PURULIA: If political activity is stiffled, security forces often fill in part of that vacuum. Paramilitary forces did just that when they walked the broken roads to the huts in this remote part of the Balarampur assembly constituency, and herded voters to the polling booth in this Maoist-affected Ghatbera-Keroa gram panchayat.
Villages under this panchayat remained inaccessible to the CPM since 2009. Even the panchayat office was locked after eight CPM men were killed. Ironically, the CPM could not depute polling agents in this gram panchayat. The villagers put up a brave front and queued up to the polling booths from seven in the morning.
"We were scared during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. Maoists had pasted posters in the locality asking villagers to stay away from voting. One such poster was pasted on my house. I fled my house on that day and took refuge at my relative`s place in Purulia. But it was different this time. The block development officer told us to vote without fear," said Santi Hansda.
CPM candidate alleged that some Maoist and Trinamool Congress activists had threatened their polling agents on Monday night. Trinamool candidate Santiram Mahato rubbished the charge. "The Ghatbera-Keora area and Gitinglahar areas have not seen development for a long time. There are no proper roads and no drinking water. The CPM-run panchayat is steeped in corruption in regard to the MGNREGA. Local residents raised their voice one day and locked the panchayat office. The government, not to be cowed down, retaliated by slapping false cases against the villagers and put them be hind bars," said Mahato.
Birbal Tudu is among the ones who did not vote on Tuesday. "What could I do? I cannot rely on security forces. Last year, I saw a person being killed just beside my house. I am yet to get over that," said Tudu.
Villages under this panchayat remained inaccessible to the CPM since 2009. Even the panchayat office was locked after eight CPM men were killed. Ironically, the CPM could not depute polling agents in this gram panchayat. The villagers put up a brave front and queued up to the polling booths from seven in the morning.
"We were scared during the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. Maoists had pasted posters in the locality asking villagers to stay away from voting. One such poster was pasted on my house. I fled my house on that day and took refuge at my relative`s place in Purulia. But it was different this time. The block development officer told us to vote without fear," said Santi Hansda.
CPM candidate alleged that some Maoist and Trinamool Congress activists had threatened their polling agents on Monday night. Trinamool candidate Santiram Mahato rubbished the charge. "The Ghatbera-Keora area and Gitinglahar areas have not seen development for a long time. There are no proper roads and no drinking water. The CPM-run panchayat is steeped in corruption in regard to the MGNREGA. Local residents raised their voice one day and locked the panchayat office. The government, not to be cowed down, retaliated by slapping false cases against the villagers and put them be hind bars," said Mahato.
Birbal Tudu is among the ones who did not vote on Tuesday. "What could I do? I cannot rely on security forces. Last year, I saw a person being killed just beside my house. I am yet to get over that," said Tudu.
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