. Ch. Lal Singh was the Congress Party candidate against Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta in the Lok Sabha elections of 2004. After the counting had been completed, it was found that Ch. Lal Singh had won the election but it took some time in consolidating the final figures, which in turn lead to some delay in handing over the Election Certificate to him. So, he left the Counting Hall to address the public and to express thanks to his supporters who had gathered in large numbers at a place some distance away. During the counting a lot of hot words had been exchanged between these two candidates and their followers. Reports had started pouring in that violent clashes might take place when the followers of Congress candidate would take out the victory procession. It was already the evening time, and after the sunset the situation would have been conducive for the rioters.
The early dispersal of the crowd was therefore essential, but it was very difficult as the thanks giving rally had hardly started. Telephone call after call had started coming from the higher authorities for getting the crowd dispersed early. I as Returning officer as well as District Magistrate was fully responsible for handling the situation. I was in a fix and unable to find a way out. The public meeting was likely to last for one hour more but by then darkness would have descended and a free for all situation might have developed. In this precarious situation a celestial guidance showed me the path. I contacted the duty Magistrate at the rally site and asked him to make me to talk to either Ch. Lal Singh or his wife who was also in public life. Since Lal Singh had just started addressing the crowd, he was unable to talk to me. So his wife was on the line. I told her that the election certificate must be received during the day light only in order to ensure a bright political career for Chaudhary Sahib. I further told her that Hindu Shastras enjoined upon us to perform all auspicious tasks during the day light only. I was well aware of the fact that both the husband and wife were deeply immersed in religious beliefs, so they could easily be made to believe the advice coming , what they thought, from a learned Brahmin ( though in fact I was totally blank in religious knowledge). Consequently, Ch. Lal Singh finished his address halfway, asked his followers to disperse and rushed to the
Counting Hall to receive the election certificate. He virtually snatched the certificate from my hands saying it was to be got well before the sunset. I was a bit amused also in devising such an ingenious solution to an intractable problem. The advice from a senior officer to pay due respect to the religious sentiments of the people and to make use of them in getting our day to day administrative problems solved proved very beneficial to me.
In this way if many ups and downs are seen by the candidates and their followers during the elections, a variety of problems are also experienced by the employees engaged in the conduct of elections. But it must be remembered by all that the elections are the soul of democracy and the success of democracy depends upon the free and fair conduct of elections. All the stakeholders, as such, must strive to contribute in the peaceful and credible conduct of elections. Democracy must succeed. Though it is the worst form of government yet it is the best form of Government.
(The author is a former civil servant.)
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