K.V Seetharamaiah
West Bengal is more infamous for poll-related violence. Latest in the series of violence is in respect of Panchayat polls. At least 24 people are reported killed in the violence. Free and fair poll election cannot be expected where violence rules the roost.
The saying “Politics is war without bloodshed and War is politics with bloodshed” needs to be changed to say politics is also war with bloodshed without arms and ammunition but with cudgels, stones, knives, daggers etc. War between two nations is authenticated and has the backing of the nation concerned.
But violence unleashed on the eve of polls resulting in fatalities due to involvement of hostile parties is ‘war’ within nation over greed for power. Central forces have been deployed to monitor the poll progress.
The Calcutta High Court order directing deployment of central forces for the July 8 panchayat elections challenged by the state government and State Election Commission (SEC) has been rightly upheld by the Supreme Court.
The opponents of security forces are largely the ones who have upper hand in unleashing violence to win the election by hook or crook. Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Manjoj Mishra of the Supreme Court (SC) have recognized the need for security forces to ensure free and fair election.
If both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court have favoured central forces, it shows the depth of the on-going violence in West Bengal.
The SC has pulled up the SEC for seeking additional forces on the one hand and refusing it on the other through a petition challenging the High Court order. The maintainability of the petition itself is under fire. Forces add to the strength of the Election Commission in the conduct of free and fair elections. It is the responsibility of the SEC for conducting free and fair elections.
SEC joining hands with the state government in opposing deployment of forces is farcical. The SC has said that holding polls is not licence to violence and has observed that Bengal has history of poll violence. Bengal is infamous for pre-poll and post-poll violence.
The top court has expressed that it has found no reason to interfere with the High Court Order. Central governments in the past have misused Article 356 which confers powers to impose President rule.
There were many occasions in the past for imposition of President rule when West Bengal was ravaged by violence. The Modi government has exercised admirable restraint.
The case for President rule was strong in the violence perpetrated in the aftermath of Assembly election in 2021. Deployment of forces can at least minimise the possible fatalities and injuries.
