Nilgiri Indian History

Nilgiri happens to be a traditional stronghold of the Communist movement in Orissa. Here the communist movement emerged out of the state peoples movement against the British patronised tyranical and exploitative feudal order. Nilgiri is significant historically because it was the first princely state to joint the Indian union with the former kind signing the instrument of accession on 14^th November 1947. This credit does not go to the so called Patel-miracle. The people of Nilgiri, the Praja movement and the Communist Party were the makers of this destiny.

With this background the Communist Party became the main challenger to Congress on the one hand and the party of royal families on the other in Nilgiri. But, the electoral victory of the Communist Party first came only in 1967 and the CPI(M) had the fortune to taste it first after the split of the party. People reaffirmed their confidence on the party in 1971 and 1974 midterm elections too.

Since 1977 though in all the elections the CPI(M) finished second and every election saw its voting strength going up and up but the victory went either to the Congress or the Janata Dal keeping consistence with the then political wave. In 1990 though the CPI(M) won the seat by a narrow margin of 36 votes, but this victory was transferred to defeat by a manipulative recounting of votes.

 A Contrast Scene

This time the people of Nilgiri were firm enough not to make their verdict ambiguous and give any scope to the hawks to tamper it. Thus the margin was comfortable. People were decisive because they learnt from their experience that the parties whom they have elected did not think it to be their humanitarian responsibility to be with them when their calamity that devastated Orissa in the last week of October, 1999. In contrast to the callousness of the Congress MLA, and the MP of the BJP-BJD alliance, the CPI(M) promptly jumped into rescue and relief operation. From 31^st October 1999, CPI(M) organised cooked food camps mobilising resource from the locality. Subsequently it received relief materials from Midnapore and South 24 Pragana districts of West Bengal that came as a big help to sustain the relief activity. Doctors and paramedical staff from West Bengal with valuable medicines rushed to the affected areas of Nilgiri. Boiled baby food camps were organised. Other relief materials like the Polythene, blankets, winter clothings, sarees, dhoties, children garments, mats etc., were the central committee, the West Bengal state committee, various district committee of West Bengal, the Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Kerala, Tripura, Maharashtra, Delhi, Bihar, Punjab and other state committees who rushed with relief materials to Orissa.

Follow UP Agitation

Alongwith organising the relief work, the CPI(M) mobilised the people to fight against corruption and nepotism that was rampant in government relief operation. Massive demonstrations were organised at Nilgiri, Ramuna and Oupada, the offices of the Revenue Inspectors were gheroed and people got concessions due to these movement. CPI(M) demanded that the Vajpayee government should declare Orissa calamity as "National Calamity" and undertake the responsibility of reconstruction and rehabilitation. When CPI(M) was dedicated to the service of the people and fighting for their interests, the Congress party in collaboration with the bureaucracy was engaged to ensure the bumper loot out of the relief work, and within all the three parties – the Congress, BJP and the BJD throat cutting competition was going on as to who would win the battle to get the party ticket.

Ram – Hanuman War

The sitting Congress MLA was ultimately denied the party ticket. BJD was disappointed when the seat was given to BJP. Inside BJP also civil war broke out after the state unit vice-president, an outsider of the constituency was given party ticket sidelining the state Bajrang Dal chief, a local man. Thus the discipiles of Hanuman waged to holy war against the so called Ram bhakt, the official BJP candidate was attacked by the Bajrang Dal chanting the slogan "Videshi Hatao", the Ram-Hanuman war was quite enjoyable.

United Front of Rebels

After the selection of the candidature of the Congress and BJP-BJD alliance, all dissidents gathered around one independent candidate, Damodar Mohapatra, who was an applicant for BJD ticket. The major part of the BJD organisation stood behind this rebel candidate. He got the support of Bajrang Dal (rebel BJP). The sitting Congress MLA (rebel Congress) extended support to him. The local unit of the CPI (rebel left) in keeping its tradition too opposed the CPI(M) and most actively worked in his favour. CPI(M)’s activities turned futile. To achieve left unity in Nilgiri, CPI(M) sought the intervention of Com. A. B Bardhan, the general secretary of CPI when he was at Bhubaneswar. Bardhan’s instructions were flauted by his party. CPI(M) requested CPI’s state secretary to address election meeting sharing platform with Prakash Karat and Biman Basu. Unfortunately he did not keep his commitment. Still the CPI(M) is thankful to him for he was kind enough to issue a leaflet in support of the CPI(M) candidate. Of course, no CPI comrade were available to distribute the leaflet and CPI(M) had to undertake the job.

Corrupt Practice

The accridate the official status of the alliance to the BJP candidate Advani, Satrughan Sinha and Naveen Patnaik toured the constituency. Advani could attract a crowed of mere 3000 people, Naveen Patnaik’s performance was no better and Satrughan Sinha had to be satisfied with a thousand only. Helicopters were more attractive than these leaders and film actors. This was no naked that two days before the polling, the police had to seize cartoons of foreign liquor and cash to the tune of Rs.2.60 lakhs from the BJP candidate’s vehicle. The vehicle (Tata Summo- OR O5F-9392) was also seized.

The rebel BJP candidate too was a wealthy man, an "A" class contractor. He was facing vigilance inquiry to avoid arrest had to obtain anticipatory bail from Hon’ble Orissa High Court till the completion of the election process. Both the BJP and rebel BJD was competing to spend more money to purchase the Congress vote, that was sold like commodity in the election market. The rebel BJD was more successful in this respect and this made the state of affairs of Congress party still more miserable.