Armed With a News Report on Their Plight, Punisol Villagers Have Reclaimed Their Right to Vote |
Listen to this article:
On April 23, the first phase of voting in Bengal turned into a festive spectacle at Punisol village in Bankura.
Only a few days ago, Jalilur Rahaman, Rabeya Bibi, Rajina Khatun, Saidul Bhagi, Jahanara Khan, Begam Bhanu Khan, Abdul Sabur Molla, along with nearly 8,500 residents of the village, had no certainty about whether they would be able to cast their votes at all. Punisol is one of the largest Muslim clusters in Bengal. The Wire had, in a ground report in March, highlighted the acute anguish that the special intensive revision had put villagers through.
Since the report came out, villagers have refused to give up. They have paused their daily work – many are daily wage labourers – and gathered day after day at the Onda Block office, presenting all necessary documents to prove their status as voters.
This prompted action from the Election Commission and the Bankura district administration. As a result of their sustained struggle, the names of almost all those who had been excluded were restored to the electoral rolls – barring 65 voters.
As Phase One of voting took off in Bengal, voters were not going to stay away from the booths at Punisol and turned up in large numbers.
This........