Malpractice blessed into Fair Practice?

Today's CAB Election Farce

From: isaacgomes@hotmail.com
To: abpthomasdsouza@gmail.com
Subject: Today's CAB Election Farce
Date: Sun, 27 Sep 2015 18:29:36 +0000

To: Archbishop Thomas D'Souza

      Archbishop of Calcutta

Your Grace,

Today you put up a stellar performance  as Ex-Officio Chairman of the Catholic Association of Bengal during the election of office bearers for a new term.
In spite of very strong objection by most Life Members you sided with Benefactors and Patrons (the moneyed group) by allowing them two votes per person.  In the process you have aided and abetted in corruption and malpractice of the highest form.
We were shocked at the blatant manner you stifled basic civil practices followed all over the world i.e. "One Man One Vote" in the name of expediency. 
It was cold blooded murder of "Transparency" something you swear by at public forums.
We shall take up the matter further.

Regards
Isaac Gomes, Francis Mondal, Peter Chowdhury and others.

____________________________________________________________________________

 CAB Election at 27th Sept AGM: One Member One Vote

From: isaacgomes@hotmail.com
To: fgomes50@rediffmail.com
CC: chowdhurypeter@yahoo.com; nibedita001@hotmail.com; abpthomasdsouza@gmail.com
Subject: CAB Election at 27th Sept AGM : One Member One Vote
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 2015 05:27:42 +0000

MR FRANCIS GOMES

CHAIRPERSON – ELECTION COMMITTEE

CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION OF BENGAL (CAB)

9/3, MIDDLETON ROW

KOLKATA 700 071

Dear Sir,

At the 12th August 2015 meeting between the Election Committee and CAB Office Bearers, it was mentioned by Alexander Anthony, CAB President that Benefactors and Patrons were entitled to two votes – one as an Executive Committee Member and one as Benefactor or Patron. 

You would recall that at the said meeting I responded that nowhere in the CAB Constitution this TWO VOTE concept was mentioned and that as per the Indian Constitution it does not hold water.  All that Alexander Anthony could say that this practice (read `malpractice') was being followed by CAB for many years (without most members knowing about it)!

If this is allowed, then it defies the Indian Constitution which follows "One Person One Vote" natural law.  When all over the civilized world this has been the time-honoured practice.

If one person is allowed two votes, then the President and Prime Minister of India would be the first two persons to exercise this right : One as an Indian Citizen and one as heading the Executive in their capacities.  But even they are not demanding this privilege as our President is doing.

Since the above "One person Two Votes" concept is in contravention of the Indian Constitution, may I request you not to leave any loopholes and announce through a notification, once and for all, the One Member One Vote practice?

Regards

Isaac Harold Gomes

Honorary Treasurer

Copy: Archbishop Thomas D'Souza as Ex-Officio Chairperson of CAB


Given below is an Extract from the Representation of the People Act, 1950.

Extracts from the representation of the people act,1951
Right to vote-

CHAPTER 1, PARA 5.1)
EXTRACT FROM CONSTITUTION OF INDIA

62. Right to vote- (1) No person who is not, and except as expressly provided by this Act, every person who is, for the time being entered in the electoral roll of any constancy shall be entitled to vote in that constituency.
(2) No person shall vote at an election in any constituency if he is, subject to any of the disqualifications referred to in section 16 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (43 of 1950)
(3) No person shall vote at a General Election in more than one constituency of the same class and if a person votes in more than one such constituency, his votes in all such constituencies shall be void.
(4) No person shall at any election vote in the same constituency more than once, notwithstanding that his name may have been registered in the electoral roll for that constituency more than once, and if he does so vote, all his votes in that constituency shall be void.
(5) No person shall vote at any election if he is confined in a prison whether under a sentence of imprisonment or transportation or otherwise or is in the lawful custody of the police.

Regards

Isaac

NOTE: SUBSEQUENT TO THIS, MR FRANCIS GOMES RESIGNED FROM CHAIRMANSHIP OF CAB ELECTION COMMITTEE.   IN HIS PLACE MS NIBETA HALDER WAS APPOINTED CHAIRPERSON AT THE CAB EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON SUNDAY 30TH AUGUST 2015.

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Letter to the Editor

From: isaacgomes@hotmail.com

To: clherald@gmail.com
CC: farrell.shah@gmail.com
Subject: Letter to the Editor
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 2015 05:33:35 +0000

Editor

The Herald

Kolkata

Sir,
With reference to  02-08 October, 2015 Herald report on the newly elected office bearers of Catholic Association of Bengal (CAB) for a new term,  it must be said that the whole election was a FARCE

 

First, Life Members' demand for voting rights was turned down by Archbishop Thomas D’Souza, on the excuse that he was not in favour of drastic change!  To rub salt into the wound, Eugene Gonsalves made the cheeky comment that Life Members were not given voting rights as they might trade their votes for cash!  The whole house strongly protested and demanded an apology from Eugene.  The Archbishop who chaired the proceedings remained mum.  
Several voters were allowed to cast votes twice.  This was flagrant violation of Representation of People's Act 1951 which clearly states that at any election the principle of one person one vote must be followed.   It further says “No person shall at any election vote in the same constituency more than once, notwithstanding that his name may have been registered in the electoral roll for that constituency more than once, and if he does so vote, all his votes in that constituency shall be void.”

CAB’s full-of-loopholes constitution does not allow voting rights to Life Members. This is restricted only among a coterie of 35 Executive Committee Members and Patrons & Benefactors (who pay Rs 50,000-25,000 to get voting rights and manipulate results). Archbishop supported this anomaly.

Therefore, in the eyes of the Life Members present the whole election is NULL and VOID.

The Archbishop also allowed Eugene and his wife Vienna to be on the CAB Corpus Fund Committee, in spite of knowing that Eugene wants to siphon off an FD of Rs 17 Lac named Homage to Mother Teresa. Isaac Harold Gomes – Life Member

 PS:  It is my sincere hope that in the name of Social Justice (one of the pillars of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan) you would publish this letter.

This letter did not see light of day, as Herald is owned and controlled by the Archbishop of Calcutta.


10N, Mahendra Roy Lane

1st Floor

Kolkata  700046

19th October 2015

BY HAND DELIVERY

MOST REV. THOMAS D'SOUZA

ARCHBISHOP OF CALCUTTA AND EX-OFFICIO CHAIRMAN

OF CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION OF BENGAL

ARCHBISHOP’S HOUSE, 32 MOTHER TERESA SARANI (PARK STREET)

KOLKATA 700016

Your Grace,

Sub:  Objection regarding Election of Office Bearers of Catholic Association of Bengal  (CAB) during AGM on 27 September 2015
Please refer to the attached documents dated 1st October 2015 and 27th September 2015 in connection with gross anomalies of the above election which most Life Members consider NULL & VOID. 

Article XXII of CAB’s Memorandum & Articles of Association reads: “The Election petition(s) may be proffered on grounds of malpractices at the election or on grounds of material irregularity or fraud in the conduct of elections that affected the results of the election. All petitions or correspondence pertaining to conduct of elections shall be addressed to the Chairperson of the Election Tribunal at the notified address.

All petitions shall be accompanied by a petition fee of the sum of Rs.500/‑ (Rupees Five hundred only) along with the petition within 30 days of the declaration of the results of the election.”

We have already complied with the above provision and paid the requisite fee of Rs 500/- (Rupees Five Hundred Only) vide Demand Draft No. 896250 dated 1st October 2015 on State Bank of India, along with our Petition dated 1st October 2015 (copy sent to you).  But we have not heard from the Chairperson, Election Tribunal of Catholic Association of Bengal or from you. 

In the name of Justice, one of the 12 pillars of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan launched by you in the parishes of Calcutta Archdiocese, we expect you to “ENCOUNTER CHRIST” as Pope Francis said and set matters right.

Yours sincerely,

___Sd/-_________________________                 ________Sd/-____________

(PETER MERVYN CHOWDHURY)                             (FRANCIS MONDAL)
 

           Sd/-

_________________________                                      ___        Sd/-_______________

(ISAAC HAROLD GOMES)                                              (FRANCIS GOMES)
Encl:  Documents as above

The above letter was hand-delivered to Archbishop’s Office today, 20th October 2015.

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