Open letter to Election Commission of India

Dear Sir,

Greetings from UP Election Watch & PVCHR

I want to draw your attention towards Belwa village of Police Sation Phulpur of Varanasi district. Mr. Rajendra Tiwari, the Village Headman who held the post unchallenged for about 30 years immediately realized the threat to his unchallenged power. He had contested the election formerly through his wife when the seat was reserved for a woman candidate.

Taking the reference of news published in the front page of the Hindu on 22nd February, 2002.On 21st February, 09 in the final phase of polling the assembly election of Uttar Pradesh, one BJP activist was killed and another seriously injured as supporters of the party traded gunfire with Apna Dal workers near a polling station. Women of Dalit and OBCs communities of Belwa stage a protest on Thursday after they were allegedly prevented from voting by the higher castes. http://www.hinduonnet.com/2002/02/22/stories/2002022203020100.htm

Secondly the security should be provided to the contestant of the village panchayat election. On 17 August 2005, Mr. S. N. Giri, an accepted figure and human rights activist working for the dalits and the backward community filed his nomination as a candidate against Mr. Rajendra Tiwari. Mr. Tiwari and his men threatened Mr. Giri and told him that if he did not withdraw his nomination he and his colleague Mr. Lenin Raghuvanshi of People’s Vigilance Committee for Human Rights (PVCHR) and their family members would be assassinated.
http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2005/1203/
http://www.webspawner.com/users/pvchr/

Thirdly The Tribunal headed by Justice K. Sukumaran (Retired Judge, Kerala and Mumbai High Courts) visited the districts of Varanasi and Chaundoli between February 16 - 17, 2002. They visited the villages of Narketi, Babatpur and Belwa. On February 17, 2002 a public hearing was held in Varanasi at which people from Piyari Gaon deposed as well as individuals who were victims of human rights violations.
The terms of rnquiry were: (1) Victimisation of Dalits (2) To investigate into police firing on peaceful protests and (3) Torture and illegal detention by the police. http://www.combatlaw.org/information.php?article_id=116&issue_id=15

So, therefore in view of above mentioned circumstance it most respectfully submitted that the polling booths of the Belwa secondary school needs to be transferred to Primary school Barepur Belwa as secondary school is surrounded by the upper caste people. So, that dalits and marginalized may cast their vote without any fear and their constitutional right may be ensured.


Yours Sincerely


Dr. Lenin
Ashoka Fellow
2007 Gwanju Human Rights Awardee
Convenor-PVCHR
Secretary-Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA)
Mobile:+91-9935599333

Note:

Please write to in solidarity:
1.Chief Electoral Officer
Official Address 20-Bahukhandi Bhawan,First Floor
Uttar Pradesh Sachivalaya,Lucknow
Phone 0522-2238106
E-mail ceoup@up.nic.in
For any Election related query,please call our Helpline Number
Helpline Number 0522-2200674
2.Chief Election Commissioner,India
gopalaswamin@eci.gov.in