It is time the EC, the Centre and State governments and political parties rise to the occasion and put the welfare of Bihar and its people first
Uncertainty over controlling the Covid-19 pandemic is increasing globally and in India, too, with the Centre and State Governments being clueless about handling the outbreak and the socio-economic challenges arising from it. At a time like this, who wants an election in Bihar or anywhere else in the country, for that matter? However, the ruling NDA has other ideas and is going ballistic about the elections despite its dismal performance in managing the situation arising out of the outbreak. With the lowest testing rate in the country and the infection spreading fast, Bihar will soon have more than 10,000 active cases, as it registered 1,385 new infections on July 16, taking the number of active cases up to 7,289. The State will very soon be dealing with the floods that usually happen during the monsoon season, and as if that is not enough, the Government has failed to control the annual outbreak of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome popularly known as chamki bukhar. Several children have already died of it.
Right now, the priority of the Government should be saving lives and providing livelihoods to migrant labourers who were forced to travel 1,200 km and more on foot when they were left to fend for themselves by their employers in the metro cities. Reduced to living in wretched conditions and unsure of the future, it is the duty of the Government to plan for them. What we see, however, is the thirst to cling to power and rush the State into an election due to the NDA’s confidence in its political arithmetic, even as the pandemic shows no signs of abating.
While the Election Commission (EC) has conducted polls on a much bigger scale in the world’s largest democracy with great efficiency, the current circumstances come with unprecedented challenges. First, the EC will have to ensure strict implementation of the guidelines for preventing the spread of the contagion. This itself is going to be a major problem for the EC to solve. Here, technology can be of some help, but given the fact that Electronic Voting Machines have invited doubts in the past, a new technological intervention will find few takers, especially in a backward and politically-charged State like Bihar. Disinfecting polling centres, enforcing physical distancing, provision of gloves and masks, use of hand sanitisers and providing separate enclosures for voters with temperature are bare essentials when Coronavirus cases are rising alarmingly across the country, barring a few States. The elections may spread over a much longer period of time and may require not only a huge deployment of security forces but also of healthcare staff in the hinterland.
Many have given the example of elections in South Korea. It is an unfair comparison because of the population factor alone. While the State of Bihar has a population of nearly 10 crore, the east Asian nation has just 5.16 crore people. Plus, the state of South Korea’s infrastructure and logistical preparedness, credible technological tools and level of education and development make it a different ball game altogether. Bihar generally witnesses a high voter turnout. However, the intensity of participation in the present scenario is anybody’s guess and will be quite a blow to the basic duty of the EC, that all voters must cast their vote, freely and fearlessly.
The electoral blitzkrieg unleashed by the BJP hasn’t gone down well with the people of the State who are lamenting the poor Covid-19 arrangements and general administrative apathy towards the handling of the outbreak. Take for example, Nautan village in Champaran district. Here the quarantine centre is in a very bad shape and lacks basic necessities like fans and bulbs. The state of hygiene and toilets is pathetic and people are staying there in deplorable conditions. I am saying this authoritatively as I was personally involved in taking care of the labourers who returned to the State and failed to receive any help from the Government. The Centre and State should be vigilant and improve conditions in places like these. Test kits and Personal Protective Equipment are in short supply. Voices talking of misappropriation of funds and graft are getting louder in the State which is yet to see community-level checking of infections.
This is an opportunity to bring people together, create social bonhomie and a social alliance cutting across caste lines. This is the time to show solidarity with businessmen who have suffered losses, labourers who have returned home in penury but have acquired some skill and experience working in the metros. There are enough funds with the Government and re-engaging them only requires political will. This is the right time to ignite the latent constructive energy of Bihar. It is time the EC, the Centre and State governments and political parties rise to the occasion and put the welfare of Bihar and its people above all. There are enough constitutional provisions that make way for polls later. Hopefully, the pandemic would be under greater control and Bihar, too, would be better prepared to hold the elections by then.
(The writer is a Bihar-based politician and political analyst)