Maulana Azad accused that 1946 elections were manipulated & rigged

Elections in Bengal were reduced to mockery according to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the then Congress President, in 1946. In April 1946, Maulana Azad issued a statement on Bengal elections targeting Muslim League and local Muslim ‘pirs’ for misconduct in coalition with the British government. His full statement is below:

“In fact, the elections in Bengal were hardly an election in the normally understood meaning of the term. It was more in the nature of a crusade in which worst religious passions were excited than an election in the modern age where political parties placed before their constituencies alternate programmes to be carried out through the Legislature. In Bengal, there are a large number of uneducated and half-educated men who arrogate to themselves the position of ‘Pirs’ or religious heads on the strength of ‘family heritage’. Many of them are incapable of reading a single line of Arabic, and are quite innocent of any knowledge of Islamic religious literature. They yet have a wide following in various parts of the province, especially in Eastern Bengal, and trade upon the ignorance and credulity of the masses to maintain their position. The League was able to secure their help in order to arouse religious fanaticism on an unprecedented scale. Instead of raising or discussing any political issue, the elections were turned into a religious crusade. ‘Fatwas’ were issued that to vote for the League was to vote for Islam and to vote against the League would lead eternal damnation. Non-League candidates were branded as heretics and infidels, and it was stated that their return would lead to the banishment of Islam from India. Verbal exhortation of these Pirs and Moulvis went even beyond the ‘Fatwas‘.

Violence against nationalists

To the terrors of religious condemnation of the most virulent type were added physical violence on an unprecedented scale. The failure of the Government to maintain peace and order during the elections was so glaring that it makes the suspect that there was conspiracy behind it. I have already referred to the inter-provincial conspiracy of Government officials to help the League in the recent elections. In Bengal this conspiracy was seen in its most naked form. In many cases, officials openly sided with the League. I have been told by responsible public men, whose veracity I have no reason to doubt, that an overwhelming majority of Muslim officials have acted in a manner which made it difficult to understand whether they were public servants or agents of the League. Lower officials were encouraged and emboldened when they found that higher authorities took no notice of their activities. 

Government support to Muslim League

I have little doubt that, if an impartial tribunal is appointed to investigate  the matter, it will bring to light cases of the grossest partisanship, favoritism, intervention and neglect of duty by numerous officers, high and low. Their conduct was such as to make one doubt the results of the elections, and has led to charges that they have in many cases tampered even with the ballot-boxes. Apart from the invocation of divine displeasure and unconcealed official partisanship, the League depended chiefly on intimidation and violence for its electoral success. Candidates were denied the freedom of movement necessary for the election campaign. Polling booths became centres of violence and hooliganism. Secrecy of the ballot was violated. Polling agents of other parties were not allowed to act.

Houses of non-League candidates and their supporters were set on fire. There are innumerable cases of assault and battery. Neither life nor property of non-League candidates were safe. Nor was this due to any overwhelming support of the League by the general people.

Congress remained non-violent

There are various places in Bengal where there is considerable support for other parties, and there is little doubt that in such areas candidates of the Muslim Parliamentary Board or the Krishak Proja Party could have, if they had so desired, retaliated against hooliganism but they were bent on maintaining an atmosphere of peace and non-violence. Where supporters of non-League candidates took matters in their own hands as in Barisal, some parts of Khulna, Faridpur, Mymensingh and Murshidabad and resisted hooliganism, non-League candidates were returned with overwhelming majorities.

It is impossible for me to mention all such instances in the course of a brief statement, but a few of the more glaring samples are detailed below:-

Fatwas against Congress

A large number of Pirs and Mullahs were induced by the League to issue fatwas or edicts exhorting voters to vote for League candidates on pain of eternal punishment after death.

As instances of official interference I would refer to Mr Jalaluddin Hashmi, ex-Deputy Speaker of the Bengal Assembly, who charged the Sub-Divisional Officer, Satchir, for inciting the mob to attack his car at the Mahmudpur polling centre on March 19. The District Magistrate had to intervene and issue an injunction under Section 144.

Mr Fazlul Huq wrote to the Governor that a Circle Officer in the Bagarhat constituency was a close relation of his rival. Dr. Moazzam, who was the League candidate. This officer had already served for six years in the area and acquired considerable local influence, which he was using openly for Dr. Moaz-zam The Government made no comment on the fact of his relationship with the League candidate and replied that he had been a Circle Officer for only three years. This officer was not transferred in spite of repeated requests of Mr Fazlul Huq, but given every opportunity of helping the League candidate with his official support and influence.

Mr. Nausher Ali, ex-Speaker of the Bengal Assembly, openly charged high district officials for partisanship with the League and wired to the Governor that even the selection of site for the Polling booth showed his partisanship. to All his protests were in vain.

The movement of candidates and their supporters was interfered with at every step. Reports of the attack on Mr. Fazlul Huq, Sir Abdul Halim Ghuznavi and Mr Mohiuddin Khan by the adherents of the League have already appeared in the newspapers. Such interference by the League increased during the provincial elections. 

Attacks on non-Muslim Leaguers

On Dec. 5, 1945 Mr. Syed Jaluluddin Hashemi was attacked, and his car seriously damaged at Satkhira by hooligans shouting League slogans. On 27 December, 1945, he was again assaulted by Leaguers in the presence of officials in Kaliganj police station and the car by which he was travelling overturned. On March 19, 1946, his car was again attacked by Leaguers and damaged in the presence of police officers at the Manudpur polling centre. 

Mr. Syed Badrudojja, candidate for Bethampur rural constituency, was not allowed by agents of the League to enter the Bhagirathpur polling booth which has been captured by hooligans.

Dr. Snaulla, candidate for Chittagong north-east constituency, was attacked on March 5 at Nannupur in Phatikehari police station in the presence of the Sub-Registrar, the Muhammadan Marriage Registrar, the President of the Union Board and the Headmaster of the local School, by agents of the League who smashed his motor car. The next day, another car in which he was travelling was turned turtle from Pafehabad and when he tried to travel by train, he was pelted with stones at Choudhuryhat railway station. 

Mr Sved Nausher Ali, ex-Speaker of the Bengal Assembly, was attacked when addressing meetings at Magura, Bangaon, Nahata, Charabhita and Lohatare. At Nahata, a taxi hired by him was thrown in the river, and it is reported that a man wounded there subsequently succumbed to his injuries.

Mr. Habibur Rahman Choudhry, a candidate from Tippera north-east, was abducted and kept confined till rescued by the police.

Burning down of mosque & homes

Mr Kasem Ali, a candidate for Kishoreganj, was kept confined in his house under threat of murder. Mr. Mohiuddin Ansar, a candidate from Tangail was similarly kept confined in his house. Mr. Barat Ali, a candidate from Serajganj was abducted and forced to declare that he would withdraw from the election contest. The houses of Moulvi Reazuddin Ahmad, candidate from Nilphamari, and Moulana Muniruz Zamin Islamabadi, a candidate from Chittagong, were burnt when the fire fighting service from Saidpur tried to put out the fire, the hooligans cut the hose pipe and threatened those who came to help him. Moulvi Abdur Rezzak, candidate from Feni, was prevented from going to the polling station on the date of polling, and was not allowed by hooligans to come out of his house to submit the names of his polling agents.

Cases of intimidation and violence at the polling station are reported from almost every constituency in Berhampur rural constituency. Hooligans captured the polling booths at Goruimair, Bhagirathpur and Jalangi centres, assaulted and drove away genuine voters, and recorded bogus votes at will. Similar incidents happened at the Srappur, Miksimil, Chandkhali and Jamirahat polling centres In Khulna-Sardar constituency. Voters were similarly assaulted, driven away and bogus votes recorded in Katirahat, Nannupur, Gahira and Fatehpur polling centres in Chittagong north-east constituency.

At Fatehpur, Nur Ahmad, the election agent of Dr. Sanaulla was assaulted and robbed in broad daylight. The Madrasa, library and mosque at Nazirhat in Fatikchari police station were burnt.

In Feni constituency, voters were driven from Sarsadin, Sundarpur, Adharbani, Pathannagar and Fulgazi polling centres, and ballots were found in packets of 15 and 20 inside the ballot-box. Similar reports have been received from almost every polling centre in the district of Jessore.

It is for me a painful task to have to record such severe indictment of Government officials generally and of Muslim officers in particular, but I have been forced to do so by a sense of duty. Excesses are to be deprecated even if they are committed by non-official supporters of the Muslim League; but they become intolerable when they are committed by members of the public service who break their oath of office and act as partisans of a political organisation.

Appeal for an enquiry

I am convinced that a strong case has been made for an enquiry into the conduct of officials who have been mentioned to me by name by prominent public men on a charge of grave dereliction of duty, and the Government owe it themselves and to the future advance of the province to hold a wholesale enquiry.

I am further convinced that if such in enquiry is conducted, the elections are bound to be set aside in many constituencies in Bengal, and if elections are held in a manner where voters can exercise their franchise freely and without fear, a large majority of such seats will be won by candidates opposed to policy of the Muslim League.”

(Source: The Indian Express, 6 April 1946.)