ELECTION DUTY PART 2!

The day had come for us to proceed further. It was twenty fourth April. We were asked to report at Poonamallie Saint Joseph matriculation school. I was busy taking necessary things including my laptop.

“Should laptop be essential?”

“Let it be. What can we do if they ask any letter to submit?” I said and stuffed it inside.

We started at nine A.M. from our home and didn’t expect that we would reach the venue before nine forty five. . Many cars and bikes were filling the parking areas. There was no separate parking area. They parked and named it. My father parked our bike outside first. There were some announcements occupying our ears. All of them seemed to be higher officials from various departments. Most of them were teachers. The atmosphere didn’t make us wandering in the campus for everyone was standing in front of the notice board to discover their names. My father took me to the notice board and asked me to take out the order copy. He couldn’t find it in the beginning. He let me sit and started searching with my name. He came back after finding it. Class number eight was allotted to me. I was little hesitant to proceed nevertheless proceeded.

We had to clamber to the second floor.

“Why do they make me climb like this?” A lady sighed and asked while climbing.

“Why are you tired in the very beginning? You have to go far.” My father replied while following her.

“Yes sir. You are correct. Training is there. Duty is there.” She sighed again.

We stopped in the second floor.

“Where is room number fifteen?” She asked.

“It’s there in the third floor.” A voice replied.

“One more floor!” She was struck.

We found the classroom, found my name and waited for someone to come.

“Do you wish to go inside?” My father asked me.

“Why? Let us ask someone and proceed for cancellation.”

A man came. He listened to our situation and took us to the election DT.

After listening to us she said,

“It is good that you have reported. Else, it would have become your fault. No problem sir. You just write a letter, enclose it along with your order copy, take two photo copies, keep the originals with you and submit the rest to returning officer.”

“Where is he?”

“He’s there in mother tresa block.”

We thanked her and sprinted to the block.

“You wait here. I will park the bike inside.” My father said while walking.

“Why? We are going to leave now.” I replied. I stood in the ground and waited till his return. We reached the mother Tresa block and found the returning officer as well.

“Sir, it is too far for me to come. So, can you cancel it?” A woman was asking the returning officer.

“Please go to your class ma’am. Nothing can be done now. Everybody would come here. Let us resolve it in an hour.” He said and sent that woman.

“Sir, he’s blind, he was wrongly given the order.” My father asked him while pointing me.

“Go to your class! Come after an hour!” He yelled and started announcing.

“All of you go to the class. Your grievances will be resolved after taking attendance.” He was announcing over the microphone.

We trusted his words and sat inside the classroom.
“Your grievances will be resolved in an hour. Please cooperate with us to take attendance.” He kept on repeating the same. Nearly two thousand government staffs would have been called for the training I assumed. We were allotted forty five different classrooms. Each classroom was supervised by a zonal officer. All the classrooms had been modernized as smart classrooms with a projector and a speaker. The unstoppable announcements had been coming from the control room to all the classrooms. The announcer was none other than the returning officer who was shortly called RO.

We were given various forms to fill. One was for attendance, the other one was for postal vote. I didn’t fill either of them. My father insisted me to type a letter. I had no idea of the receiver. A BDO, who was sitting in front, told me that the letter should be written to the district collector. Based on that, I finished typing the following letter.

From:

Vinoth S

Indian Overseas Bank (Clerical)

Veppampattu

To:

The district Collector Tiruvallur

Subject:

Request for canceling the election duty order

Respected Ma’am,

I Vinoth, (VISUALLY IMPAIRED/VISUALLY CHALLENGED) staff working in Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) in clerical post. Due to some unexpected chaos, my name was mistakenly included for this election duty which will be held on 16-May-2016. As a visually impaired/visually challenged, I can’t extend my contribution for this duty. Therefore, I kindly request the District collector to cancel the election duty order which was offered to me.

Thanking You

Yours truly

Vinoth S

The BDO saw the letter and asked my father.

“Does he operate computer? If so, why can’t he do?”

“This is different ma’am.” My father replied. They forced us to give attendance. I understood the logic and complied. They said the classes would start at sharp ten. If anybody is going to believe that then I am not responsible for that. We were instructed to fill including our SIM number along with our EPIC number, Part number, serial number, mobile number. I removed the cap, removed the battery and then removed the SIM to note the number. I deliberately didn’t take my EPIC card with me. But, I had saved the number in my laptop. I thought of not revealing in the beginning but, felt slightly pity for the zonal officer as he had been asking my EPIC number. I know the value of my number. Hence, I had it in my memory. Still, I checked it in the laptop. I opened the document and let him write. UVQ1523372. He wrote it and asked me for part number and serial number. The returning officer instructing to get the part number and serial number through sending message to 1950. Both my father I were not in a mood to do anything. What I wanted was rejection. The zonal officer came again to ask my photo. My father had one but said no. Time was running but, we couldn’t even move from our place.

It was eleven forty five. We were asked to go for tea break. My father went to take photo copy of the order copy and the letter which I typed.

“Come. Let us go and meet him.” My father said after returning with photocopies.

“He will yell at us again I think.” I said.

“What is there to shout at us? He said our grievances will be resolved within an hour. Nothing happened as of now. He must have forgotten I guess. It’s our duty to remind him.” he said and took me to the control room.

We went again.

“Go to your classroom.” He shouted again.

“He’s a visually challenged person. You asked us to come after an hour with a letter.” My father replied.

“Go to your class. Why are you coming here? What can we do if everybody comes here?”

“No sir. We are asked to give a letter. You said come after an hour.”

“Your letter will be collected in the classroom.” He vehemently answered.

“Don’t worry sir. We will come within half an hour or one hour.” A lady officer who was standing with him said. Her answer didn’t give us satisfaction. We walked out and asked the other official to accept the letter but, she said only the RO can accept.

“We went but, he asks us to go to the classroom.” My father said. Having no other option, she also said the same. A male staff was with her but; he did nothing except confirming her words.

“You don’t even know whom to offer which work.”

“Why didn’t you tell them before sir?” The male staff asked us.

“We have been telling for more than a month.” My father yelled at him with fury. He was not the actual person to get scolded we knew. But, my father lost his temper.

Our class began at twelve twenty with power point presentation. We began listening to it. The returning officer prevalently interrupting the class. The power point presentation also was repeating the same. We were forced to watch the same thing again and again. The class for twenty minutes was played forty minutes. The documentary movie was mentioning about two officers. I asked my father to check my designation.

“Your unique number is 116033. Special number is 97. And, the designation is presiding officer.” My father read the order copy. The presentation was differentiating the works between presiding officers and polling officers. The work of the presiding officer was documented in detailed.

Again an interruption. It was none other than the returning officer through microphone.

“You can go for lunch now. And, the classes will begin at two o clock in the afternoon.” Everybody came out. It was indeed a heavy crowd. We went another time to the control room to disturb that returning officer. But, he was even earlier to the lunch. We came down, took our bike and proceeded to the hotel.

We finished our lunch, reached the school and went to the control room again to check his availability. But, he was absent as before. I felt like calling my manager. She picked the call but, there was some coverage problem. She asked me to disconnect the call and called me through her land line.

“Where are you Vinoth?”

“I am in the school ma’am.” I replied and narrated the whole story.

“Is your father with you?”

“Yes ma’am.”

She felt pity for him.

“Yeah ma’am. That is the only thing worries me a lot.”

“If the concern person can’t cancel the order they could have allotted somebody for that.”

“Yes ma’am. Nothing is working here. I have gone to meet him nearly thrice but, no response.”

“Have you told him about…?” She asked.

“Yes ma’am. My father told him and showed my face also. But, no positive response from him. Now, both father and son are attending the class together. Nice comedy. Isn’t it?”

She didn’t know what to say.

“The zonal officer asked us to come in the afternoon to give attendance. But, it looks like he won’t give any solution for this.” I said and continued,

“ma’am, it may sound wrong. But, I am thinking to escape. Let it come whatever comes.” I said and she smiled. We talked for a while then hung up.

“Hey! I forgot to pay the bill in the hotel.” My father said.

“Let’s not forget when we go.” I said.

I came down with my father. We took our bike, stopped in the hotel, paid bill, said sorry and went home. My uncle had come with his daughter. They came first time. He didn’t know the route and had been calling my father while we were in the class. My father guided him to reach home. My father felt upset being unable to receive them to our home.

I thought of calling my manager in the evening but dropped the idea in the last minute for she might be sleeping. I sent her message at eight P.M.

“Hi ma’am. Good climax for the bad story.”

“Successful story?” She replied.

“Yes ma’am. Finally it was a successful story. I will let you know everything tomorrow.”

It was twenty five April. I went to my manager room and narrated the rest.

----------------------

“It may sound wrong. But, I am thinking to escape.” I said and she smiled from the other end.

“Actually, the district collector is coming here. I am planning to give her the letter.” I said.

“Her name is Sundaravalli. Right?” She confirmed with the question.

“Yes ma’am.” I said and we hung up.

The class again began. The returning officer was shouting as usual at everyone to go to the class. Most of them were roaming outside. Some of them were sleeping inside. Few of them were awake and two of them were my father and me.

“Shall I go once again to meet the returning officer??” My father asked me.

“Nope daddy. He will not hear us. Let us wait till the end. And, we shall not return again. We fought enough. If they don’t respond that is not our fault.”

“That’s what I am also saying. You stay here. Let me go and ask him again.”

“No need. He will shout at you.”

“What’s your problem if he shouts at me?”

“I have no problem. But, you need not go.” I hindered him.

“You stay here. Let me go and come.”

I didn’t want any of those irresponsible persons to shout at my father for an invalid reason and I prevented him again.

“Okay. Give the water bottle. Let me fetch water at least.” He asked and got the bottle from me.

“Haven’t you given the letter?” The BDO, who was sitting in front of us since morning, asked us.

We explained the whole.

“Will the collector come to this room? Can we give it to her?” My father asked.

“She may come here. But, you are not supposed to give her letter I think.” She said.

My father went to fill the bottle after listening to her. I was expecting his return. He came after ten minutes. All of a sudden the power point presentation was paused and the announcement was made to assure the arrival of the district collector. The district collector of Tiruvallur, Mrs. Sundaravalli came and addressed the gathering. To be honest, I have no idea of what she spoke as I was just hearing the speech. Once again, that is after the speech, the power point presentation began and was shortly paused.

Everybody stood suddenly. I understood the presence of the collector in our classroom. I never expected this chance and thought that she would not make classroom visits. Some photographers were clicking their cameras to take snaps. I asked my daddy to take the order copy and the enclosed letter. He gave it to me. The collector started speaking and asking us some relevant questions.

“What is your responsibility in the polling booth?” She asked.

None answered in the beginning. She was waiting for someone to answer. I was waiting to give the letter. I decided and said to myself.

“I should give this letter to her the moment when she finishes the speech. I should raise my voice by saying, ‘Excuse me ma’am, I know this is not the right time to stop and disturb you. I know this is not a good sign. But, unfortunately, I have no other go. I have been roaming in the campus to give this letter. But, none is responsible here. The Ro is not willing to accept this letter. I came here to cancel the order which was offered to me. Not that I don’t want to do and not that I don’t do. I want you to cancel because I can’t do therefore I should not do’. Let her finish the speech. Let me give the letter.”

“Why everyone is silent? What should you do in the polling booth?” She repeated the question again. A woman answered which didn’t allow me to listen.

“Very good. You are the supreme power in the booth as the collector is in the district. Hopefully you’ll all do this well. All the best.” She finished her speech. I thought of raising my hand. 3… 2… 1… and happened nothing.

I looked at my father.

“Go sir! Go and give sir!” The other and familiar BDO, who was sitting beside me, motivated us. I dropped my bag, dropped my coolers on the table and started running with my father. A staff stopped me from the front.

“Allow them to go! Allow him to go!” The BDO shouted from the back. The staff moved aside. We increased the speed. The other staff, may be that zonal officer, hindered us.

“Where are you going?”

“We are going to meet the collector.”

“You can give the request letter to the RO sir!”

“That is what we have been doing since morning. He is not responsible at all.” I replied and moved further.

We ran in the corridor and made everybody look at us. We didn’t mind anything and ran to reach the collector. She went to the other classroom. We thought of reaching before she addresses the people. We reached the entrance. As usual an officer blocked us.

“Where are you going?”

“To meet the collector.” My father replied as before.

“What is the reason?”

“We need to cancel the order. I was wrongly chosen for the duty.”

“That can be done! Why do you worry? Why do you want to meet the collector for this? You can go to the returning officer!” the other officer said from the other end. By the time the crowd was formed.

“He is the actual problem. He is the one who is not responding here.” We said and descended. Everybody started asking and discussing with one another.

“Why can’t you give it to RO?” This time it was a woman.

“Your RO is the one who is not at all heeding us and chasing us.”

“Don’t say so sir. Please. No sir. No sir. I will come with you.”

My father left me in front of the control room and went to bring the bag. He came, we were seated inside. The matter had reached the returning officer.

“You can give sir. You can give and leave.” He came and said.

He received the letter and asked,

“So, who is the substitute for him?”

“I have no idea sir. Somebody gave me and asked me to proceed here. I came here to submit this so that you can replace somebody.”

“Okay sir. You just sign in the attendance sheet and leave.”

“Thank you sir.”

“Thank you sir.”

We went to the respective classroom, signed and came out.

“Have you finished it sir?” That familiar BDO asked us.

“Yes sir.”

“Superb!”

We thanked him and came down to depart. My father went and took the bike. We paid the bill in the hotel and moved.

“He didn’t even see the letter.” My father said while coming back.

------------------

I finished the story in my manager room.

I thought everything came to an end. But, once again I was sent the order copy for the second training which held on seventh May. I said I can’t go as I officially finished all the formalities.

“Okay Vinoth.” My manager said and continued,

“In my husband’s branch, a lady staff willingly gave her name two months ago. Suddenly, she got transfer to Bangalore and didn’t go for the training. Others were little careless. You know what? She was issued warrant.”

The end.