In elephant and Maoist country

"We are here to see that the elections are peaceful," says a smiling officer of the Central Reserve Police Force, from behind the iron gates of a school in Banduan. The smile transforms into a scowl: "Now get going." There is something about the hand reaching his automatic weapon - and the soldier manning a bunker atop the building moving into position - that advises obedience.

Purulia is one of the three West Bengal districts that are going to polls in first of the five-phase assembly elections in the state. And Banduan is one of the blocks that has the maximum security cover, because of the Maoist threat.

But you realise it only when you drive into Banduan block headquarters and see men in fatigues toting guns of all shapes and sizes, the plate on the parked Central Election Observer's jeep and the CPMPF (Central Para Military Police Force) jeeps that patrol the roads into the forests.

Otherwise, it is the same scene as in the other parts of Purulia - extreme poverty and parched earth. You will have to travel miles to find a teashop. You can forget about a shop to eat lunch. What you might get, if you are lucky, is muri and bonde (chapped rice and sweets). Maybe it is not a coincidence that the shop is near the police camp.

Also See:
Rediff's Assembly Elections Blog