Promoting Voters’ Education and Elector Participation: Initiatives at Birbhum

By Saumitra Mohan.

As the District Election Officer, the undersigned had a very satisfying stint at Birbhum. As far as management of West Bengal Assembly Election 2011 is concerned, it is said to have turned out one of the most peaceful and orderly elections in the electoral history of this district. The media reports, feedback from various political party functionaries and common people attest to this fact. The same was made possible due to many innovative steps taken by us at Birbhum. Everyone else associated with the management and conduct of election in the district chipped in to support and strengthen the entire exercise. As a student of Humanities from Jawaharlal Nehru University and as someone who has been associated with the conduct of the Parliamentary, Assembly, Municipal and Panchayat elections for quite some time, one always knew that Voters’ awareness and familiarity with the election process and his/her confidence in the fairness of the entire process is a key to the success of the entire exercise.

The need for the same was doubly felt given the surcharged atmosphere preceding the multi-phase Assembly elections in the state where stakes were quite high for all concerned. Hence, right from the beginning our focus was on Voters’ Education and Elector Participation (VEEP). To realize the same, we made a multi-pronged strategy and a foolproof plan for ensuring maximum elector participation predicated on sound voter education. The methodologies adopted by Birbhum were appreciated many times during the multiple meetings taken by the Election Commission of India and Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal preceding the actual election, many of them followed and replicated in other districts as well.

To begin with, we took care to apportion the work among carefully drafted senior officials who were all entrusted with various tasks. We took care to ensure that a particular task was assigned as to the qualification, experience and interest of the officer and staff members concerned. This was important because we wanted to ensure that the basic preparations and groundwork were properly done to realize the objectives as mentioned above. We had preliminary meetings with all the officials concerned at all levels including Returning Officers, Assistant Returning Officers, Block Development Officers, Deputy Magistrates, Sub Divisional Officers, Additional District Magistrates, Designated Officers and Booth Level Officers, not to speak of an army of Group ‘C’ and D’ staff members whose roles were equally crucial in the entire exercise. These meetings provided excellent opportunity to explain specific role to each and every person involved during various stages preceding the actual election. This was followed by a carefully designed training module and calendar for training each and every person involved in the process.

Education, awareness and training of these officials were important as voter awareness and participation depended on an efficient and effective role played by these persons in various capacities. Multi-media tools including frequent video conferencing, power point presentation, demonstration of various processes by Master Trainers, hands-on training and customized reading materials were harnessed for the training purposes to the best effect as borne out by huge elector turnout at the hustings. One of the major ways to ensure wide electoral participation was a clean and inclusive electoral roll as borne out by the fact that in Birbhum, our EPIC percentage was over 99 per cent (which was around 94 per cent at the time of my joining the district), itself a positive sign of better electoral awareness which in turn was an outcome of a hard ground-work. Now the challenge before us was to ensure their actual coming forward to exercise their franchise. For this, all the senior Group A officers, as already mentioned above, along with their counterparts from police, as part of our confidence building measures, made more than 900 visits to different parts of the district, most of them sensitive and vulnerable pockets, to freely interact with the voters, answer to their various queries and instill a sense of confidence among them about freely exercising their franchise.

Be it kindly noted that these visits and interactions were over and above those made by hundreds of lower level officials including those by the Sector Officers, Assistant Sector Officers and Booth Level Officers, which were in thousands. Most of these interactions were also photographed and video-graphed. Based on their feedback, we made special security arrangements including improving our vulnerability mapping for the final deployment of the security forces, digital camera, video camera and web-casting. These interactions were the most effective in ensuring a historically peaceful and fair election in the district. Besides, frequent meetings and interactions with the political parties and having their feedback regarding their inputs in the overall vulnerability mapping and in ensuring improved voter participation also helped better electoral participation. The insights gained from these interactions were factored while finalizing the security arrangements, given the Naxalite extremism in our district.

The sense of confidence we could instill among the voters to elicit their better participation was predicated on a better law and order situation we could ensure by prosecuting and bounding down around 11,000 persons (against 1408 during 2006 Assembly and 1818 during 2009 parliamentary elections) who could have vitiated the electoral process, deposition of 2788 licensed arms against 52 in 2006 and 966 in 2009, execution of around 7,205 NBWs compared to 1594 during 2006 and 1641 during 2009 elections, seizure of 42,000 litres illicit liquor against 1022 in 2006 and 1420 during 2009 elections, seizure of massive arms and explosives, ensuring better law and order by personal involvement to tackle such trouble areas as Md. Bazar, Nanoor, Khoyrasol, Illambazar, Dubrajpur and other Naxal-affected areas, destruction of over 7000 acres of poppy cultivation to preempt drug-money from being channeled into elections and prompt action on political complaints relating to law and order.  The inter-state coordination meetings with the districts of neighbouring states also helped our effort.

The left-wing extremism was always at the back of our mind while planning and making our security arrangements. That is why we were always very keen on having feedback from all the corners including those from the common man, the political parties, the media persons and the various experts on the subject. So, our CBM exercises, our interactions with the political parties, contesting candidates, our officers in the field, interactions with the officials from the neighbouring districts and the intelligence reports formed the corner-stone of our detailed security planning. Our efforts were further bolstered, strengthened and fine-tuned by the regular suggestions we received from ECI during specially convened meetings for the purpose.Given the fact that some of our regions including Dubrajpur, Khoyrasol, Rajnagar, Illambazar and a substantial portion of Rampurhat Sub-Division were seriously affected by Naxalism, we were deeply concerned regarding the ‘Fear Factor’ in these areas discouraging the voters against coming out in the open to vote as was experienced in some of the Naxal-infested states during past elections in those states including ours. So with the help of all the resources and inputs at hand, we not only concretized a detailed deployment plan for the central security forces and state police, but we also put in place an effective and over-arching monitoring mechanism which formed the key-stone of our overall election planning. Ours was a resilient mechanism, so we were always fine-tuning the same given the regular inputs received from various quarters including our intelligence agencies. The multiple meetings we had with the District Magistrates, Superintendents of Police, Officers-in-Charge of bordering police stations and other officials of Dumka, Pakur and Jamtara from the neighbouring Jharkhand proved very effective and useful. We not only coordinated our efforts with the relevant agencies of the bordering districts from neighbouring Jharkhand, we also shared intelligence with them almost on daily basis. Many arrests and seizure of arms/explosives followed. The ‘Naka’ or border Check-posts set up in coordination with the neighbouring district authorities helped us not only in checking the illegal movement of arms and ammunition, persons with criminal records, trouble-makers from the neighbouring districts and in effecting seizure of arms/explosives/cash and in preventive detention of many habitual offenders, but also helped us greatly in keeping the Naxal extremism at bay as the supply lines for the latter were effectively cut off. Even though the latter did some threat-carrying ‘postering’ in some areas, the same did not have the intended impact because of the massive ‘Home Work’ done at every level by the election machinery in our district.

Birbhum had been notorious for poppy cultivation and the area under poppy cultivation was always growing and expanding. We were sensitive to this fact, more so because of baneful potential of poppy cultivation in pumping illegal cash into election campaigning as had reportedly been done during the last elections. The involvement of the Naxals in this illegal poppy cultivation further heightened our anxieties, as the spectre of ‘Poppy Cash’ making its insidious incursions into our electoral process always loomed large. Having known this, we set up before us the objective of destroying not only this illegal poppy cultivation, but also making the cultivators and the hoi polloi aware with regards to the socio-political implications of the same. The West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections and the authority coupled with the independence, which flowed from it provided us with an excellent opportunity to eradicate this menace forever. We started some three months before the actual poppy cultivation started. We had meetings with the Central Bureau of Narcotics, the Narcotics Control Bureau, local police authorities, Magistrates, the excise authorizes, representatives of political parties, NGOs, prominent members of the public and elected representatives to sensitize them regarding the problem and also making them aware regarding the negative legal implications of poppy cultivation for the actual farmers.

We organized processions, wall-writing, distribution of specially-written leaflets and miking to inform and sensitize all concerned about the problem. This had significant snowballing impact in terms of reducing the scale of cultivation. The cultivation was also less because of the legal action taken against the cultivators last year including a number of arrests of the people found involved in the poppy cultivation. After this, we set about destruction of the actual poppy cultivation, which was still done notwithstanding all our efforts. We destroyed a massive over 7000 acres of poppy cultivation, something which is said to be a record in the world for a district like ours, if we are to believe the statement made by Sri P Shankar, IPS, the then Zonal Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau, Kolkata.

The undersigned in coordination with the Superintendent of Police personally monitored the destruction. Other senior officials including Additional District Magistrates, Sub-Divisional Officers, Superintendent of Excise, Block Development Officers and Officers-in-Charge of police stations formed part of the many teams formed for the purpose. Our operations spanned over a month and we stopped only when we were convinced that there was no poppy cultivation left to be destroyed. The satellite imageries supplied by the Narcotics agencies helped us in the exercise. Every day’s operation was followed by cases being registered against those found to have committed the offence of poppy cultivation. The total number of cases registered was 44 involving 260 persons of which 94 were arrested. These monumental efforts were greatly instrumental in choking the supply lines for the left-wing extremists which coupled with other measures to tighten noose around their neck helped us in creating an atmosphere which inspired enough confidence among voters to come out in hordes to exercise their franchise.

Our close involvement with the chronic law and order problem in Nanoor, Dubrajpur, Md. Bazar and Khoyrasol helped a great deal in creating an atmosphere, which was congenial for a peaceful and fair election. Our frequent visits to these areas, interactions with all stake-holders including the common voters and holding regular meetings to create confidence and trust among the voters went a long way in inspiring voters to come out and vote in favour of the candidate of their choice without any trace of fear as borne out by the massive turn-outs. There was a communal angle to the problem involving stone-mine quarries at the Md. Bazar Block, which was also effectively tackled with personalized meetings with all the groups including tribal communities involved.

It was indeed a herculean task that we set out to do by trying to ensure a peaceful atmosphere of trust and confidence by having a much better law and order situation than there ever was with cooperation and coordination of all concerned, not to speak of the constant guidance and mentoring received from ECI from time to time. Our effort never went in vain as vindicated by the high turn-out of voters at the hustings.

We made specially designed ‘easy-to-understand’ reading materials for the voters and the same were distributed from the various Voter Assistance Booths and EVM Demonstration Centres set up across the district. These materials were greatly appreciated by the Hon’ble Observers deployed in the district. Voters were also shown specially shot videos to educate them on various aspects relating to EVM and how to cast their vote using the same. There were special Voter Assistant Booths meant only for female voters. Be it kindly noted these voter assistance booths were apart from the booths set up on the day of actual poll to help the voters locate their names in the electoral rolls. Effective distribution of voter slips added another dimension to their increased turnout. The BLOs and other specially trained staff members ensured proper publicity through miking and meetings with the political parties before actually distributing these slips. The distribution of these slips was hundred percent and almost flawless as we had no complaints whatsoever with regards to their distribution. We, however, made it sure to inform the voters that non-possession of these slips was no disqualification for exercise of their franchise as long as their name figured in the electoral roll and as long as they had proper identification documents including EPIC as per ECI guidelines. This became necessary because of some mischief mongers spreading rumours that if voters did not have these slips, they shall not be allowed to vote in spite of them being in possession of statutory identification documents including EPIC.

We also harnessed traditional cultural medium like Baul communities and specially written songs for increased voter education and participation. Street plays (Nukkad Nataks) and street corner demonstration-cum-awareness camps were held for maximizing voter awareness. Besides, specially organized quiz programmes for the voters and elections officials also proved useful. The National Voters Day, as conceived by ECI, was organized effectively with a wide range of activities and had also helped us with our exercise in voter awareness.

We had mobile vans equipped with voter education materials and audio-visual materials for on-the-spot demonstration to the voters in the inaccessible areas. We also had a special Public Grievance Cell including a Help Line to handle various complaints from all corners including those from the voters. The undersigned personally wrote a Blog (www.deobirbhum.blogspot.com) for wider appreciation of various aspects relating to the conduct of election, which was greatly appreciated by all. The use of WEBGIS for electoral management was another effective tool in voter education as it provided various information relating to electoral process including those relating to electoral roll, past election data, information relating to better electoral management, easy report generation and telephone numbers of all the election-related officials up to the BLO level. It was greatly used by all concerned including voters and election officials. Its use by the common man was greatly facilitated by the special information kiosks set up across the district including block, sub-divisional and district headquarters where the voters could go and access such desired information. It was later replicated in other districts of West Bengal as well.

The pre-election shifting of a number of booths also ensured that voters travelled less than they did earlier thereby ensuring their better participation in the electoral process. We had regular interaction with the members of the press (apart from the statutory press conferences) to ensure that the right information reaches the voters in right fashion at right time.

We also saw to it that the voter assistance booths function efficiently and effectively on the poll day, the traffic in the town is smooth and voter related amenities at the polling premises including construction of sun/rain shed, public convenience, medical attention including provisioning of first aid kits and drinking water are provided for all those who come to vote. As we had publicized the same in advance, the voters came in hordes to cast their vote. It was because of the above measures taken by the Office of the District Election Officer, Birbhum that we finally had a voting percentage as high as 87 per cent (compared to 82.7 per cent during 2009 parliamentary election), one of the highest in the state. The voter turnout in many assembly constituencies was markedly high, particularly at Labhpur and Hansan where female voters outnumbered the male voters at the polling booths. This is clearly reflective of effective harnessing of all resources at hand in winning over the confidence of the voters from enrollment till the actual exercise of franchise.

Post-result peace was ensured by consensually deciding postponing the victory processions by winning candidates and political parties in consultation with the latter, something which was followed by other districts as well at the behest of Hon’ble ECI. We could not have achieved the same without the common man i.e. the voter appreciating our viewpoint in this regard and deciding not to come on the streets to celebrate the victory of their beloved candidates. One also feels that the high voter turnout was also an effect of better polling personnel performance whose overall satisfaction was very high because of introduction of online payment of polling remuneration, better training and better polling personnel amenities.