REMINISCENCES OF MY FIRST EVER ELECTION DUTY

From my writer’s diary No 109 dated 15/05/2004 - 20/05/2004

( I am giving here an account of my first level of experience as a Presiding Officer in a detailed manner
because a layman may not be aware of the hurdles of election duties. Since this assignment, I had
attended five or six more Polls during my service. The last poll was memorable in that the first voter
rubbed off the indelible ink and the following voter challenged the polling agents by showing the party’s
emblem contained on the voter’s slip. Those two instances were like shock treatment for us polling
officials).

First, it was a nightmare but towards the end, it was all a day dream. First, it was a mental stress but in
the end, it was all peace and happiness.

I now understand about one thing - that, all problems lie only in our thoughts but not in the actual
situation. Our imagination often deceives us. This is the truth.

When I received orders to act as the Presiding Officer in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, I was
really thrown to waters. I was already expecting the orders. These days, LIC and bank staff are also
compulsorily being sent for election duties. Last time I could escape from it because, I had a close friend
Soolapani Warrier working in the Election Department at the Collectorate. He was already a retired staff
but was on deputation due to his rich experience in that line. Manual intervention was then possible to
a degree.

This time I missed him. Though I put in a word to his successor, it did not click for obvious reasons.
Perhaps, it was an oversight or else it was an unavoidable fate.

Whatever be the reasons, I finally received orders on 3rd May 2004 to attend a training class at AMMHS
Alathur on the following day. Though I was on leave on 3rd due to a death in my neighborhood, it was
not a sufficient reason as not to accept the appointment order from my Branch Manager. I went in
person and received the orders. Election Orders meant Collector’s Order.

Thirty of my colleagues received election orders at my branch. This was an inter-district deputation. All
of us were deputed as Presiding Officers according to our pay scales. We were under deputation to
Malappuram District - Mankada, Nilambur, Kuttippuram and Ponnani. Our Lok Sabha Parliamentary
constituency was Ponnani. My destination was Kuttippuram. The appointment letter mentioned that I
was to be present at the Boys’ High School, Tirur on 10th to collect the polling materials at 8 AM. The
booth and my polling staff would be known only then.

The information was never an encouraging one. To act as Presiding Officer was just beyond my scope. I
felt that I was a mismatch. In a world where booth capturing is not uncommon, where clashes among
political parties are not rare, my fears had some relevance. My views had their own significance.

I knew that I could not escape from the rat trap. Irrelevant thoughts lingered on until the election was
over. I used to see disoriented dreams almost everyday! From various paper reports I was under the
impression that a Presiding Officer’s job was like walking over the razor’s edge. Polling Agents are to be
managed. Political situations are to be handled. Was it like a towering inferno? I did not actually
know. After all, I was a novice in the field.

On the following day I attended the training class at Alathur. We were given a training as to how to
operate the Control and Ballot Units, how to seal them etc. We were given broad outlines of the duties
of the Presiding and other Polling Officers. We were given a hand out of the Presiding Officer’s duties.
There was a projector show about the procedural aspects of the voting machines and a live demonstration
of the voting machine as well.
This was something. The handbook explained everything in detail. It was a useful book but when I
went through the pages of it, the scare was even more because of the responsibilities of the presiding
officer. In certain critical situations the Presiding Officer was asked to exercise his tact for the smooth
conduct of the poll, which meant that no police was going to protect me. This was like a thunder bolt to
me.

I thought of contacting my friends who had the experience of a Presiding Officer in the previous elections.
Mr P C Raman was my first choice. He was Retired Deputy Collector residing at Kailash Nagar.

Indeed he gave me a lecture class. It lasted for more than an hour. He came to my house. He
explained to me two areas of concern in particular - tendered votes and challenge votes. Otherwise,
there was not going to be any problem if the polling agents extended their co-operation. He asked me
not to be so stringent with them and instilled in me confidence. That was more than enough.

Still, my fears did not fully alleviate. On the one side it was the procedural aspects and on the other side,
it was the meeting of the unknown in the battlefield. If at all I wanted to cancel my orders, I had to
approach the Malappuram Collectorate. That was the situation. I decided to face my fate.

How to reach Tirur from Palakkad at the appointed hour? That was a question. I am being asked to be
present at 8 AM to collect the polling materials. Was there any punishment awaiting me if I was late? I
did not know. Somebody said that it did not matter even if I was late by an hour. My colleague Mr A L
Easwaran informed me that there was a train to Shornur at 5.40 AM. From there, there was a
connection train to Tirur and in all probability I would reach my destination by 8.30. He decided to stick
on to this schedule and I eventually joined him. Most of my colleagues had left to their respective
destinations on the previous evening itself.

And Sunday arrived. I started early in the morning. Met Eswarji at the station. The train reached
Shornur on time but there was 30 minutes delay for the connection train to Tirur. The deflection finally
rose to one hour by the time I reached my destination. It was 9O’clock when I landed at the gates of the
collection center.

The entire premises was like an ocean . There was enough confusion and commotion going on all around.
I met some of my friends among the crowd. There were so many counters and I finally located my
counter with difficulty. It was a classroom. The disbursing officials were circled by polling officials. I
also joined them.

I was served with my appointment letter. I went through it. I tried to decipher my polling booth but it
was in a coded manner. The code number was 661. Where lied my destiny? I did not know. I went
to the enquiry counter to unravel the mystery. I soon received the name of the polling booth -
Government Mopla LPS, Iringavoor. Somebody said that the place was only within 10 KM from the Tirur
town. I felt relieved. How can one really think that such a place within the town limits could be a very
remote place?

My Polling officers were

1. Santhakumari of Canara Bank, Kalpakancherry
2. Madhusoodanan Nair, UDC, Nelliampathy Vegitable and Orange Estate
3. P Sugathakumari, PD Teacher, Karippol.

When our polling materials were ready, it was half past 3O’clock! One important kit containing indelible
ink and other things was missing for 30 booths and I was one among that fate list! Though the officials
pacified us by saying that the kit would be delivered at the respective polling booths, we were not
satisfied and demanded an immediate supply of it. Finally, they provided the kits. Everything was
properly verified but I could not really understand what those forms and covers were. From another
counter I grabbed some extra covers and forms which became very handy and useful towards the end. It
was a persistent request.

By the time we received our polling materials and got out to catch our route bus, I was really, really
mentally exhausted. A mass of people normally would affect me mentally. I was deeply disturbed.
The lunch was also improper. I had taken ‘chapathi’ but it was very dry and hard. My polling staff had
their lunch from outside but Mr Madhusoodanan Nair practically had no lunch. Ladies were very soft in
their character and co-operative. At first Madhusoodanan Nair gave me the impression of being tough
and somewhat an impatient person but I was wrong in the end. He stood with me and ably guided and
assisted me in all areas of the poll. I have to thank him for my success.

We waited for our route bus for an hour. Our bus was No 30 with Route No 60. The same bus first
assumed Route No 59 and went on a trip to drop some polling parties. It returned as Route No 60 to
collect us.

By 4 PM I was extremely gone. I went outside and had one bottle of Kinley’s Club Soda for Rs.10/-. It
refreshed my nerves. It cleared my head.

When we left the collection center, it was exactly 5PM! Apart from my booth, there were No 8,9 and 10
booths as well in that bus. I was the last man to get down along this route. The bus got past the town
limits and entered the rural area. Greenery was visible on either side. Singular hamlets fell before my
eyes. The flavour of Muslim population invited my senses. It was a different flavour. I had always
loved it. As a child and boy, I had experienced that flavour.

As the bus proceeded, all my weariness of the day slowly melted away in that cool, evening wind. Those
areas had recently received good showers.

One by one, each polling party got down along the route. All these places were up-country areas. I was
the last man to get down. The journey was not yet over. A jeep was waiting which carried us further
about a kilometer. We soon entered the heart of an extremely remote village. Finally we landed
before an isolated school building. The building stood to my right. It stood over a raised ground from
the level of the road.

It was already getting dark. The surrounding trees lent more darkness and a ghostly appearance to the
scene and for me it seemed to be the end of the world with looming silence. Even the leaves did not
make a rustling sound. It pulled my nerves.

As we got down from the jeep, a sense of aloofness grappled my senses. The Village Officer was waiting
for us. Somebody handed over me the keys of the school. We were informed that there were
arrangements made in the neighbouring house for the stay of the ladies and for our bath and toilet. That
was a nice thing. It was a Muslim ‘Tharavadu” but in modern ambience. Toilet and bath were outside
and so, there was no disturbance for the inmates from the outsiders. The house had a land wherein
grew coconut trees and other cash crops. It was like a hermitage in the backdrop of the mellifluous
notes of various birds inviting any traveller to a mood of ecstasy.

We were relieved. It was like an oasis in the endless desert. The problem of food was also solved very
soon. Somebody came around and inquired about food. I said that I was a pure vegetarian. Under
the circumstances pure vegetarian food could be a lavish idea but he respected my views and soon
brought a sumptuous vegetarian meal for all of us! The Sambar was really tasty. The same stuff was
followed with additional dishes on the following day. For the breakfast we had the local steam rice cake
with potato masala. Tea was also good. In fact, in a place like that, I had never imagined such a
wonder to happen. The man who took care of our stomach and hunger was one Mr Shaji who didn’t
even expect any money in the first place for his services. I had to compel him to receive his charges.
Finally he asked only 150/- which I readily gave. Whenever I go outside, I have found that there happens
no food problem for me.

As soon as we entered the school, Mr Madhu got indulged in the preparation of the polling station. He
studied the layout of the hall and benches and desks available there. He studied the placements of the
windows and the availability of light. Finally he drew out a plan as to the final set-up of the polling
station. It worked out well. Also, notices containing information of the Polling station were displayed
in the premises.

The L P School was nothing more than an ‘L’ shaped structure with only one door possible for the voters to
come in and get out. The windows could be closed but there was no cross bars. Broken benches, desks
and tables were the sole properties in that hall. On one side was a heap of coconut husk. From the
roof was hanging a bundle of firewood sticks. Was there any cobra lurking within those heaps? The
walls contained drawings and charts meant for lower classes. Those charts had the voice of those
students, those little ones whose hearts were innocent. I heard in them a distinctive rumble. Those
charts spake volumes.

One by one, at length, the polling agents arrived. I requested them their wholehearted co-operation in
the ensuing election. It was well assured. They wanted to see the voting machine and that enabled me
to operate it for myself. They were satisfied. Passes were issued to the agents. They were asked to
come around 6AM on the following morning to attend the Mock Poll.

Preliminary works were done. We had our bath from the neighbouring house. It really refreshed our
nerves. Meals were ready and it was a nice get together in that singular atmosphere. Our police also
joined us. I felt that the police was also a refuge like us under such odd circumstance!

During that session, Santhakumari revealed her personal life. The tragic part of her life was that she had
a son aged eleven who was a victim of cerebral palsy. Mentally, the boy was almost out of this world.
The tale really touched my heart. Her husband was my namesake who was a Public Prosecutor at
Parappanangadi. He had visited our booth. She was mentioning some medicines which I overheard
and asked what the matter was. That was the point when she revealed her sad tale during our meals.

After the meals, the ladies retired to the neighbouring house. I opened the control unit and began to
study how to seal it with the paper and strip seals. I could not properly grasp the idea from the handout.
I finally came to my own conclusions. I was satisfied. The drill went on for over 30 minutes. Madhu
was keenly observing my methods.

We were already late into the night. It was 10.30 or so. It was pitch dark outside. Since we were
provided with a couple of tube lights, there was enough light in the hall. Candles were in my stock. My
colleague Seetharaman had fore-warned me about such exigencies. In fact, he had given me a list of
items to be used in emergency - stapler, rubber bands, gum, candles, tortoise coil, match box, sketch pens,
torch, alarm, cellophane tape, papers etc. Candles were one item. We can’t expect that we would
always be provided with tube lights but eighth wonder was always possible!

I did not prepare any covers that night. I had no particular idea about the covers. I had to go through
the handout. Paper seal, strip seal and some other covers were made readily available for the morning
mock poll. Mock Poll was nothing but an actual demonstration of voting exercise in the presence of the
polling agents.

By 11O’clock I retired to bed. I could not sleep for sometime. I lay looking at the charts on the walls. I
lay thinking about the following morning. I lay listening to the deepening silence of that hour. I was in
a new place. It was an odd hour. It was going to be a new experience on the following day. What was
in my reserve? Judging from the proceedings earlier on the day, it seemed that there was confusion and
time lag waiting for me while I handed over things to the Returning Officer on the following day. What
was going to be my fate?

While thoughts hovered around my head, the voices of certain peculiar birds fell upon my ears. Those
nightly voices and singular chirps took me back to my native village. I had heard them among the
bamboo grove. Those were familiar notes. Such voices belonged to the serene and silent airs of our
hamlets.

I don’t recollect when I fell asleep. I had kept the alarm at 4.20 but got up before that. It was a sound
sleep in a serene environment, away from the bite of mosquitoes. Tortoise coil was still burning. I took
my torch and tooth brush, shaving set and got outside. The door of the hall had no proper security from
inside. A chair was kept against it for a sound! Joseph and Mr Nair were still fast asleep.

It was not yet a full moon. It was more than half moon. The moon was lying at an angle of 30 or 40
degrees from the zenith towards my right and in front of me which meant that the school was lying in a
position North-East to South-West.

The women folk were already up. There was a tap outside and so I had my mouth wash and shaving
from there. By 5O’clock I was ready.

The polling agents were ready by only 6.30. I was a bit worried. The Mock Poll was conducted and the
control unit was properly sealed. Everything was over in just 20 minutes and we were ready to start the
poll exactly at 7 AM.

As per the rules, I made the announcement for the start of poll but there was no shadow of any voter for
another 5 minutes. 917 voters were in the electoral list and around 600 were expected. The entire
exercise went on very smoothly without any hitch. I was supervising everything. I was closely
monitoring the operations of the third polling officer. The control unit was under her charge and any miss
of the release button could be a costly error. One critical situation was saved because of my alertness.
The beep sound did not follow when a voter operated the ballot unit. She did not hear it properly. The
voter was about to leave but I noticed the omission and asked him to press the button once again. He
did so and everything was all right. From then onwards she became very alert about the beep sound.

Randomly I also inspected the ballot unit for any misappropriation by the voters. Sometimes, certain
clever people would insert pins and paper pieces into the button holes to prevent their functions. No
Challenge Votes, blind votes, companion votes or any tendered votes. I was very much relieved.
Eleven voters came without ID cards. They were allowed to vote after securing letters in the proper
format.

The Polling Officers took care of the proceedings. I began to prepare covers. It was only then that I
understood what these covers really were! I went through the instructions contained in the handbook.
I began to work it out systematically. Statutory and Non-statutory covers - they amounted to about one
and half dozen. Everything was ready within the stipulated time.
Female voters came in group in the afternoon after their lunch. Most of them seemed to belong to
decent families as from their appearance. Wheatish in colour, very fair in appearance, in black parda
or gown without covering their face.

Most of the voters were the innocent forefathers of the hamlet. They were casual in their appearance
and approach to things. Most of them did not know how to operate the ballot unit. Every time myself
or the third polling officer explained things to them. They took their own time to vote. It seemed that
they were either looking for the symbol of their choice or the order of it from the top or the bottom.
This was a one sided polling to be definite. E Ahmed was sure to win under the circumstances and who
cared for a party other than the League in this area?

There was no problem of the issue of tokens towards the end. The rule said that if there was a rush
towards the end, the voters must be issued with tokens. This is to ensure no further entry of voters after
the stipulated hours. In my case, practically nobody came to vote in the closing hours of the poll. That
was good. My work became very easy. Usually there would be somebody awaiting to create
unnecessary trouble at 4h59m59sec! In short, it did not happen.

The Poll was closed exactly at 5PM. I made the declaration to that effect as per the rule. Mr Nair
helped me to seal the voting units and to sort out the covers. Ladies helped me to seal the covers and
sort them into lots. Everything was over by 5.50. In another 10 minutes, we were ready to leave the
booth. Our jeep was waiting for us.

So, one major responsibility and hurdle was over. The polling was over without any stir. That was fine.
The next hurdle was to hand over my items to the Returning Officer stationed at MES Central School, Tirur.
What was going to be my fate there? What was the kind of arrangement available there? Judging from
the previous day’s experience at the collection center, the prospects appeared to be bleak. Now that the
poll was over, it didn’t matter much as to when I handed over the items to the RO or ARO. I was in a
state of mental passivity.

Sugathakumari got down en-route. Santhakumari accompanied us up to the Returning Center. Other
Polling Parties on the line were ready before their respective booths, waiting for the arrival the route bus.
The bus was actually meant for two trips as on the previous day but it was cut short to one. It meant
that 8 booths were squeezed into one single trip. This was an unauthorized arrangement between the
bus owner and the election officials. Their official papers would however show that two trips were made
for the purpose.

I was worried about the seals getting tampered due to the overload. Luckily nothing happened.

We landed in front of the MES gate around 6.50. Myself and Mr Nair hurried to our designated counter.
The counter was lying empty and we were the first ones to arrive there! I was really thrilled over this
prospect. The hall in effect was not at all crowded. Various booths were still on the pipe line.

The officials who had served us with the polling materials on the previous day were waiting for our arrival
at the counter. They urged us to their counter. Formalities were over in just 15 minutes. Since I had
sorted out all the necessary covers, it was easy for them to check the items and properly receive them.
They asked me to seal only one cover which I hadn’t done - the cover containing the list of tendered votes.
It was a nil statement but the rule said that it should be sealed. This was immediately done by Mr Nair.
The officials then directed us to another specific counter to collect our TA.

By 7.15, myself and Mr Nair were breathing fresh air. This was the end of the tale. We had never
expected that things would end up like this. I was in an excited state. An unknown force simply drove
me to the Railway Station. Nair was in an uncertain mental state as to whether follow me or not. At
any rate he also came with me to the station. On a second thought he withdrew his stand and decided
to proceed to Guruvayur by bus. I was thus left alone in the platform.

The Shornur bound passenger train arrived at 7.35. I was exhausted with hunger and thirst. Thirst was
very much. Mind was in a dizzy state. From Kuttippuram I drank to my satisfaction. I completed my
notes from the train. My mind was rather blank. Everything seemed to be a dream.

The train made its way through the thickness of night. It seemed that nobody had escaped so early as
me from the Returning Center. If I had waited for my colleagues, I would have been in trouble. It could
be an endless wait.

When the train passed Pattambi I searched for the gates of an old sports club towards my left. The gate
bearing the name “Sarada Samajam” was still there. It brought me a flood of memories of my childhood.
My father was a member of that club. He used to play ball badminton there. I used to go there with
him. Vivid memories of those days are still under my chest. I used to sit upon the compound wall and
watch his game. I was not yet five years old then.

I remembered about his playmates and friends. Where were they all now? Where were those days
gone now? Life is a passing parade. Life is a passing show. What remains finally are only memories.

When I reached Shornur, it was just past 9O’clock. Then only I remembered about one thing - of getting
stranded there. Somebody told me to move to Kulappully junction, a few kilometers away, for better
prospects of onward journey. No bright spots were immediately visible. It seemed to be an endless
wait. There were others like me waiting to grab the first vehicle arrived to reach their homes.

And the moment of luck arrived at last. Around 9.50 or so I got a return taxi. It was a white
Ambassador. Some of us literally got thrown and pushed into it! It was a real grab. He charged only
20 rupees per head. At Ottapalam some got down and some got in. One was Mr Hariharan,
Development Officer LIC Branch 1, and the other was one Mr Krishnan of Govindarajapuram, working in
Indian Bank at Akathethara. They were returning after their election duty in the Marayamangalam area.
From what they described, it seemed that they had a worse experience in the case of overnight stay and
food. In comparison I was really a blessed man!

Krishnan was chatting throughout. The car was running only at an optimum speed. The door on the
driver’s side was getting opened now and then and he had to keep an eye on it.

The taxi was going to Olavakkode and so myself and Krishnan could straightaway get down at the
Sekharipuram circle. We walked down to our respective places. By 11.50 I was back home.

Thus ended a memorable experience, a tale, a first-hand episode. If I could cancel the election duty, it
would have nevertheless given me happiness but if I hadn’t this experience, I now feel that it would have
been a real miss in my life.

What did this episode really teach me? One or two things I should mention here.

- This wheel of democracy is a big one indeed in our country. It is a giant machinery which is
meticulously being controlled and taken care of. The money and the man-power, the ground work that
is done before the election are all big and praiseworthy. One has to really respect this machinery despite
the odds. One must be part of this giant wheel to really understand the pains and glory of our
democracy.
Another thing is about the Hindu-Muslim brotherhood in our country. I could find no faction or any
communal problem in my area. It was an amicable situation. They were really good at heart. In a
Muslim populated area, I could hear the songs of M S in the early morning from a temple. Religious
fanaticism could be there but why should we talk about religion on their face? In fact, I share a long and
rich experience of having had the privilege to live with them since my childhood. Individually they are all
good people .

My election duty was peaceful. Thanks are due to the polling agents and the good voters of Iringavoor.
At first, it was all a nightmare but towards the end, it was all a day-dream.

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