DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 23 (MExN): Media persons covering the 2013 Nagaland assembly polls faced an unexpected hurdle in the form of polling officers and para-military forces. At polling station 55 under Chumukedima town, media persons were miffed when the presiding officer and CRPF in-charge of the polling station initially prevented media persons from entering the polling station. In all the polling stations earlier covered by the media, none of the para-military forces, polling officers or political agents have raised complaints to media persons covering the election.
Even after displaying the ID card issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) under which the para-military forces, media and polling officials fall under the same category, the CRPF under the command of an inspector out rightly rejected the media entering the polling station.
After some verbal exchange and seeing that the CPRF inspector could not “read English”, media persons politely left the venue but not before the CRPF in-charge demanded the identity of media persons, to which media persons also equally demanded his identity. The CRPF officer summoned his men but media persons didn’t budge and the presiding officer finally allowed the media into the polling station but did not allow the media to take photos.
At a time when the ECI is insisting on fair and transparent election and when one of the visual media was personally requested by ECI to cover the event, the role of the presiding officer and CRPF inspector in-charge of polling station 55, is under the scanner.
In a related incident at Ghorapatti, media persons were barred from entering a polling station conducted at the DDSC Stadium. A Naga woman, who did not wield any official authority present at the gate, demanded a media person, who was already entering, to come out of the entry gate. A youth also showed up to back her. It was only after much effort of trying to let the security personnel understand that media persons were authorised entry and accordingly carried such letters, that the person was allowed in.
Media sensitization, as part of the election exercise in Nagaland, should be noted as an essential.
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