When the Pernem villagers boycotted ZP elections

Mopa Vimantal Pidit Xetkari Samiti in March 2010 gave a call to boycott Zilla Parishad elections in Goa. It was a historic call like none before. Very few occasions the citizens has resorted to such a drastic measures as this one. The content of the letter written to the electoral officer is reproduced here:

04/03/2010

To,

The Chief Electoral Officer of Goa,

Panjim, Goa

We, the villagers of Varkahnd, Cansarvanem, Chandel, Amerem, Halli and Poraskadem hereby declare that we shall boycott the forthcoming Zilla Parishad elections, and all future elections, as the existing electoral process spells doom for all of us. This process does not provide any hope for the basic survival of the beleaguered residents of our villages, who are threatened with total displacement by the political parties who are monopolizing the electoral process currently in force.

The Mopa Vimantall Piditt Xetkari Samiti strongly condemns the present election process and the resultant political setup, where there is no space for the politics of the poor and the deprived majority. Both the National parties are only interested in graft and corruption and the voice of the poor is completely snuffed out by them. In our case, a huge land scam engulfing the entire taluka of Pernem, in the name of Mopa International Airport , is being pursued by both congress and BJP, who are together ensuring that the masses are not allowed to have any chance for representation in this election process. using tonnes of ill-gotten money in brazen display of of corruption, the two parties bribe the helpless electorate so that the elections are reduced to a farce of the most serious nature. The failure of the Election Commission of India to stop the all-pervading corruption in the election process is a fundamental cause of the acute distress being faced by the electorate today and for the brazen violation of the Constitution of India by a few rich and powerful persons. The Election Commission of India has failed in its primary duty to ensure that free and fair elections are held, thereby endangering the very foundation of our great democracy.

We therefore demand that all ongoing and future elections in the State of Goa be countermanded since the current process is completely undemocratic and leaves no space for the voice of the common people. Unless you exercise your Constitutional duties and stop the corrupt elections practices used by the present Political Parties, the Constitution of India remains only a false promise as the Nation rushes towards complete destruction.

Thanking you,

Sd/-

Sandip Kambli

(Secretary)

Tel: 9923486841

C.C. : (1) Chief Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India, Nirvachan Sadan, Ashoka Road, New Delhi - 110001.

(2) The Chief Minister of Goa

(3) The Leader of the Opposition, Goa

(4) M.L.A. of Dhagal Constituency of Goa