[mukto-mona] Democracy for poll-manipulators

Democracy is for those who rig polls, 90% by the CPI(M), not for the electors, especially in panchayat polls.   Polling officers shell-shocked Pranesh Sarkar and Sabyasachi Roy 20 May 08 (http://thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=6&theme=&usrsess=1&id=204739) KOLKATA/SURI, May 19: The officials, who were managing polling stations in the trouble-torn areas of Birbhum and Murshidabad, are still dazed by the violence they faced during election duties yesterday. Many of them have even decided to resign from their jobs if they are sent to these "unsafe" areas in future. The officials, mainly schoolteachers, said they were pressured, threatened and even attacked by activists of different political parties when they opposed the goons' efforts to capture polling booths. The hoodlums hurled bombs, fired bullets and killed people as they remained mute spectators since the police contingents never reached the polling stations on time. "Before this, I had performed poll duty thrice in the past but now I won't even think twice to leave the job if I am posted once again in the trouble-hit area. There was no rule of law. Goons looted ballot boxes, hurled bombs inside the booth, threatened us with dire consequences but nobody was there to save us," said Mr Shibananda Chattopadhyay, the presiding officer of the polling booth at Harmur in Birbhum's Nanoor, where polling was cancelled yesterday due to massive violence. A school teacher, who was on poll duty in Hariharpara in Murshidabad, said, "I won't go for poll duty in future. My family won't allow me to go again after what took place yesterday. Goons were hurling bombs and no one was there to stop them. To avoid poll duty, either I will contest in the polls or leave the job." Mr Indrajit Sadhu, an officer who had manned a polling booth at Baliguni Primary School in Nanoor, said, "I would never forget the experience that I had yesterday. The goons tried to capture the booth by flexing muscle. I would definitely try to avoid poll duty next time." Another presiding officer, Mr Samir Ghosh, who was posted in Mayureshwar in Birbhum where trouble broke out as soon as polling started, said, "We were feeling insecure inside the booth. The government should think seriously how proper security could be arranged for polling officials." A senior district official in Birbhum, said, "It is really a matter of concern that teachers are unwilling to go on poll duty. We are facing trouble to arrange staff for counting votes after teachers were spared of the duty. Now, if teachers started contesting polls to avoid duty, it would be major trouble for the administration to run the elections properly."

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Sign the Petition : Release the Arrested University Teachers Immediately : An Appeal to the Caretaker Government of Bangladesh

http://www.mukto-mona.com/human_rights/university_teachers_arrest.htm

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Mukto-Mona Celebrates 5th Anniversary
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Mukto-Mona Celebrates Earth Day:
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Kansat Uprising : A Special Page from Mukto-Mona 
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MM Project : Grand assembly of local freedom fighters at Raumari
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