Grannie's Ecstacy:

Grannie came out of the polling booth with a big smile as if she had won a very big game and with her ecstatic sound she said, I have seen my symbol travel through VVP - and my symbol -

Oh, Grannie, what are you doing? Do not disclose whom you cast vote,

Where am I disclosing? Only telling my symbol... 

Again, the granddaughter is very upset but Grannie happy, because her symbol ran through VVPAT that she could see perfectly and wants to share with others.

The Beauty of Democracy:

I was observing Grannie and her smiling face. This made me happy. Found the beauty of our democracy. This is the festival where all can enjoy. No restriction to any community or caste or to young or old. This festival is for all which cannot be seen in any other festival of our multilingual, multireligious, multicultural and multiracial country though here all people living together peacefully, can celebrate their individual's festival with gaiety but even the participation of citizen across are restricted to the particular community because all the festivals have some rituals of their own which other caste, creed or religion do not or cannot follow but it is seen that for enjoyment the Muslims and the Christians do hopping Durga Puja Pandal, the Hindus without any hesitations take part in Iftar and the commoners of other religions come out in the December midnight street to welcome New Year's Eve and also make jostle before church and chapel on 25th December even none of the festival can be seen as a national festival because every festival has some specific ritual limitation.

In this diversified India when there is not a single festival available to unite the entire nation together with a thread, there, the only festival 'Vote for Democracy and Form Government' can tie all the community together irrespective of religion, caste, creed, rich and poor.

History of Democracy:

India is a Republic Democratic Country and elects their government by casting votes. This Democratic Vote started in 1951 when the entire nation from the hilltop of the Himalayas to the island of the Bay of Bengal and the old man of Rajasthan Desert to limping widow in the dense forest Bewa and the man from oblivious Lakshadeep to remote Nagaland could cast their votes in this festival and did not feel undermine himself as all votes carry the same weightage and ultimately the votes of wretched poor may become the deciding factor to form government. This vote, of course, was for some constitutional obligation, J&K was kept outside the purview of polling in '51.

This is the only festival found 'all accepted' festival in the country where poor to rich, cultured to raw, highly placed bureaucrat to ill-paid home assistant, educated to illiterate feel equal, stand in the same queue and cast votes to voice their own choice.

On other festivals, such as during Christmas Day the boys of the poor family move with the hope of selling their Christmas tree or Cap on a chilled night to buy a piece of cheap cake while the rich with woollen garments lick the taste of delicious cuisine in star-studded restaurant and in Eid, the 'Haves' move wearing branded apparel and 'Have Nots' give a blank look to the decorated shop of Simui and the same painstaking scenarios are common in Durga Puja but in this vote festival such type of pictures are not seen at all because here food and attires do not have any effect on individual but the feeling of oneness is the only message that brings happiness to all in the country.

To participate in this festival nobody needs to pay any subscription as it is required for Community Puja or Community Iftar, Muharram or Community Dussheras, Ravana Burning etc. For this, people of particular religions move from door to door for the collection of funds but here nobody moves door to door for fund collection instead candidates approach the voters for their support which gives the feeling of a torn shirt-wearing vagabond at an elevated position when a much higher people of the society standing before him with folded hand for his vote. This uplifts the morale of that man and he can think of himself as dignified as others and this also acts as a motivational tool for many vagabond to turn his future.

Over the years, this festival was celebrated in a joyful mood and the election to Parliament and Legislative Assembly were held together but from 1967 onwards, due to unrest at different corners of the country, the rhythm of holding the election together got a hue.

Now, we find that around the year the ECI is busy for holding elections either for Legislative Assembly or for Parliament or for some by-election thus creating some problems for common people because during this time, apart from many difficulties faced the study at schools and colleges are getting disturbed because most of the time these institutes are requisitioned by ECI for their use.

In the beginning, that is in 1951, the ECI instead of printing a single ballot paper with all participant's names and symbols, was keeping different colour boxes for different candidates and the electorate had to drop the ballot to the box of his colour choices. A similar type of election was held in Chandernagore to take the opinion of its people on whether they wanted to remain with France or would prefer to join Free India. Two boxes were kept with different colours, one for to join Free India and the other one for to remain with France. The Indian election also started in a similar way but with time and available improved technology the election system has changed but enthusiasm and festival fervours did not change instead went on increasing.

Multiphase Election in free India except for Jammu and Kashmir, was first started in the year 1951 and continued upto 1952 to complete under the guidance of Sukumar Sen, Chief Election Commissioner. The reason for the multiphase election was due to the paucity of logistic support which posed a hindrance to reaching the difficult terrain but even though people across the country enjoyed the very long, approximately 6 months election and felt proud to be an active members of the festival which the poor generally do not get in any other festival.

We have crossed many decades. The coloured box for individuals has been changed. A single ballot paper with the names and symbols of all individuals was introduced and the electorate needed to stamp his choicest candidate and then to drop it in a common box where others also dropped.

Now that the system further changed to EVM where one needs to press the button after that again the authorities introduced a combination of Electronic Voting Machines and VVPAT.

Grannie's Experience:

The grannie whom I found excited today after casting, is my neighbour. She is sufficiently old and does not have much knowledge about the outer world. She was narrating her experience from the day first she gave her franchise. She told me, I did not know anybody who in the fray but was told by my husband to cast a vote. He said that voting was the prime duty of citizens. Everybody should exercise it. I was panicked. Never had been to any social gathering as I belong to a conservative family and the situation of girls then was not that free as you see today, so, I was feeling shy to be in the queue where many male would be there. Refusing to go but he was asking me to be in the booth. Did not pay any heed to my appeal and instead started giving me training. As I had no formal education, so, he made ballot in a piece of paper, drew the symbol and wrote the candidate's name and showed me where to put a stamp and how to stamp it. Before going to the booth practised hundreds and thousands of times and then went to the booth with him. My heartbeats were so high that one could hear from a distance, hands were shivering but stamped the symbol, even getting afraid, could not understand whether it was correct, wanted to show him before dropping into the box but the officials did not allow it. On returning home I showed my husband how did I stamp. His nodding gave me enough satisfaction. She stopped. She again reminisced about her first-day experience and then said after that I was confident and gave votes many times without any fear but again started shivering when EVM was introduced. By that time he was not in this earth, my son educated me and I did cast my vote. Again last time when VVPAT added I got nervous. I pressed the button but could not concentrate on VV--. This time, I saw it. My symbol travelled through. This she was continuously telling to all his near ones even to the small children who still now do not attain the age for voting. All we are enjoying her joy and found that it is the real festival which brings happiness to each and everybody of the country.

Today's Festival:

But this festival over the years changed into a battlefield. Political rivalries are increasing. Now, different types of unrest, and militant activities gripped the country in such a way that the para-military forces were required to be deployed for a smooth election and even the 'one-day election' which was successfully conducted for some seasons after '51 also needed for change and had to go back to multiphase election which started in the beginning but the reason for today's multiphase is completely different than that of 1951.

West Bengal's Election:

In this schedule, the Election in West Bengal will start from 19th April and shall continue up to 1st June 2024, counting will be done on 4th June. Before the announcement of the date by ECI, all potential political parties were taking preparation for to fight on. During this stage, they were assessing their strength and weaknesses and making jibes at political opponents. They even do not hesitate to hurl bombs one another indiscriminately creating fear to the common citizen of the locality and try to establish supremacy in the area. I found all parties were practising the same but the people were cautious and prepared themselves for the festival.

The Election Commission of India divided Forty-Two Constituency of State in seven phases and published itinerary.

In this General Election, I found that before announcing the election date militaries were marching the streets causing a great amount of fear to children and old. Small children clinging to their mother's chests for fear of the military, afraid to open their eyes and the political activists of different parties, in these conditions, were seen engaged in blaming one another. Political parties in some sensitive areas hurled bombs, throwing stones and turning the festoons, and placards of the opposing party. Top leaders of all parties come from either State Capital or National Capital, moving from one place to another to address people and seek support for their candidate. During this election campaign, none of the leaders gave any positive hope for employment and development. Nobody spoke about opening the closed factory, nobody uttered about setting up a new industry, and nobody committed to a generation of employment but all were praying for votes.

What all they did during this long election schedule, only to blame one with another and bring some unconstitutional remarks at each other. The political meetings, processions and road shows of VVIPs caused injury to those innocents who were on the street for their routine jobs and the daily earners losing their day's income but the leaders assessing their possibilities and saw the crowd were so happy that they even give their predictions about the number of seats they had already won in the phases for which election completed thus making unethical influence on general voters which was never seen earlier when election conducted in one day.

Already Bengal is infamous for notorious political adversity. Many lives were lost earlier during various Legislative and other local elections. Starting from intimidation to voter beating, stabbing and burning houses were a common feature in the Panchayat Election and even after declaring the result also many villages, the supporters of the losing party were driven out of their homes was a common complaint by the opposing parties. The atrocity was the daily scenario for which all parties were equally responsible for their irresponsible behaviour.

Bengal was already a sensitive state and political analysts, political maestro and election officials were very alert about the smooth election during the two-month ordeal.

Role of ECI:

This election is conducted by an independent constitutional body, known as, the Election Commission of India, who is supposed to be unbiased and look after the law and order of the country till the voting results are announced. During the election process, the entire country is being looked after by the ECI and even the State Government cannot have any say to the decision of this Constitutional Body.

The entire nation was burning with the heat wave. Temperature mounted very high and at some places breaking the century-old record. In the various parts of Bengal temperature has risen to 44 degrees Celsius and at some places even more but the enthusiasm amongst all was found like a festive mood despite some localised unrest.

Electon Festival:

The moment dates were announced all political parties came out to the street for support of their candidates. They take out processions, write graffiti on building walls, display colourful festoons and hold small street meetings to large-scale meetings. Though everybody, starting from students to daily wage earners, daily commuters getting disturbed and the strong heat wave causing difficulty even I found all the people were in a festive mood but were of the opinion that if the number of phases were less then perhaps people suffering would have been reduced because this time all public works such as Road Repairing to Give New Electrical Connection are stopped as ECI does not allow these works as because are seen as influencing element, so, ECI is strict and does not allow.

People's Mood:

On election day, everybody goes to his booth. Wait in the queue. Both male and female CISF along with State Police manage the discipline and the ECI personnel performing their assigned duty in their desk. People all along have a gay look and all are enjoying like me and Grannie with her granddaughter.

Drawbacks:

What I found is that despite people enjoying very much even they had great suffering in the extreme weather.

Many super senior citizens above 85 years like Grannie, could not get favour from ECI for to cast from home because of the complex system, so, ECI should take a look further to eliminate those bottlenecks to encourage such senior people to vote from home.

Poll phases to be reduced so that studies at schools and colleges should not suffer.

Model Code of Conduct to be revised in such a way that development work should not suffer because nowadays polls in some locality are held every year either for Parliament or for Legislative or for some local public body, thus a major time of the year development works suffer.

As the expenses for the Paramilitary force is borne by the State so deployment of such forces for a longer period put the burden on the State Exchequer, so, the number of forces and duration should be judiciously assessed otherwise burdens on local people will go on increasing.

Conclusion:

With facing so much of difficulties, the way the people of India came out together to celebrate the festival in this extreme heatwave of May and June is really praiseworthy and even turn will be more than 65.79 per cent which is recorded for this year, if the ECI and Government try to address the problems noticed so far and can make this festival more purposeful and more joyful than what it is now because this the only festival that brings unity in the country.

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