The West Bengal Panchayat election 2018, in which most of us were recruited by concerned District Returning Officers as booth level polling personnel, has given us nightmares regarding our physical and mental safety in this duty. In absence of proper security, the polling personnel were forced to surrender before the unjust and unethical practices, just to keep themselves safe.Many of them were brutally attacked, had to be hospitalised. The mysterious death of Late Rajkumar Roy, a teacher of Rahatpur High Madrasa during his poll duty in the said election, is still haunting us. His mutilated body was found next day on rail tracks 25 kms away from his booth. No fruitful enquiry in this matter has been made, no compensation to his family, as per court directive has been paid. The total incident has taken us aback and made us think "what exactly, or is there any, value of our lives exist while we are on this kind of duty." 

Therefore we are declaring that if in future we are allotted with such kind of duty, we will not attend it if not accompanied by adequate security.Even being aware that we might have to face complications in our job for such a harsh stand, we are willing to take the risk for the sake of not only our lives, but life of common people( more than 25 people died in W.B. Panchayat Election 2018) and for a free and fair election.