Jangalmahal: ‘The biggest change — we voted without fear’
Close to 81 per cent voted in the 18 seats in the first part of West Bengal’s first phase.
An elderly woman at a polling station in Bankura on Monday. PTI
The concept of free and fair polling is relative in Jangalmahal. Allegations of the police’s attempts to influence and the ruling party’s attempts to intimidate voters failed to sully high spirits in the once Maoist-affected villages here. As one voter put it, “There were no IED blasts, no one died. That is freedom in Jangalmahal.”
Close to 81 per cent voted in the 18 seats in the first part of West Bengal’s first phase. By 6 pm, 82 per cent had voted in West Midnapore, over 80 per cent in Purulia and 80 per cent at Bankura. The overall turnout, though high, was three points lower than in the last Assembly election.
At Lalgarh village in Binpur seat, long queues stretched from the booths. The village was the nucleus of what is now known as the Lalgarh movement of 2008, a spontaneous tribal uprising which was later allegedly subverted the Maoist presence in the area. By 11 am, the heat was already stifling but this didn’t deter voters and polling officers in the area said that over half the population had cast their vote by then.
Such exuberant voting, explained villagers, was motivated partly by their own sense of “hope” while spurred on by their continuing “fear”. “We have never had a free and fair election in Jangalmahal. Anyone who tells you so is lying. The Left, the Maoists and even the Trinamool Congress has used us, as and when they needed us. It always culminates on polling day. So, we had decided to cast our vote early. Things are peaceful right now, but might change later,” said Rachita Murmu, 45.
The “change” for the worse that Murmu fears are the threats of Maoist violence and rigging, which had prompted the Election Commission to deploy a huge contingent of central forces.
At Belpahari village in Binpur, Tapash Besra said roads had magically come up days before elections, water too had started flowing from the otherwise dry taps. “This is the change that the TMC is talking about and many will vote for those things. But the biggest change is simply the fact that we came out to vote, without fear of Maoists.”
Despite the central forces, allegations were exchanged. At Salboni, CPM candidate Shyamsundar Pande and journalists were allegedly attacked by TMC cadres. At Nayagram, TMC workers allegedly threatened residents to vote for them. At Taldangra in Bankura, a police sub-inspector caught on camera taking a bribe is facing investigation.
In the first hour of polling alone, almost 200 complaints reached the EC. “But we expect this,” said Naren Mahato, a shopkeeper in Nayagram. “Central forces or not, this is all too much a part of politics in West Bengal for it to completely disappear. But look at the bright side, there were no IED blasts and no one died. The Maoists had called for a boycott and everyone ignored it. People felt safe enough to go and vote.”
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