(Kuradi Chandrasekhara Kalkura)
“Poll panel steps in to allow launch of book on Rafale deal.” reported the press, dateline Chennai, 03rd, Apr. 2019. It is like the English Phrase: “More loyal than the King Himself.”
Election Machinery seems to be more over enthusiastic than the Election Commission and the Govt of India. The Election Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has not suspended Article 19; curtailing the freedom of Speech and Expression of the individual or any other legal entity. It has only enlarged the limitations.
The main target group is the contesting parties and the candidates; enforcing discipline among them. It is mere stupidity of ‘an election flying squad’ to stop the release of the book in Tamil: Nattai Ulukkam Rafale Eera Oozal (The Rafale Scam, that is rocking the Country).
Fortunately the Election Commission came to the rescue of the writer and the publisher. They are knowledgeable and influential. What would have been the fate of the writer, if he were to be anywhere in a remote place and an ordinary mortal?
Election Commission and the Machinery shall conduct classes not only to conduct elections and supervise the electioneering, but also the evolution of the electoral history and procedure in India.
Writing in the Sunday Magazine Section of the Hindu Dt. 27th, January, 2002, historian Ramachandra Guha, on the 50th anniversary of Independent India’s First general elections, observed: “Nehru’s haste [in wanting India’s first general election] was understandable, but it was viewed with some alarm by the man who had to make the election possible, a man who is an unsung hero of Indian democracy. It is a pity we know so little about Sukumar Sen (picture below), the first Election Commossioner (21 March 1950 – 19 December 1958). He left no memoirs, and it appears, no papers either… It was perhaps the mathematician in Sen, which made him ask the prime minister to wait. No officer of State, certainly no Indian official, has ever had such a stupendous task placed in front of him. Consider, first of all, the size of the electorate: 176 million Indians aged 21 or more, of whom about 85 per cent could not read or write. Each voter had to be identified, named and registered. This registration of voters was merely the first step. For how did one design party symbols, ballot papers and ballot boxes for a mostly unlettered electorate? Then, polling stations had to be built and properly spaced out, and honest and efficient polling officers recruited. Voting has to be as transparent as possible, to allow for the fair play of the multiplicity of parties that would contest. Moreover, with the general election to the Lok Sabha, elections would take place elections to the State Assemblies also. Working with Sukumar Sen in this regard were the election commissioners of the different provinces, also I.C.S. men.” When the whole world was looking mockingly at us, a glorious tradition was built by Sen and his successors.”
I am conscious of the first and second General elections; and has been a voter since 1962. As far as my memory goes, nothing like the Tamil book releasing episode, has happened anywhere in the country in the past. Such incidents raise the eyebrows of even the impartial observers and staunch defenders of the fair exercise of autonomy by the Election Commission.
It is a fact that the “Chief Ministers of A.P. and West .Bengal, Chandrabbau Naidu and Mamata Bannerjee respectively question any authority ( personally or organisationally ) once a decision taken is not to the their liking.” Their one point agenda is ‘oppose centre’. If they had an iota of power, they would have crippled all the wings of the Central Govt, including the Supreme Court and the Election Commission.
Regarding the episode of transfer of three IPS. Officers of AP there is no dispute about the demonstration of over enthusiasm of the A.P. Govt. Now it is compelled to disable the wing of the DGP by divesting the Anti Corruption, Addl Charge from him.
However many other, including some impartial observers also feel that the Election Commission has not been fair during the last few years. I beg to differ a little with those who regard TN Seshan(above,12 December 1990 – 11 December 1996) is the Messiah of the Election Commission.
As quoted above, Sukumar Sen, the first Election Commissioner, who conducted the first two general elections to both the houses of the Parliament and elections to all the State Legislatures, the President and the Vice President, n 1952 and 1957 deserves to be praised. Though the number of electorate was one fourth of what it is today, transportation and communication were almost at the primitive stage.
An overwhelming majority of the contestants were stalwarts of the National Movement. At least one third of the members of the Constituent Assembly, i.e. about 100 were in the election fray: Viz. Nehru, Ambedkar, Kripalani, Moulana Azad, Kidwai, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Amrut Kaur, N.G.Ranga, T.T.Krishnamachari, G.B.Pant, T.Prakasam, H.V.Kamath, Mavalankar, Ananhtasayanam Ayyangar, Durgabai Deshmukh, C.Subrahmnyam. Kamaraj Nadar, Nijalingappa, etc.