Indians witnessed the flow of blood in the Panchayat Election of West Bengal held in 2023

The recently held Panchayat election in West Bengal has not only pained me but is painful to the rational citizens of the country. The Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhiji, felt that Panchayat should be a neutral body. In fact, he didn’t desire an election also. But for a simple local-level election, more than 50 people died, many were injured, and many houses and vehicles were damaged. The candidates were assaulted. Indians know the misuse of ballot boxes and ballot papers in the election. After all the awful incidents, a ruling party leader openly criticized the judiciary of the State because he probably felt that the ‘judiciary is not favouring the ruling party’. I request the intellectuals of the State, members of civil societies, NGOs, and other rational people of West Bengal, please look at recent assembly elections held in other States where violence virtually did not take place, no death took place, and, e.g., Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh are examples. I had the opportunity to visit across the State and interacted with many irrespective of castes, creeds, religions, educational qualifications, etc., and observed many were scared to talk about the present administration. Anyway, it has to be agreed that once upon a time State produced many stalwarts in different fields, but now the worst type of violence in elections, corruption by some ruling party leaders, loose talk by leaders, etc., have scaled down the image of the State. It is pertinent to mention that “Filmmaker-activist Aparna Sen has written an open letter to Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of the State, holding her and her government responsible for the violence in the panchayat polls that claimed 52 lives. Multiple sources have estimated the rural poll toll to be over 60”. Further, addressing Mamata Banerjee, Aparna Sen read: “You are the chief minister and home minister of West Bengal. Without overseeing the constitutional responsibility of the election commission, one can definitely say that the panchayat poll-cantered killings and anarchy were primarily the responsibility of the West Bengal government and you. You cannot deny this responsibility as the home minister of West Bengal” (The Telegraph online, Aparna Sen points finger at CM Mamata Banerjee over Bengal panchayat poll violence, July 21. 2023). My hunch is that if the madam of WB or anyone from her party gets the PM post, then Indians will awfully suffer as the present ruling party of the State cannot control a local-level election; then how India type of incredible country can be controlled? Because we all in school days read ‘Morning shows the day’.