[Marxistindia] Memorandum to Election Commission on Situation in Darjeeling

[news from the cpi(m)]

                                                           April 7, 2009


Press Release


Shri Sitaram Yechury, member, Polit Bureau of CPI(M) and Shri Nilotpal
Basu, member, Central Secretariat of CPI(M) met the Election Commission
today and submitted a memorandum.


The copy of the memorandum presented on the serious situation in the
three hill sub-divisions of the Darjeeling Parliament Constituency in
West Bengal and the need for creating an appropriate atmosphere for the
holding of free and fair elections, is given below:

                   ----------------------------------


                                                           April 7, 2009

To

The Election Commission of India

Nirvachan Sadan

Ashoka Road, New Delhi


Dear Sir,


With a great sense of concern and anguish, we would like to draw your
attention to the abnormal situation prevailing in the 4-Darjeeling
Parliament constituency in the state of West Bengal where the right of
Left Front nominated CPI(M) candidate Shri Jibesh Sarkar is being
undermined by the terror unleashed by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM). 


At the outset, we would give you the background of the present
situation. In three hill sub-divisions viz Darjeeling, Kurseong and
Kalimpong which fall under 4-Darjeeling Parliamentary Constituency, it
is the GJM which is dominating physically with force and violence
pursuing the separatist slogan of Gorkhaland. The GJM is playing havoc
by not allowing other parties, particularly the CPI(M) to campaign in
those hill areas. 


Our Party have, time and again, informed the Election Commission, Chief
Election Officer, West Bengal, District Election Officer and other law
enforcing authorities about the prevailing situation, despite that no
perceptible improvement is there in the ground level condition.


The summary of the situation can be described as follows: 


     1. Our activists are not being allowed to move freely in their own
        areas, not to speak of campaigning for the election
        
     2. Those activists and supporters of the Party who attend the
        meetings are threatened and social boycott is enforced through
        the crude use of force and violence in the localities
        
     3. CPI(M) Party district office was forced to be closed down
        earlier on 27th March when our candidate Shri Jibesh Sarkar went
        to Darjeeling for meeting the voters. He was forced to withdraw
        from the area and the Party leadership was kept gheraoed for a
        long time inside the Party office.
        
     4. Our festoons and hoardings were not allowed to demonstrate in
        different areas of Hills and the foot hills as well by the gangs
        of the Morcha
        
     5. The GJM is also threatening the Tibetan, Muslim and other
        minority communities with dire consequences if they do not vote
        for the Morcha-supported candidate. This complaint has also been
        lodged with the All India Minority Commission which is an
        independent constitutional body.
        


In the background of all these, we urge the Commission to take it up
with the CEO of West Bengal and other concerned authorities to ensure
that an appropriate atmosphere for a free and fair election is created
in the three assembly segments of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong
assembly segments of the 4-Darjeeling Parliament constituency. We
strongly feel that the security arrangement should not only been ensured
for the polling day but for the entire period of campaign in the run up
to the elections. We particularly draw your attention to the need for
ensuring the safety and security of our candidate and our activists and
sympathisers during this campaign period. We also urge strong action be
initiated against Shri Bimal Gurung, the GJM supremo for his vitriolic
speech intimidating the minorities like Tibetans and Muslims (content is
part of the CD placed in the annexure). We also request you to ensure
that official meetings for the constituency in which representatives of
political parties have to attend are held in Siliguri instead of
Darjeeling. 


We also urge you that the counting of votes should take place in
Darjeeling, Siliguri and Islampur as in the past. In the event of the
counting for all the Assembly segments centrally at one place, we would
like to suggest that it should be held in Siliguri and not in
Darjeeling. Our apprehension is that it is not possible to hold the
counting in a normal and peaceful atmosphere in Darjeeling. 


We are hereby appending all relevant past communications, as well as,
written and video material to substantiate our contention. 




(Sitaram Yechury)


(Nilotpal Basu)


Member, Polit Bureau


Member, Central Secretariat