The Great Indian Family: Some Reflections

*Saumitra Mohan



We have always taken pride in our celebrated Indian family values, asserting their superiority over similar values of any other culture. In fact, asked to define the ‘Heaven’, someone defined it as a life that would include a British house, an American salary, Chinese food and Indian family. Accordingly, the hell was defined to subsume the worst from the same four cultures namely an Indian salary, a Chinese house, the British food and an American family. Whatever that is supposed to mean, the fact remains that still our Indian family system and the cognate family values are deemed to be the best, at least, when we compare them with other cultural values.

But notwithstanding many positive and wholesome attributes of our hoary family values, many negativities appear to have crept into the same over the years or have never been acknowledged to be part of our value system as they represent toouglier or seamier sides of our culture to be accepted.

Lets discuss certain aspects of our family values, which are noticed quite often but simply brushed beneath the carpet. These values have come to be associated with our day-to-day life so much that we do not even realize that many monstrosities have slowly come to imbue our family values over a period of time.

Take, for example, the ubiquitous son preference in our society, a problem also afflicting the Chinese society, which owing to its single child norm has also been facing the problem of sex selection in favour of the male children. The Son preference norm is so strong in our society that people would go to any extent to have a baby boy. If your first child is a girl, your so called well wishers around you including those in your family keep irritatingly reminding you that you should definitely have a baby boy. And many of us often yield to that pressure. That is why,a good number of the people who have a first girl child, generally have a baby boy born to them as a second child. The same is made to appear as normal delivery, but is often the result of resorting to the illegal sex selection techniques. They surreptitiously get the pre-natal tests done to ensure that they do have a baby boy.

But reverse sex selection is rarely seen i.e. those having baby boy as their first child going for sex selection to have a baby girl as their second child. The parents and our supposed near and dear ones often keep up the mental pressure in various ways us to nudge us into having a baby boy.The parents or parents-in-law often target the womenfolk i.e. the daughters or daughters in law to push for a baby boy. And the result of it all this is the skewed sex ratio we have in our society, and the same is also resulting in increased crime against women or forced bachelorhood for many men.

Another value relates to describing a good soul in our society as a ‘cow’, which often means a dumb person and this appellation is often used for our daughters in law. In our society, the dumb daughters in law who serve their in-laws without a murmur are supposed to be the best of their ilk. But educated, smart or quick-tongued daughters in law are often branded as bad specimens. When the Indian parents start the hunt for their daughters in law, they generally scout for such a dumb ‘cow’. A stereotypical ‘Bahu’ (read daughter in law) is in many cases preferred to suit their selfish interests and old age comforts rather than a human being who would be more compatible for their sons. Naturally, such arranged marriages don’t last long as they are predicated on wrong foundations.

It is people of such kind who ask forthe dreaded dowry in the name of various excuses including for securing the future of their children. However, most of them desire dowry as an insurance cover for their own old age. This applies more to the people with low self-esteem, inferiority complex or unplanned old age. That is why, the caste marriages are insisted upon because in inter-caste and inter-religious marriages, the scope for dowry is almost nil. Caste marriages and caste values are, therefore, promoted to put a premium on the marriage worthiness of the menfolk i.e. to jack up the amount of dowry.

Parochial societal notions of religion are also said to be responsible for a blinkered world-view, which together with limited education engender all wrong notions about family and culture. Ergo, universal liberal education is required to reinforce and supplement our family values.This would better equip our culture, whereof our family values are a sub-culture, to be more amenable and open to liberal values of human society and also be ready to adopt better ideas and values from other cultures. The resultant cultural fusion shall also promote better tolerance and understanding among various cultures thereby denting Samuel Huntington’s ‘Clash of Civilization’ thesis to realize Marshall McLuhan’s concept of ‘Global Village’.

Ours being a patriarchal society, the patriarchal values get so imbibed by the hoi polloi that they become their second nature. The people, of both gender, become great defender of those values. The people schooled in patriarchal values would not like more rights for women or equitable gender relations as they see the same as threats to the dominance of these values in society. The dominance of such family values after having been associated with a convoluted sense of cultural superiority work at various levels to ensure suppressing anyone and everyone who comes forward to challenge them.

Newer, liberal values are perceived as a threat to traditional values, challenging the established notions of various aspects of social life. The redoubtable mothers in law would not like their daughters in law to have more freedom or better status vis-a-vis their husbands or the family as they did not have the same available to them. So the control and restraints exercised over the daughters in law are actually psychological ventilation of delayed retribution against the society, sublimating as atrocities and churlish behavior against the younger women in the same roles.

Some parents, particularly the female one, would do anything to seek attention of their kids, often verging on histrionics to sideline their daughters in law or to keep them suitably in check. It is notable that women in classical Indian families, who are supposed to play a subdued role, come into their own as they become older with a more pronounced role than they played in their younger avatars. Some of these parents are very demanding, so much so that they would not baulk at maligning their daughters in law or playing divide and rule within the family. And all this is done to ensure their dominance or importance in the family.

Such attempts at one-upmanship also result in psychological torture or physical assaults, often reported as dowry harassment cases under 498 A of the Indian Penal Code. In many cases, such shenanigans lead to marital break-ups or dowry deaths as well. These senior family members including parents at times conspire against their own children to prove themselves right. They don’t mind going to any extent to serve their selfish interests as well represented and portrayed in many of those gooey Indian TV soaps including ‘Man Ki Awaz: Pratigya’. Sometimes the entire clan or society comes forward to support such people. It could be very well noticed in many pathological judgments and ‘honour killings’ by the clan Kangaroo Courts masquerading as Khap Panchayats in North India. These are extreme cases, but such stories in one or the other form could well be heard from different parts of our society. These discontents keep simmering all the time in many families. Various stories with poignant details are heard with sickening regularity in a good number of families. Sometimes these coolies of family values go extra mile to break and spoil all relations at the pretext of protecting their wards, which is actually an extension of their own selfish interests.

One another deemed reason for the recurrence of such incidents is said to be non-engagement of some of these people including parents with some productive and ego-satisfying work. As they retire from work or from the active family life, most of these parents stop doing anything or stop reading some intellectually rejuvenating literature resulting in development of a stunted world-view. The same also engenders an inferiority complex resulting in their over-demanding and nagging nature. In their bids to seek attention and importance, they talk nonsense or do such hateful things, which often leads to family discords.

The perception of being neglected forces them to do such things as spoils the healthy atmosphere inside a family thereby making it difficult for many to continue as part of the joint family. Many parents obstruct the marriage of their children to the person of their choice, a la Rizwanur Rahman and Priyanka Todi, resulting in all sorts of problems including dowry deaths, marital atrocities, wife battery and what not leading to broken marriages and broken families. Hence, the breakdown of our celebrated joint family system.

The pathologies of Indian family system shall take a while to go. However, one does feel that these are transitional problems which shall go as Gen X pass on the baton to the next generation as they would be better educated and better equipped to be tied down with the moth-balled values. Hence, healthy relationship within and without family is expected once such people are in charge of our families. However, in the meantime we have to ensure better universal education imbued with liberal values as ought to be practiced in a futuristic society. There is need for a conscious attempt at promoting such humane values as ought to be germane to a modern, liberal society.

*The views expressed are personal and don’t reflect those of the Government.

Refashioning Our Literacy Programme


Saumitra Mohan



It was John Stuart Mills who had once said that you can not hope to be a great society if the members of your society continue to be dwarfs with no qualities and character. And education, both formal and informal, definitely does that remarkable value addition as is required in this age for the multi-dimensional development of a society. That’s why, every welfare state infused with the ethos of a liberal democracy makes all possible endeavours and essays towards provisioning elaborate arrangements for developing the human resources of their citizenry today. This effort is undertaken to make such societies as egalitarian as possible, without any traces of stratified inequalities. And one key measure of the exercise of human resource development is promotion of literacy among all members of the society with an emphasis on the three ‘R’ i.e. reading, (w)riting and (a)rithmatics.

While in 1971, the percentage of literacy was 22 among women, it was around 46 per cent among men. The figures improved to 39 and 64 per cent respectively among the two gender categories by 1991. And if the latest Census data, as published in April, 2011, are to be believed, the number of people who can read and write in India today is around 74 per cent, with male literacy being 82 per cent and female literacy being 65 per cent.

The Government of India, in keeping with the ‘Directive Principles of State Policy’ as enshrined in Part IV of the Constitution of India, has been formulating customised programmes for various sections of our society to increase the level of literacy in our country. The Government of India in coordination with all the state governments have been conceiving and executing ambitious literacy programmes to take Indian citizenry out of the darkness of illiteracy and ignorance. All these plans have been implemented in synergy and synchrony with the cognate programmes of the state governments with varied success. But notwithstanding all these herculean efforts over the years involving substantive public expenditure, a substantial number of our populace continue to be illiterates.

Be it the National Policy on Education through its various avatars in 1968, 1979,r 1986, 1991 or 2001, the Farmers’ Functional Literacy Projects during the heyday of the Green Revolution during the 1960s and 1970s, the Non-Formal Education for Youth in 1975, the National Adult Education Programme in 1978, the Rural Functional Literacy Project in 1978, the National Literacy Mission as started in 1988, the Continuing Education Programme through the first decade of the new millennium, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan or the extant Sakhshar Bharat Programme, the Government of India has always made concentrated efforts to promote the level of literacy in the country with suitable introduction of changes from time to time as required for the purpose. There have also been popular movements in this sphere duly supported by various Governments and non-government organisations, particularly the literacy movements, noticed in the 1990s, resulting in many districts of our country attaining 100 per cent literacy levels. Ernakulum in Kerala and Burdwan in West Bengal were the first and second such districts to achieve this feat in the country. However, the positive streak and motivation marking our society are no longer visible.

The latest avatar in the form of ‘Sakhshar Bharat’ has also been making steady headway in this direction. However, being associated with various literacy programmes in various capacities, one feels that a Government programme in this sphere would not cut much ice as long as society is not associated therewith. Ergo, the ‘Sakhshar Bharat’ focus on the involvement of the civil society through the instrumentality of voluntary teachers (VT) is very well taken. However, one also feels that this focus needs reorientation to be more effective and successful. As it is very difficult to find motivated volunteers, suffused with an altruistic sense of service, who would serve gratis as voluntary teachers, the new literacy programme is running in fits and starts, thereby running into executional bottlenecks. The huge programme funds, because of non-involvement of motivated volunteers, also seem not to be producing requisite output in proportionate to the financial inputs.

The empirical insights, gained through literacy programme implementation, motivate one to broach an ideational reform in the conception and execution of literacy programmes. One firmly believes that, if rightly implemented and followed through, the same would also result not only in saving huge amount of public money, but shall also make our society better in terms of quality and character. The previous and present avatars of literacy programmes conceive of a huge army of specialised manpower yoked to the task of literacy promotion and the same involved huge government spending to boot. The following proposal shall make use of the already existing structures in the cause of literacy promotion and consequent human resource development.

The proposal involves implementing literacy programmes through our school and college kids in keeping with our literacy slogan of yesteryears i.e. ‘each one teach one (sic)’. While the modality and finer details of actual programme implementation are subject to further debate and discussion, one does feel that involvement of our school and college kids can revolutionise and completely transform the literacy scenario in the country. To start with, the school and higher education departments of respective state governments should make it compulsory for the high school and college youths to participate in a literacy programme. The responsibilities of these youths under able guidance of their teachers could range from organising these literacy camps/classes to teaching the learners themselves.

A school or a college could act as the programme implementation unit (PMU) in their respective bailiwicks. The various funding to the educational institutions including those meant for the literacy programmes could be allotted to such schools/colleges in proportion to their overall performance, to be measured by the parameters set for the purpose. The literacy component could be one of the key factors in such evaluations. The motivation for the school/college kids shall be specially earmarked scores to be awarded to them in keeping with their performance by the teacher/faculty assigned for the purpose of such evaluation. Such scores shall be added to the overall academic performance of these kids. The arrangement of awarding special marks for participation in literacy programme shall not only motivate our youths to participate in a socially productive programme, but shall also make them a responsible citizen. Such a move shall also sensitize them to the sundry problems afflicting our society

There shall also be no need to create or hire additional space for running these literacy camps/classes as the same shall be run at the premises of respective schools or colleges. The involvement of our youths in a community building exercise shall be an enriching and enlightening experience for them which shall also help the cause of ‘nation building’, promoting national feeling among them in a society under attacks from different fissiparous and reactionary forces. This shall also encourage a positive competition among various schools and colleges towards excellence.

With right mentoring, their positive energies shall be channelled properly in strengthening the pillars of our body politic. If implemented in right earnest, the scheme of things as proposed above, is cinch to be a success with little need to spend even a dime. However, the proposal does not mean that all other ways to involve the civil society in such an exercise should not be tried. The above proposal is only one of the very effective ways to involve them. If carried out effectively with suitable monitoring and supervision, such a programme shall definitely be more effective with least of leakage or wastage of resources. It shall also be one of the effective ways to reap our famed demographic dividends.

Sainthia Train Accident - A Case Study in Disaster Management


Dr. Saumitra Mohan





Disasters keep happening and they happen anywhere in the world and when they happen, there is no prior information. They just happen and then have demands over human faculties of management and coordination to tackle the same. So, once has to anticipate them and be prepared for them in advance. That is what disaster management is all about. Today, disaster management has been perfected as an art by many countries and that is why we often witness clinical rescue and relief operations in many of the disasters. India is slowly joining this elite club with a National Disaster Management Policy and Plan being in place. Today, almost all the government departments, particularly all the district administration across the country have their own disaster management plan in place, something that has proved to be of great help. The disaster management plan and corresponding logistics mechanism in Birbhum district was also of great help when a train accident struck in the dead of the night.

This train accident took place at Sainthia Railway Station (under Sainthia PS of Suri Sadar Sub-Division) on 19/07 2010 at 2.05 a.m. due to collision between 3404 DN Bananchal Express and 3148 DN Uttarbanga Express. As it transpired, the engine of 3148 DN Uttarbanga Express collided and rammed into the rear of the 3404 DN Bananchal Exp, which at the time of the collision was still stationed at platform no. four at Sainthia Railway Station.

Immediately on receipt of the news of the accident, the police mobile van of the local police station reached the spot at 2.25 a.m. The officials belonging to the district and police administration, including myself and SP Birbhum rushed to the spot. We reached the accident site by 3 a.m. along with a big rescue and relief team comprising civil defence volunteers, medical teams, ambulances, big vehicles, dead body carriers, casual labourers, more police forces and fire brigade among others. We started our rescue operations immediately. It was revealed that the last two compartments of 3404 DN Bananchal Exp. were severely damaged and mangled as a result of the accident. The existence of a Disaster Management Plan with the names and contact numbers of all those concerned including the list of ambulances and NGOs proved to be of a great help in mobilization of the entire disaster management team at a short notice.

We could also contact and mobilize a large number of local volunteers belonging to different clubs and NGOs who also assisted us in the rescue operations. Some of them helped us with the relief works at the Hospital as well. More than 50 Ambulances were sent to the accident spot from all corners of the district and the injured, after being rescued, were brought to Suri Sadar hospital. The bodies of the dead passengers were also brought to the morgue of Suri Sadar Hospital. Gas cutters from nearby workshops were also brought in to be used in the rescue operation. And with the help of these cutters, a number of bodies entangled and trapped inside the mangled compartments were taken out. Civil and police administration, with the help of the local people, managed to rescue all the injured passengers by 7 a.m. in the morning.

A total of 96 injured passengers and dead bodies of 61 persons were brought to Suri Sadar Hospital. 54 injured passengers were referred to Bardhaman Medical College Hospital as their condition was found to be critically serious. The others were provided treatment at Suri. New clothes were also provided to all of them. Those in position to talk and having contact numbers of their relatives were helped to contact their relatives in their respective places. Later, two of the referred passengers died at Bardhaman Medical College Hospital, taking the final death toll to 63. It was timely and proper medical attention which kept death toll figures in check. Considering the inadequate arrangement at Suri Sadar Hospital for storing such large number of dead bodies, the district administration, to prevent decomposition of the corpses, immediately arranged for large quantity of ice from all over the district and even from places outside the district like Kandi (Murshidabad) and Asansol (Burdwan) to have in place improvised morgues within the Hospital premises.

Presuming there might be need for more blood later and since we were not sure as to how much units of blood we might need, we immediately contacted and arranged for sufficient blood from the neighbouring hospitals in and around the districts. We also had blood donation camps organized on the morning of the accident to collect more blood. Besides, we had with us the names of over three hundred volunteers ready to donate blood as and when demanded. By the time the injured were brought to the Hospital, we actually had excess blood.

A help line was opened within the hospital premises since 7 a.m. on the same day i.e. 19th July, 2010. The relatives and friends of the injured and dead who arrived at Suri Sadar Hospital since the occurrence of the accident were provided with all kinds of assistance. A round-the-clock Assistance Booth was opened at the Suri Sadar Hospital along with the photographs of the dead and injured passengers to help the relatives identify their near and dear ones, something which worked very well. We could also rope in the local and regional media houses to flash these photos on their TV screens to help the families of the affected passengers. The management of Hospital activities involved with the relief was closely supervised and monitored leading to the best results.

Doctors from other Govt. hospitals in and around districts also assisted in treating the injured and in conducting PM inspections. As per instruction received from the Department of Health and Family Welfare Deptt, some 20 dead bodies were sent to BMCH, Bardhaman the next day for proper preservation, DNA testing and post-mortem (PM). These bodies were also identified and released to the relatives as they arrived. As both the Indian Railways and the Government of West Bengal had announced various benefits to the injured and dead passengers including financial grants and jobs, it was necessary to ensure that the bodies were released to right persons to avoid any complications, noting down the names, contact number and addresses of all the relatives who came down to have the bodies released to them. Almost all the dead bodies were identified by their near relatives and after conducting of PM inspection, all these dead bodies, respectfully wrapped in body bags and coffins, were handed over to them. The arrangements for short stay and dead passengers as and when requested by them. The dead bodies were carefully handed over to the identified and confirmed families of the deceased after receiving proper details and confirmation about the relationship for future reference relating to compensation and other requirements.

The district administration also provided vehicles, when demanded, to the relatives of the dead and injured passengers so that they could carry the bodies to their respective places (Kolkata, Bhagalpur, Sahebganj, Godda et al in West Bengal or neighbouring Jharkhand) for disposal or for treatment.

The entire operation lasted barely three days and it was the first day which was more exacting and demanding in terms of the logistics required. And even on the first day, it was the first few hours which were more crucial. After we could mobile all the concerned people and departments in time, everything fell in place. There was also a 'Planning Group' working during the entire rescue and relief operation which was always thinking hard as to what to do next to make the operation better and then there a 'Core Executing Group' which translated the thinking into action.

But one does feel the need to beef up the disaster inventory i.e. the need to have customized stocks for every envisaged calamity and disaster so as to preempt the need to look for the same in need of hour. Our learnings from the Sainthia Train Accident amply prove the need for an effective disaster management plan and its efficient execution. In this case, the existence of a good information and communication plan did wonders and one is sure, shall remain a key to the success of any such disaster management.

Rediscovering The Import of Human Ontology


*Saumitra Mohan



The human society has come eerily long way in its march to material progress, much ahead of the times when man used to live in the Hobbesian state of nature with his life being ,’nasty, brutish, poor and short’. Man’s insatiable desire to make his life more comfortable has seen the rapid inventions and discoveries of newer things. But notwithstanding all this progress have we, as human beings, really learnt to live a life of comfort and dignity? Human endeavours fuelled by unrestrained curiosities and desires have been unravelling mysteries of the universe and have also been successful in conquering the various elements of nature. With man scaling newer heights of progress and dreaming to colonise celestial bodies and with people like Stephen Hawking visualizing man’s journey into future, are we really satisfied with what we have? One is reminded of Jean Jacques Rousseau’s ruminations and commentaries on human life.

In the “Discourse on the Origin and Foundation of Inequality”, Rousseau described as to how ‘man was living in a past golden age, prompted by conscience, not yet led astray by the harlotries of reason, uncorrupted by that perennial propagator of evil…that great deformer of man which calls itself society’. He speaks as to how man’s self-love creates imaginary and utterly insatiable needs which are so incompatible with man’s instincts of sympathy. Today, we might have made our lives much more comfortable, but with every new discovery and ever new invention, our simple, unsullied and sublime life has become more and more complicated. While all these discoveries and inventions are intended at creating more happiness and comfort for the human beings, the fact remains that our lives have actually become more wretched and unhappy than we ever were. It is this phenomenon that people like Karl Marx, Herbert Marcuse and Louis Althusser have theorised as ‘alienation’. They have talked of man having become lost in his self-created developmental maze. Today, man has got so alienated that the real happiness of life has been eluding him for quite some time now.

The Hindu philosophy has long philosophised about the theory of Karma, as enunciated in The Gita whereby one is supposed to keep on doing one’s Karma without any expectations. But we have all been doing exactly the opposite. Man’s thirst for more and more carnal comforts has so dehumanised and alienated him that he has ceased to be a human being at all. Human beings have created societies, states, boundaries, communities, castes, religions, education systems, languages, monetary systems, hierarchies, multiple cultures and what not. And today, man is busy managing the multiple contradictions and paradoxes emanating as a result thereof. We live each day of our life vying for more land, more money, more power and more status, something that we have ourselves created and something which we shall live behind once we complete our transient stint on this Blue Planet. We lose our happiness and comfort in the bargain for whose realisation we cherish those worldly possessions. This is what has been described as the ‘Maya’ in Hindu mythology.

While Rousseau appeared to be at another extreme when he assailed the society (or what Sigmund Freud called ‘Superego’) for artificially creating so many fetters for human freedom, but he forgets that but for those reasonable restraints, human life would have continued to remain ‘nasty, brutish, poor and short’ as Thomas Hobbes referred to life in the state of nature. However, this is also true that humans have increasingly been making their life increasingly more complex. While human craving to make his life more comfortable by way of newer scientific inventions and newer discoveries is very much in sync with his instincts to realise the real evolutionary potential pregnant in nature, still there are many things which have become anachronistic with the march of time and should cease to exist at the earliest possible. One does get a feeling that human emphases have wrongly been on arrogant acquisitions and misplaced pleasures which believe more in snatching and taking than in giving and sharing. We have given too much importance to status and ersatz divisions among humans leading to constant strife and hatred in the society. The result has been the evaporation of the human feelings of shared happiness and corporate living. The delights of empathetic philanthropy and compassion don’t inform our behaviour anymore.

Different cultures, languages, religions, mores, rituals and societies developed because they developed in isolation from each others in different geographical locations. Humans lived separately from each others in different parts of the world without knowing that there might exist any other society similar to them, as we exist in this universe in the sublime belief that we might be the only living planet in the cosmos. So, because of this segregated development of different human communities, we developed different languages to communicate with each other, different religions and culture to regulate our social life and different states to promise a safe and secure life. May be that is how the destiny willed it. After all, all these varieties add colours to our life and make it more pulsating. But how can we justify the insular feelings stemming from these parochial creations. Today, we as a human being, may not be interested in jingoistic patriotism or linguistic chauvinism, but we are supposed to be swayed by the politics informing these notions. Why can’t we just enjoy our life just as a human being without being encumbered by the restrictions or the simulated notions of communalism or nationalism? Why can’t we decide to live anywhere, go anywhere and do anything as long as we don’t impinge or hurt the sovereignty of another homo sapien? This is more so when we know jolly well that our sojourn on this earth is transitory and ephemeral.

While answering the Yaksha’s question about the ‘greatest irony of life’, Yuthisthir, a character in Indian mythology, had famously said that notwithstanding the fact that every human being knows that he is going to die one day, he lives as if he would never die. Really, many of us live as if we are never going to die while most of us die as if we never lived. Many thinkers do detest the baloney of human life which forces a man to live a full cycle of his life desiring newer acquisitions and trying to attain the same at any cost, compromising the quality and peace of life and eventually kicking the bucket leaving them all behind. The man would not baulk at hurting others, snatching from others or conspiring against others in his bid to get ahead in life without thinking for a moment as to what he is losing in the bargain. The man loses a righteous life, a life full of sublime happiness and a life characterised by the values of sharing and caring, something which distinguishes him from other creatures of nature.

Almost all of us develop lifestyle and habits that please our senses, and most of the time we are slovenly happy without any concern for anyone. In fact, some also believe that if we really start caring for others or start getting perturbed with others’ sorrow, we would make our life hell. Not really. Sometimes even others problems, if left unresolved, may affect our own life very negatively, bringing us ruin. Many of us who have ordinary comforts of life available to them forget very easily that we are actually God’s chosen ones whom His Almighty has entrusted with the onus of taking care of the uncared and neglected millions on this planet. Just imagine. We might have been in their places, not having all that we have today. Whatever status or possessions we have is by an accident which could have been different or could be different in our next lives. By not doing our duties honestly and responsibly and by not being moved by fellow human beings’ troubles, we are actually breaching the trust reposed in us by the destiny.

If we notice carefully, then we would find that the world is actually moving with us or moving around us or is actually fixated on us. Has any of us ever thought as to why does this happen? Despite the universe being so huge and there being so many characters and players therein, why is it that the world seem to be fixated on us? As if God were constantly watching us through his spy camera. Why it is not focused elsewhere? This really needs to be followed very closely. This very fact should make us realize that the God has really assigned each of us a separate role on this world stage and all of us are there to play a particular role.



Now, what role do we choose for our self is something that totally depends on us? We wish to play a negative or a positive role is something that we have to choose. But one thing is clear. We definitely deserve and need to lead a life which is superior to the animal life. The life of an animal/a beast does not go beyond the pleasures of the flesh, including eating, drinking, defecating and procreating. God has endowed the human beings with the capacity to think and create. That is why, humans have not only won and survived the existential race, but also dominate the forces of nature, proving their superiority thereby. But we definitely can do much better than we have done so far. While we judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, the others always judge us by what we have already done.



We should never forget the eternal truth that this human existence is ephemeral and transient. All the worldly possessions, we keep fighting about thereby debasing our humanity, are finally to be left behind in this mortal world only. The only thing that survives us and lives forever is our good deeds, our good name and fame. What matters most in life is not what we do for ourselves, but what we do for others. And believe me by doing good to others, we actually do good to ourselves. After all, the good name and fame earned are definitely and solely ours and would survive us even after we depart from the world stage. All the great men we remember is because of what they have done for the others and for the society and not for what they did for themselves and their families. So, let’s make an essay to rediscover our true self and live a life that we ought to live as a human being.

*Saumitra Mohan is an IAS officer working as the District Magistrate and Collector, Birbhum. The views expressed are his own and don’t reflect those of the Government.

To, All Returning Officers, SDOs, ADM/OC/BDOs/staff members Counting Cell

Dear Colleagues,

After having completed a very peaceful and successful election on 23rd April, 2011, we need to focus ourselves immediately on the final leg of the election process i.e. the counting of polled EVMs on 13th May, 2011. While one is sure that you shall accomplish this job also as well as you have done in the past, I just thought to bring the following to your notice for refreshing your memory:



Basic Preparations in the run-up to Counting:

1. ROs/AROs shall check for themselves the arrangements in their respective Counting Halls including PA system, computer, lighting, materials and electric connection.

2. AROs shall familiarize themselves with their counting personnel and verify with them any matter deemed necessary for the conduct of smooth counting process.

3. SDOs shall also coordinate with various Cell-In-charges including those relating to Media Cell, Data Transmission Cell, Nazareth, Material Cell and Control Room for better coordination and optimum output.

4. Statutory Cell shall prepare a ‘Key Person-wise Duty Chart’ (as illustrated below) for convenience.

5. There shall be a Black/White Board in all halls.

6. Meeting with political parties, police and key counting personnel shall be held at SDO levels.

7. Training for counting personnel and Micro Observers should be carefully planned and completed well in advance.

8. Counting details including the number of halls, tables and counting personnel shall be shared with the political parties during meeting with them. A copy of the arrangement could be supplied, if demanded.

9. Counting of all Postal Ballots meant for each AC is to be done in a single Hall

10. Media Cell shall be equipped with a TV with cable connection, a PA system, telephone and fax. Adequate seating arrangements for media persons shall be there.

11. Permitted media-men with identity cards to be allowed inside the Counting Hall in small batches to take photographs of the proceedings inside the hall. DICO/SDICO shall personally accompany them during such visits. However, there shall not be any camera/video camera with pedestals/tripod/fixed stands.

12. There shall be CCTV in each Counting Hall with a common Control Room with monitors to watch the proceedings in all the counting halls.

13. Videography shall be done of the entire counting process including that of opening and closing of the Strong Rooms.

14. There shall be arrangements for generators as additional power back-up with electrician/mechanic being there in the premises during the entire process of counting.

15. Fire Tender shall be requisitioned in advance for being stationed in the counting premises.

16. PA system inside the halls shall be so arranged so that one mike addresses people inside the hall while the other addresses the people outside the hall, as far as the booths of the political parties and Media Cell.

17. RO shall announce results himself using the PA system at the end of every round.

18. The Communication Cell shall be readied in advance for transmission of round-wise results to CEO Office and ECI as per instructions.

19. There shall be specified persons who shall act as go-between for immediate compilation and communication of the results.

20. Medical Unit shall be there at every counting venue for provisioning of any emergent service.

21. Randomization of counting personnel to specific counting tables should be done at 5 a.m. on the dot in presence of Hon’ble Observers. The same could be done manually or through computer software. The entire process should be videographed.

22. The officials, who have not been assigned any table, would form a reserve pool.

23. Reserve Counting Personnel should be at pre-decided space and should not move till the end of counting process.

24. Appointment letter and identity cards should be issued to all counting personnel including Counting Supervisors, Assistant Counting Supervisors, contingent menials, Group ‘D’ staff, Micro Observers and one Additional Counting Assistant for Hon’ble Observers.

25. The Returning Officers shall ensure that all statutory reports are timely sent. Advance preparations shall be made in this regards.

26. Certificate of Election shall be prepared and issued by the District Election Cell for uniformity and conformity.

27. Communication and Transmission Cell shall be properly equipped and trained for timely transmission of all requisite information and reports.

28. The table-wise result shall be countersigned by the Hon’ble Observer before announced by RO/ARO.

29. There shall be dedicated personnel for SMS communication with CEO Office.

30. Counting Kits to be procured in advance and placed on counting table on the day prior to actual counting.

31. Pigeon Holes for postal ballot counting should also be arranged and put in place.

32. Vehicle Permits for counting hall entry should be issued in advance and a list of such permits should be handed over to the police for checking the same.

33. The issues relating to counting personnel randomization, random checking of EVMs, Micro Observer assistance and randomization of staff to assist Hon’ble Observer, Strong Room opening, two additional representative of political parties to be allowed for making food arrangements, mobile use restrictions and such other issues should sorted out with Hon’ble Observers in advance.

34. There shall be a separate arrangement for the counting of postal ballots. The candidates/their Election Agents shall be advised to nominate a separate counting agent.

35. One ARO shall be dedicated to handle the postal ballot counting. The Observer and RO should closely monitor the counting of postal ballots and EVMs simultaneously.

36. Before finalizing the tally of postal ballot counting, the RO shall personally verify the invalid and rejected postal ballots and also verify candidate-wise tally.

37. In case, the victory is being decided only on account of postal ballot counting, there should be a mandatory re-verification of postal ballot counting in presence of Hon’ble Observer and RO.

38. Whenever such r e-verification/re-counting is done, the entire proceeding should be videographed without compromising the secrecy of ballot and the video cassettes/CD should be sealed in a separate envelope for future reference.



Things to Remember on the Day of Counting:

39. Attendance Counters on the day of counting should be adequate in number and suitably manned.

40. There shall be a Display Board with Hall-wise duty chart for counting personnel.

41. The Counting Staff shall have their tiffin outside the Counting Hall in the morning itself before entering the Counting Hall.

42. None shall be allowed to carry food or any beverages inside the Counting Hall.

43. Part II of Form 17-C shall be signed by all concerned including counting agents and counting supervisor after tallying.

44. Signatures of counting agents shall be obtained on round-wise proceedings as drawn for the purpose.

45. Secrecy of Vote shall be maintained and Oath of Secrecy to this effect shall be administered to all before start of counting.

46. 630 a.m shall be the reporting time for all the counting personnel and officers.

47. The Hall-in-Charge shall take his/her seat at 7 a.m in the morning and ensure that other personnel have also entered the Hall.

48. The Counting Supervisor should check their counting materials as per the check-list given.

49. The postal ballots should reach ARO I/C at 7.30 who should start sorting them right away.

50. The opening of Strong Room for taking out postal ballots should also be informed to all concerned in advance.

51. The EVM Strong Room shall be opened at 7 a.m in the morning and EVMs should reach destined halls by 7.40 a.m sharp and EVM for a table should be ready for counting by 8 a.m sharp.

52. Postal Ballot, as usual, shall be taken up first for the counting.

53. EVMs shall be counted after immediately after the postal ballot counting is taken up.

54. List of round-wise EVMs should be with the ARO concerned.

55. There shall be a dedicated official who shall work as a Floor Supervisor and shall monitor the movement of EVMs and supply of 17-C, PRO Diary and Declaration.

56. One officer shall be in-charge of statutory report returns and shall also coordinate with the District Control Room.

57. The Observer shall randomly pick up any of the counted Control Units for checking results.

58. There shall be some randomly selected staff from the Reserve Pool for assisting Hon’ble Observers.

59. Counting Officials/Agents should be pre-informed about parallel checking of two EVMs from every round by Hon’ble Observers.





Strong Room and Sealing:

60. The opening of Strong Room for taking postal ballots should also be informed to all concerned in advance.

61. The EVM Strong Room shall be entered 7 a.m in the morning and EVMs should reach destined halls by 7.40 a.m sharp and EVM for a table should be ready for counting by 8 a.m sharp.

62. Strong Rooms should be properly barricaded to preempt any direct access to the same.

1The candidate, his election agent or authorised representative could be present during the opening/closing of the EVM/Postal Ballot Strong Room and can put their signatures/seal on the sealing material.

63. The Log Book for the Strong Room shall be maintained for movement of EVMs within and without the Strong Room.

64. Sealing of EVMs and other election papers shall continue as the EVMs are counted at the place earmarked for the purpose.

65. Sealing process shall also be videographed.

66. Political parties’ or candidates’ representative shall be allowed to put their seal or signatures.

67. Proceedings of the sealing process shall be made as per standard format.

68. Sealing Agents shall also be there as per instructions.

69. Secret seal shall be put on inside stuff and RO seal shall be there on the outside of trunks.



Security Arrangements for Counting:



1. Utmost order and peace shall be maintained inside and outside the Counting Premises.

2. The entire counting premises should be suitably sanitized.

3. No mobile phone, cigarettes, lighter et al shall be allowed inside the Counting Premises. Arrangements for deposit of such personal effects against token shall be made at the entrance.

4. A senior Executive Magistrate shall be posted at the entrance to identify the staff and officers.

5. Vehicles of only pre-decided officers shall be allowed inside the counting premises

6. A senior police officer shall be in-charge of overall maintenance of law and order within and without the premises. All aspects of security should be checked and verified.

7. The identity cards of all officer and staff members/counting personnel should be carefully checked.

8. Crowd Management outside the Counting Premises should be carefully planned.

9. Booths of principal parties/candidates should be suitably located at a safe distance from each other.

10. Three-tier cordoning system of security should be in place.

11. First Cordon should be meant for checking Photo Identity Cards and proper frisking. Only female constables shall frisk female counting personnel or counting agents.

12. Second and Third Cordons checking should be carefully executed. There shall be no frisking at this level unless felt otherwise.

13. People allowed in Counting Hall include Hon’ble Observers, district election officials and counting personnel with proper identity cards other than police, Micro Observers, Counting Supervisors, Assistant Counting Supervisors, Candidates, Election Agents and Counting Agents.

14. Police officials shall not enter the Counting Halls unless and until called in for assistance.

15. Counting Agents/Election Agents shall be allowed entry only if they produce the second copy of the Appointment Letter after duly completing and signing the declaration contained therein under RO authority.

16. The Counting Premises shall be a ‘No Smoking Zone’.

17. None other than Hon’ble Observers, DEO, RO and AROs shall be allowed to carry their mobile phones inside the counting premises. However, the mobile phones shall not be allowed to be used inside the Counting Hall.

18. Police shall ensure against loitering inside the Counting Premises.

19. Utmost discipline and vigil shall be maintained inside the premises.

20. Proper prior planning and security arrangements shall be made to tackle unforeseen law and order problems in the aftermath of declaration of results. Utmost vigil shall be maintained during the victory processions/rallies of candidates/parties.

21. Vehicle checking for transportation of arms, liquor and cash shall be thoroughly done in the run upto and till the day of counting.

22. A close watch shall be maintained over the activities outside the Counting Premises.





Counting Agents:

1There can be one counting agent appointed by the candidate or his/her election agent for each table.

70. Appointment Letter to the Counting Agent is to be given in Form-18.

71. Identity Cards shall be issued by RO on receipt of names of counting agents along with two stamp size photographs by 10th May, 2011.

72. There could be one counting agent for each ARO’s table as well.

73. Each counting agent shall have a badge indicating the name of the candidate, table number along with counting agent’s full signature.

74. Seating Arrangements for Counting Agents shall have the following order: Recognised National Party-Recognised State Party-Recognised State Party of Other States permitted reserved symbols-Registered Unrecognized Party-Independents.

75. Candidates or his/her election agents are free to move around inside the Hall.





Random Checking of EVM by Hon’ble Observer:

1. There would be a random checking of counted EVM by the Hon’ble Observer.

2. The staff to assist the Hon’ble Observer for this cross-checking would be randomly selected from the Reserve Pool.

3. The Additional Staff who will be randomly deployed by the Observer would be sitting at each of the 14 counting tables. They will be provided with an identity card by the DEO.

4. At the closure of each round, Hon’ble Observer would randomly select any two EVM control units from amongst the Control Units of the concerned round which have been counted.

5. He would then direct the counting staff, specially deployed for this purpose, to independently note down from the control units so selected, the details of the votes polled as indicated by the machine.

6. This Additional Staff shall note down the details of votes exhibited by the EVMs being counted in each round in that table.

7. He will be provided with a pre-printed statement on which there will be space for noting down the CU number, Round number, Table Number, PS number and thereafter the names of all the contesting candidates as they appear in the ballot paper.

8. These details would then be compared with the details provided by the officials in the table-wise result to check for any discrepancy between the two.

9. Care must be taken to ensure that the staff assigned for random checking is not aware of the details provided in the table-wise result.

10. Any staff who is found to have wrongly noted the counting result would be taken off and replaced by another set of staff. Severe disciplinary action should then follow on the erring staff for their willful omissions and commissions.

11. They will put their signature at the end of the statement and shall hand over the statement to the Hon’ble Observer after each round.

12. The Observer/RO will cross-check the figures noted in Part-II of Form 17C as submitted by the counting staff with the additional statement submitted by the additional staff.



Instructions to the Counting Supervisor and Assistant Counting Supervisor:

1. Check polling station number of EVM given along with the flow chart given.

2. Open the case after breaking seal by a sharpener/blade.

3. Show the address tag of EVM to the counting agents.

4. Show the strip seal and open it.

5. Show the paper seal number to agents and allow them to compare.

6. Tear the green paper seal in a manner so that the paper seal number is preserved.

7. Switch on the Control Unit.

8. Press Result-1.

9. Display unit of CU will show result.

10. Part-II of Form 17-C is to be filled up accordingly.

11. In case of discrepancy, if any, the same is to be noted in Part-II of Form 17C.

12. Part-II of Form 17C is to be signed by both the supervisors and agents at counting table.

13. Fill up From A with 17C very carefully, repeat, very carefully.

14. Sending of filled up 17C and Form A to ARO’s table immediately.

15. Ask the ARO to provide the CU of EVM meant for his table for next round.

16. Carry on this system till the last round in his table is completed.

17. Draw the proceedings as per format be given by ARO.





Immediately After Completion of Detailed Counting, RO shall ensure:





i) Preparation of Final Result Sheet in Form-20

ii) Dispatch of one original hard copy and one soft copy of Form-20 to CEO by Special Messenger on 14th May, 2011.

iii) Declaration of Result in Form 21D. One copy (original) of signed 21D to be sent immediately to :

a) E.C.I

b) Union Ministry of Law & Justice

c) The Chief Secretary of Government of West Bengal

d) The Secretary to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly



Two copies (original) 21D to be sent to CEO on 14th May, 2011 by Special Messenger.



iv) One copy (original) Form-21E to be sent to :

a) E.C.I

b) Secretary to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly



Two copies (original) 21E to be sent to CEO on 14th May, 2011 by Special Messenger.







Remember full name of the party must be written in party affiliation column of Form-21E







v) After declaration of election result, following documents are to be sent to CEO:



a) Report on the election by Returning Officer (two-copies)

b) Check Memo (original) ( one copy)

c) One copy of certificate of election (Form-22)

d) Check slip (original) (one copy) for notification

e) Two unused ballot papers (with the words “Cancelled for record in the ECI) written on reverse side of each ballot paper under the seal and signature of Returning Officer).

The above salient points are only illustrative and shall be read with in any other supplementary and subsequent orders issued in this regard by the Election Commission of India.

With best wishes,
Dr. Saumitra Mohan, IAS,

(District Magistrate and District Election Officer, Birbhum).