The un-sung heroes of Assam elections 2021

Assam assembly elections 2021 has been an experience to remember. Amid the chaos of rallies, campaigns, fights and scandals, some stories remained unheard. One such story surfaced when a polling officer shared his experience with the District Administration of Cachar. 

On 26 March 2021, Ratan Aimul, Junior Assistant DC office Cachar and Amin Ali, Assistant Teacher, South Lakhipur along with two security persons and a videographer went off to Marchakhal Punji early in the morning with Postal Ballot.

They started their journey from the Mini Secretariat at around 7 a.m. in a vehicle provided by the District Administration. 

The team crossed Pailapool, Harinagar and Kalinagar with ease but after that waited for a dense forest. Vehicles were not an option as there was no path to reach the destination. They were to walk almost 10 kilometres through the Jungle. Where most people give up, the team buckled up, determined to reach their destination. 

Their first destination was Buchingpunji, a place that even Google map fails to detect. They crossed the jungle and reached their destination at around 2:00 p.m. and collected votes of two absentee voters. 

Their task wasn't over, their final destination Marchakhal Punji was almost another 10 kilometres away. They knew that it would take a long time to reach the destination on foot but they went ahead. They walked through rivers, bamboo bridges and by the time they reached The final destination it was dark and late. There they collected the vote of another absentee voter. 

They crossed jungles, rivers, mountains just to collect 3 votes. Their bravery came from their dedication to their work. They understood the fact that they were on National Duty and they prioritised it over their life.

Hungry and dehydrated, tired from walking miles, they could have given up and rested for a while but they chose to return and submit the ballot on time. In the darkness after night they walked back to where they had placed their vehicle, they returned to Silchar at around 2:30 a.m. 

These people who go on election duty are responsible for conducting a fair election. We neglect them, often we do not pay them the respect that they deserve but what we forget is that they risk their lives just so democracy can prevail. They fight hooligans who try to disturb and destroy the decorum of the Election. They fight poor weather and other unusual circumstances for the sake of democracy. 

Such heroes deserve to be appreciated for their selfless service. We salute Ratan Aimul, Amin Ali and their team for redefining patriotism and dedication.