Gabbar’s Threat

This is no dacoit story, but about an election. What has  Gabbar to do with election? Read on to find out.

Of course, you know all about Gabbar, the dacoit played by Amjad Khan in Sholay, the 1975-movie which went on to become one of the most popular Bollywood films ever made. Salim-Javed’s dialogues, particularly those delivered by Gabbar, became folk-idiom (ये हाथ मुझे दे दे ठाकुर, अरे ओ सांभा …, कितने आदमी थे, ले अब गोली खा… and many more).

There, indeed, was a Gabbar Singh Gujjar, born in 1926 in a village in Bhind district and killed in police encounter in 1959; mentioned in his book [i] by K.F. Rustomji, a distinguished police officer, has This dreaded Chambal dacoit’s favourite method of punishing police informants was to snipe off their noses and ears so that they became living display of his wrath.

~~~

Now, the election story. It was a highly sensitive bye-election. The ruling party had effected a change of leadership in Madhya Pradesh and the new Chief Minister was required to be elected to the Vidhan Sabha within six months of assuming office. From a safe seat never lost by the ruling party, the sitting MLA resigned, and the CM filed his nomination. The major Opposition party in the state fielded the young swashbuckling scion of an erstwhile princely state – a dark horse who had fought no election earlier. Our popular CM would have a cake-walk and win by a record margin, claimed his party.

However, as the campaign progressed, it became evident that the challenger was no sitting duck. A fortnight to the voting day, alarm bells rang in the ruling party which panicked and pulled out all stops. All Cabinet ministers, and one hundred or more MLAs were deployed in the constituency to campaign and ensure victory for the CM.

The Opposition Party smelled a chance for victory, a giant-kill, and brought in its star campaigners from the state and elsewhere.

Adequate police personnel had been deployed for peaceful conduct of the election; yet Collector and SP were tense, particularly owing to rumours that the opposition party had mobilised musclemen and arms to resort to violence in the event of the tide going against them. If the election were countermanded because of largescale violence, the CM would fail to get elected within the mandated six months and would have no option but to resign, which would be a terrible loss of face for the ruling party at the state and the centre.

Three days before the date of polling, Collector read the morning papers, was deeply worried, and dictated at his residential office the following letter:

To,

Shri ----- (name)

President,

…… (name of political party),

Madhya Pradesh.

And

Honourable Leader of Opposition,

Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly,

(Current Location: Circuit House, District Headquarters ----)

Dear Shri -----,

Please accept my greetings.

Today, many leading newspapers have published front page news that you have reportedly called upon your party workers to cut off the nose and ears of any government employee found campaigning for the ruling party. Paper-cuttings of Navbharat, Deshbandhu and xxxx News are attached.

I hope and trust that a senior and responsible political leader like you would not have instigated his workers to resort to criminal violence against government officials. Therefore, I request you to issue a clear rebuttal of the said statement to the concerned newspapers, a copy of which should be given to the undersigned for office records.

I assure you that all government officials have been instructed in writing to conduct the elections in a free and fair manner. If you or your party workers have reason to doubt the impartiality of any official, please send me a formal complaint, upon receipt of which I assure you of speedy investigation and strict action against those concerned if found guilty of electoral malpractice.

I seek your cooperation for peaceful conduct of the forthcoming elections.

Please acknowledge receipt of this letter.

Sincerely,

Signature/-

District Election Officer and District Magistrate

District-----

(Note: Hindi version of this letter is at*)

~~~

The same evening, Collector received the following letter from the Leader of Opposition:

To,

District Election Officer and District Magistrate

District-----

I have received your letter dated .. in which you have displayed exemplary devotion to your Lord and Master.

I hope that you might also have written a letter to your Chief Minister, and to the ruling party, seeking their cooperation in conducting the elections peacefully. Please send me a copy of the same.

My party workers have informed me about several complaints lodged with your office alleging electoral malpractices by government officials. Please inform me of the action taken by you so far regarding these complaints.

Best wishes

Sincerely,

Signature/-

----- (name)

President,

…… (name of political party),

Madhya Pradesh.

And

Leader of Opposition,

Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly,

(Current Location: Circuit House, District Headquarters ----)

(Note: Hindi version of this letter is at**)

 ~~~

Collector noted that Leader of Opposition had either ignored or dismissed with contempt his appeal to issue a rebuttal to the newspapers. Evidently, he was not used to taking directions from petty district officials like Collectors.

He also reviewed the status of the twelve complaints which had been received alleging violation of model code of conduct by government officials. None of these complaints provided any specifics of the alleged misconduct, and hence, the complainants had been requested to furnish further details to the enquiry officer. Collector sent the latest status report regarding the complaints to the Chief Electoral Officer, Madhya Pradesh, and a copy to the President of the political party with reference to his letter.

~~~

On the polling day, outside a booth in a remote area someone made a hawai-fire (a blank shot) after altercation between the rival workers. Luckily, no one was injured. Complaints were received of bogus voting, and of genuine voters being prevented from casting their votes. Though there were several minor incidents, the election had passed off without any major law and order problem. Mercifully, no sarkari karmachari lost his nose or ear.

Collector and SP heaved a sigh of relief when the ballot boxes from all the polling booths were deposited in the strongroom at the district headquarters by midnight. No booth capturing, no snatching of ballot boxes on return journey.

CM won but with a slender margin of about 8658 votes whereas in the previous election the local light-weight leader had won with an impressive margin of 28000 votes. It was a pyrrhic victory for the CM, commented the political analysts.

~~~

A few years later, there was a change in the government, and the former Leader of Opposition became the new CM. As expected, several senior officials including most District Collectors and SPs were transferred.

The former Collector, after joining as a Deputy Secretary at Mantralaya, Bhopal, made a courtesy call on the Secretary, General Administration Department – the officer who handled postings and service matters pertaining to senior civil servants in the State.

Over a brief chat, she said:

‘Your name had been proposed for posting as Collector of an important district, but CM did not approve. He said:  उन्हें चिट्ठी लिखने का शौक है !

What letter was that? Why did you write a letter directly to the CM?’

***

*प्रति,
अध्यक्ष,
…… (राजनीतिक दल का नाम)
तथा

माननीय नेता प्रतिपक्ष,

मध्य प्रदेश विधान सभा,

(हाल मुकाम: सर्किट हाउस, जिला मुख्यालय ----)

आदरणीय महोदय,

कृपया मेरा अभिवादन स्वीकार करें ।

कई प्रमुख अखबारों ने आज पहले पन्ने पर यह खबर प्रकाशित की है कि कथित तौर पर आपने अपनी पार्टी के कार्यकर्ताओं को सत्तारूढ़ पार्टी के लिए प्रचार करते हुए पाए जाने वाले किसी भी सरकारी कर्मचारी की नाक और कान काटने का आह्वान किया है। नवभारत, देशबंधु और xxxx समाचार की पेपर-कटिंग संलग्न हैं।

मुझे आशा और विश्वास है कि आप जैसे वरिष्ठ और जिम्मेदार राजनीतिक नेता ने अपने कार्यकर्ताओं को सरकारी अधिकारियों के खिलाफ आपराधिक हिंसा का सहारा लेने के लिए नहीं उकसाया होगा। इसलिए, मैं आपसे संबंधित समाचार पत्रों को कथित बयान का एक स्पष्ट खंडन  जारी करने का अनुरोध करता हूं, जिसकी एक प्रति कार्यालय रिकॉर्ड के लिए अधोहस्ताक्षरी को दी जाए।

मैं आपको आश्वस्त करता हूं कि सभी सरकारी अधिकारियों को लिखित रूप से निर्देश दिया गया है कि वे स्वतंत्र और निष्पक्ष तरीके से चुनाव कराएं। यदि आपके या आपकी पार्टी के कार्यकर्ताओं के पास किसी अधिकारी की निष्पक्षता पर संदेह करने का कारण है, तो कृपया मुझे  औपचारिक शिकायत भेजें, जिसके प्राप्त होने पर मैं आपको शीघ्र जांच और चुनावी कदाचार का दोषी पाए जाने पर संबंधित के विरुद्ध कड़ी कार्रवाई का आश्वासन देता हूं।

मैं आगामी चुनाव शांतिपूर्ण ढंग से संपन्न कराने के लिए आपका सहयोग चाहता हूं।

कृपया इस पत्र की प्राप्ति की सूचना दें।

भवदीय,

हस्ताक्षर/-

जिला निर्वाचन अधिकारी एवं जिला दण्डाधिकारी

ज़िला -----

**प्रति,

जिला निर्वाचन अधिकारी एवं जिला दण्डाधिकारी

ज़िला -----

मुझे आपका पत्र दिनांक .. प्राप्त हुआ है जिसमें आपने अपने  स्वामीभक्ति का  उत्कृष्ट प्रदर्शन किया है।

मुझे आशा है कि आपने भी अपने मुख्यमंत्री और सत्ताधारी दल को पत्र लिखकर चुनाव शांतिपूर्ण ढंग से संपन्न कराने के लिए उनसे सहयोग मांगा होगा। कृपया मुझे इसकी एक प्रति भेजें।

सरकारी अधिकारियों पर चुनावी कदाचार का आरोप लगाते हुए आपके कार्यालय में दर्ज की गई कई शिकायतों के बारे में मेरी पार्टी के कार्यकर्ताओं ने मुझे सूचित किया है। कृपया मुझे इन शिकायतों के संबंध में अब तक आपके द्वारा की गई कार्रवाई से अवगत कराएं।

शुभकामनाएं।

भवदीय,

हस्ताक्षर/-

अध्यक्ष,
…… (राजनीतिक दल का नाम)
तथा

नेता प्रतिपक्ष,

मध्य प्रदेश विधान सभा,

(वर्तमान स्थान: सर्किट हाउस, जिला मुख्यालय ----)

---

[i] Rustomji K.F., The British, the Bandits, and the Bordermen, a Wisdom Library publication, 2009. Referred in Wikipedia article, but this blogger is yet to read this book.