Other States - Gujarat   

Opposition to Modi's `unanimity' scheme

Manas Dasgupta

"Revenue officers are openly suggesting the names of BJP sympathisers"

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi

GANDHINAGAR: With electionsannounced for over 10,000 village panchayats in Gujarat, Opposition parties and a number of voluntary organisations are up in arms against the Narendra Modi government's alleged move to install BJP supporters as panchayat presidents in the name of "samras" (unanimity).

While the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Arjun Modhvadia, alleged misuse of the official machinery to "lure or force" intending contestants to withdraw in favour of the "pro-BJP" candidates, the Panchayat Elections Vigilance Committee, formed by over 70 non-government organisations, said it was exploring various ways, including legal remedy, to prevent the government from "denying the basic democratic rights to the people".

The "samras" idea was mooted by the Chief Ministerduring the last panchayat elections in December 2001 to avoid what he claimed groupism and disunity among the villagers caused by acrimonious contests. Though the village panchayat elections had never been contested in Gujarat on political party symbols, the elections had invariably divided the villages on political lines.

The Modi Government declared an additional government grant of Rs 60,000 if villagers achieved "Samras" and unanimously selected one name for sarpanch. For the upcoming December 10 elections, for which nominations began on Wednesday, the Government increased the grant to Rs. 1 lakh and an additional Rs 50,000 to the existing "samras" villages if they achieved unanimity for the second time. In the last elections, 3,934 villages emerged as "samras" villages.

The vice-president of Mahila Swarajya Abhiyan and one of the conveners of the vigilance committee, Persis Ginwala, alleged that the village and taluka revenue officers were moving from village to village to discourage people from contesting and openly suggesting the names of BJP sympathisers to be accepted as the unanimous choice. In a number of cases, the reluctant villagers had been threatened with penal actions, besides being denied the special government grants if they went ahead with contesting elections.

"The poor and illiterate villagers are often forced to accept the recommendations of the mamlatdars (taluk revenue officers) and withdraw from contest," alleged Kantaben of the Mouchha village in Prantij taluka of Sabarkantha district.

Ms. Ginwala pointed out that even after the model code of conduct came into force on November 1, the government officials were going round the villages threatening people with penal action if they refused to fall in line.Several women representatives of the Abhiyan coming from various villages alleged that on the first day of filling nominations on Wednesday, the government officials functioning as the returning officers had been refusing to accept the nomination forms.

The "samras" move, besides denying the basic democratic rights of the people,was also causing immense harm to the development of the villages

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Opposition to Modi's `unanimity' scheme

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu