(published)
A massive cutout of a local politician along with one of his supporter
stares menacingly in the heart of the city. As party flags flutter
nearby, a loudspeaker blares out high-pitched songs from old Tamil
films. And just opposite the thatched hut erected by the party
supporters, liquor flows from a nearby shop. Most of the party
functionaries are in an inebriated state. Obscenities, abuses and some
minor brawl are the order of the day.
Welcome to the land of henchmen who control the fate of many political
candidates in Tamil Nadu. “Without henchmen, most of the party
candidates can hardly contest,” says a party functionary. “And they
are key in tilting the scales of power,” he confides.
Most of them are history-sheeters and are least bothered about any
alliances. Even before the poll alliances are stuck between major
political parties, the henchmen have already announced their party
affiliations. “And this is because the seat sharing formula and
alliances takes time and we don’t have that much time to plan
strategies,” says one of the history-sheeter, who doesn’t want to be
named.
The district secretary of a party provides the initial infrastructure
and also a place in the heart of the city where the banner of the
party is hoisted along with the cutouts and photos of the party
candidate of the constituency. They are usually provided with 50
dhotis, most of them bearing party symbols. It is shared by the aides
of the henchman.
By gaining the support of the party, these henchmen get the licence to
commit anti-social acts and have the backing of their political
bosses.
The crucial thing for the musclemen is generating funds to fight the
elections. And the easiest way is extortion. “We usually target the
businessmen and especially those having mobile phone businesses,
second hand car sales and jewellery houses. Usually the henchmen
decide the amount. And it can be in thousands or sometimes may be in
lakhs,” says a close aide of one of the henchmen.
But what happens if they refuse to pay. “We destroy their furniture,
vandalise the shops and make it difficult for them to operate their
businesses,” he adds. “There has been an instance when a major
jeweller in a city was forced to part with jewels by rowdies of a
minister close to higher echeleons of power,” alleges one of the
henchmen. Police sources do confirm it.
However, it is believed that the jeweller used his Mumbai underworld
contacts to resolve the issue, sources claim.
The rowdies have an efficient network in identifying the vote base of
the parties and may be instrumental in initial campaigning. A
history-sheeter, who claims to have committed more than 100 murders,
says each street is monitored by the aides of the henchmen. The
pro-party and anti-party votes are worked out. They also collect the
details of the voters who are not present at the household during the
elections and also those who can be influenced with cash. “These are
very crucial during the polls. At the time of polling, one of the
henchman’s aides walks into the booth posing as the voter who is
believed to be in other state or country. When the booth agent
questions his credentials, his supporters threaten the booth agent,
who has no other go but to let the person vote,” an aide of the
henchman says.
“Last time each voter was bribed with Rs 400 and it varied from
constituency to constituency. We pocket some of the money which the
party provides us for bribing the voter when we are sure a particular
area is going to vote for the particular party,” he says with a smile.
“The stakes are quite high in this Lok Sabha elections and it is
expected a vote may fetch the voter cash worth thousands,” he
confides.
And it may sound true. Highly informed sources say a minister is
expected to spend more than Rs 500 crore for the elections. “And most
of it would be used to bribe the voters and officials,” they claim.
Most of the funding for elections comes from illegal sand quarries,
illicit arrack distillers, mining and real estate businesses. “Most of
the parties are into it. But the lion’s share goes to the ruling party
and the rest to other parties to keep their mouth shut. Such being the
case there is no dearth of black money for spending at the time of
election. People who indulge in these illegal businesses don’t
hesitate to pay the politicians because they always want their
patronage and to keep the police at a distance,” says a source.
Most of the henchmen and their aides have more than one ID cards. “I
have four voter ID cards,” discloses the henchman. “It is very easy to
procure them, just grease the palm of some officials,” he adds.
Meanwhile, he says it is very difficult to cast bogus votes in the
rural belt and this is why it is so decisive during the elections.
“The reason being everyone is familiar with everyone. And you can’t
intimidate them also,” he says.
A source in the police confirms that most of the anti-social elements
having politicians’ backing are involved in extortion during the
elections. “These extortions could be in crores,” the source says but
refuses to part with the data.
“The state machinery doesn’t function here. If a police inspector is
corrupt, he can earn nearly Rs one lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh per month,” the
source adds.
“The rule of law can’t be applied due to corrupt politicians who arm
twist the law to their whims and fancies,” he says.
So which party does he favour. “All the parties are corrupt. But to
choose a lesser evil, I would prefer AIADMK. At least they let us
perform our duties,” he says.
But the presence of organised gangs in state elections is denied
outright. “Most of the partymen use people having caste affiliations,”
he says.
Although there are no statistics on the political killings. But they
do happen. A henchman claims they usually take the help of rowdies
from other places of the state to commit the crime in their cities and
then one of the aides in the city owns up the crime. “It is mutual,”
he says. A police source confirms it. “There are lots of false alibi
on murders. No investigation takes place and most of it is hampered,”
the source adds.
A massive cutout of a local politician along with one of his supporter
stares menacingly in the heart of the city. As party flags flutter
nearby, a loudspeaker blares out high-pitched songs from old Tamil
films. And just opposite the thatched hut erected by the party
supporters, liquor flows from a nearby shop. Most of the party
functionaries are in an inebriated state. Obscenities, abuses and some
minor brawl are the order of the day.
Welcome to the land of henchmen who control the fate of many political
candidates in Tamil Nadu. “Without henchmen, most of the party
candidates can hardly contest,” says a party functionary. “And they
are key in tilting the scales of power,” he confides.
Most of them are history-sheeters and are least bothered about any
alliances. Even before the poll alliances are stuck between major
political parties, the henchmen have already announced their party
affiliations. “And this is because the seat sharing formula and
alliances takes time and we don’t have that much time to plan
strategies,” says one of the history-sheeter, who doesn’t want to be
named.
The district secretary of a party provides the initial infrastructure
and also a place in the heart of the city where the banner of the
party is hoisted along with the cutouts and photos of the party
candidate of the constituency. They are usually provided with 50
dhotis, most of them bearing party symbols. It is shared by the aides
of the henchman.
By gaining the support of the party, these henchmen get the licence to
commit anti-social acts and have the backing of their political
bosses.
The crucial thing for the musclemen is generating funds to fight the
elections. And the easiest way is extortion. “We usually target the
businessmen and especially those having mobile phone businesses,
second hand car sales and jewellery houses. Usually the henchmen
decide the amount. And it can be in thousands or sometimes may be in
lakhs,” says a close aide of one of the henchmen.
But what happens if they refuse to pay. “We destroy their furniture,
vandalise the shops and make it difficult for them to operate their
businesses,” he adds. “There has been an instance when a major
jeweller in a city was forced to part with jewels by rowdies of a
minister close to higher echeleons of power,” alleges one of the
henchmen. Police sources do confirm it.
However, it is believed that the jeweller used his Mumbai underworld
contacts to resolve the issue, sources claim.
The rowdies have an efficient network in identifying the vote base of
the parties and may be instrumental in initial campaigning. A
history-sheeter, who claims to have committed more than 100 murders,
says each street is monitored by the aides of the henchmen. The
pro-party and anti-party votes are worked out. They also collect the
details of the voters who are not present at the household during the
elections and also those who can be influenced with cash. “These are
very crucial during the polls. At the time of polling, one of the
henchman’s aides walks into the booth posing as the voter who is
believed to be in other state or country. When the booth agent
questions his credentials, his supporters threaten the booth agent,
who has no other go but to let the person vote,” an aide of the
henchman says.
“Last time each voter was bribed with Rs 400 and it varied from
constituency to constituency. We pocket some of the money which the
party provides us for bribing the voter when we are sure a particular
area is going to vote for the particular party,” he says with a smile.
“The stakes are quite high in this Lok Sabha elections and it is
expected a vote may fetch the voter cash worth thousands,” he
confides.
And it may sound true. Highly informed sources say a minister is
expected to spend more than Rs 500 crore for the elections. “And most
of it would be used to bribe the voters and officials,” they claim.
Most of the funding for elections comes from illegal sand quarries,
illicit arrack distillers, mining and real estate businesses. “Most of
the parties are into it. But the lion’s share goes to the ruling party
and the rest to other parties to keep their mouth shut. Such being the
case there is no dearth of black money for spending at the time of
election. People who indulge in these illegal businesses don’t
hesitate to pay the politicians because they always want their
patronage and to keep the police at a distance,” says a source.
Most of the henchmen and their aides have more than one ID cards. “I
have four voter ID cards,” discloses the henchman. “It is very easy to
procure them, just grease the palm of some officials,” he adds.
Meanwhile, he says it is very difficult to cast bogus votes in the
rural belt and this is why it is so decisive during the elections.
“The reason being everyone is familiar with everyone. And you can’t
intimidate them also,” he says.
A source in the police confirms that most of the anti-social elements
having politicians’ backing are involved in extortion during the
elections. “These extortions could be in crores,” the source says but
refuses to part with the data.
“The state machinery doesn’t function here. If a police inspector is
corrupt, he can earn nearly Rs one lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh per month,” the
source adds.
“The rule of law can’t be applied due to corrupt politicians who arm
twist the law to their whims and fancies,” he says.
So which party does he favour. “All the parties are corrupt. But to
choose a lesser evil, I would prefer AIADMK. At least they let us
perform our duties,” he says.
But the presence of organised gangs in state elections is denied
outright. “Most of the partymen use people having caste affiliations,”
he says.
Although there are no statistics on the political killings. But they
do happen. A henchman claims they usually take the help of rowdies
from other places of the state to commit the crime in their cities and
then one of the aides in the city owns up the crime. “It is mutual,”
he says. A police source confirms it. “There are lots of false alibi
on murders. No investigation takes place and most of it is hampered,”
the source adds.
No comments:
Post a Comment