Assam elections 1983
I am giving some facts about the Assam Elections of 1983. Those who swear by these elections and try to justify elections in Gujerat may see the elections in their true perspectives. Most people were away from the scene and I am sure many netters were too young to have actually experienced what we went through in those days. But I am passionate that India should not go through the same experience again.
Even though the official dates of the elections in Assam were 14,17 and 20 February 1983, they were also held on 18, 19 and 21st Feb. Still in Sixteen constituencies, elections could not be held. In one, Biswanath, the elections had to be countermanded. Hence Seven Lok Sabha seats remained undeclared and it is this Lok Sabha that passed the infamous IMDT bill.
The voting pattern in some constituencies:
Dhemaji Total Electorate 90441 Vote Cast 358 Percentage 0.3%
Dharampur: 69308/266/0.3%
Bihpuria: 64000/437/0.7%
Dhakuakhana: 76877/640/0.8%
Shivasagar 75217/1034/1.3%
Khumtai 66625/987/1.5%
Guwahati East: 1.5%
Morigaon: 1.6%
Jorhat 1.7%
Kamalpur 1.8%
Teok and Titabar : 2% each
Dergaon, Golaghat, Sarupathar, Nalbari Amguri and Jagiroad less than 3% each
Lakhimpur and Naobaisa <5%
Sadia 5.7%
Dibrugarh, Jonai, Mahmara, Guwahati West, Sapaguri, Jalukbari, Dispur less than 9%
17 other had less than 20% voting.
Five had more than 70% voting Mankachar, Sonai, S Salmara, Barkhola, Kokrajhar West.
Many candidates got only one vote, including late Biswanarayan Sashtri. Even their relatives did not vote for them.
Out of 26 subdivisions in Assam at that time, in Majuli, no elections could be held. Amongst others, In Dhemaji 0.59%, Golaghat 2.5%, Morigaon 2.6% votes were cast. In six subdivisions votes polled were less than 10%. Highest in Kokrajhar 64%, Silchar 63% and Hailakandi 62.5%
Apart from army and Central paramilitary forces , police were brought from
Manipur Rifles: 4 Companies (Cos), Madhya Pradesh Special Armed Force 16 Cos, UP Provincial Armed Constabulary 20 Cos, UP SPF 2 Cos, Gujerat Armed Police 3 Cos, Maharashtra Armed Police 10 Cos, Rajasthan Armed Police 5 Cos, Haryana Armed Police 5 Cos, Bihar Military Police 5 Cos and Orissa Police 5 Cos.
According to SC Kakati, a Total of 300,000 police personnel were deployed in Assam and the voter to Police ratio was 24:1.
Between Feb 1 to Feb 20, the police opened fire 53 times, killing 150 persons.
I remember on Feb 17, 1983, the All Radio bulletin said �Police had to fire at seven places�. Yet we had an Adviser to Governor named Subramaniam who in his daily press briefing said and was quoted in the same bulletin as �Today�s polling was by and large peaceful�.
The reactions to the elecions in Assam were quite vehement, even outside India. Even in a place like Kotah, there was a bundh against the elctions in Assam. Every one condemned the elections. The total lives lost exceeded 5000. Apart from Nellie, there were masacres in Gohpur, Samaria, Sipajhar etc.
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