A 32-year-old woman from Kanungopada could not control her tears as she blurted out, "We have not gone to cast our votes. We are simply not allowed to do that. Last night, hundreds of Communist Party of India-Marxist cadres from Khejuri came to our place and threatened us with widowhood if we cast our votes.
In fact, they came with white dhotis and said you would have to wear it all your life if you voice your opinion," the woman said. She then rolled up her sari to show how she was beaten up by CPI-M loyalists a few days ago.
She did not disclose her name, nor did she allow us to take her photograph. "Didi, I want to live a little longer," she reasoned as her neighbour kept a strict vigil so that no CPI-M loyalist was around to eavesdrop on the conversation.
The official figure for the Nandigram panchayat election stated that 40 per cent polling was conducted till 1 pm on Sunday.
In Kanungopada, only 200 families out of 900 were 'allowed' to vote. Those who voted were known CPI-M supporters.
The woman's fears could be seen relected in the eyes of Shobhon Bijli of Adhikaripada who rushed to the local Central Reserve Police Force camp to help rescue his father Sudhin Bijli, who had allegedly been abducted by CPI-M goons on Sunday morning.
The boy's pleas fell on deaf ears of the policemen around, which is when he thought of approaching the CRPF.
The police have a very 'weird' role in Nandigram. They have all the power or no power at all, whatever the circumstances.
"My head hangs in shame to think that I belong to West Bengal police," said a senior police inspector in charge of a polling booth in Gokulnagar area. "We would not have had this much peace in Nadigram if CRPF DIG Alok Raj and his team were not here. Prior to their arrival, our survival was at stake," the inspector said.
He said what is happening in Nandigram is shameful for entire humanity. "It pains me to see colleagues of mine unleashing terrror," the inspector added.
The situation in Nandigram is no less peaceful, infomed Alok Raj barring stary incidents of violence and booth-jamming.
Raj became a hero to the residents of Nandigram overnight as they started looking up to him as their saviour.
The CPI-M men, obviously, do not like him and an FIR was lodged against him on Sunday morning charging him with molesting a rural woman during a routine search, but Raj was undetered.
While speaking to rediff.com on phone he said he would go to court if need be to challege the FIR.
Incidentally, he had been threatended by local CPI-M MP Laxman Seth of dire consequences if he interefered with the polling process.
All these threats and violence by the CPI-M send out a clear signal: They are insecure and scared, as a physician obervering polling at Nandigram puts it.
These atrocities are not going down well even with hardcore CPI-M activists. The day is not far when we will find the so called CPI-M politicans crossing floors to topple the government. We all are waiting eagerly for that to happen.
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