She can be contacted at: sen@littlemag.Happily, the process that started years ago, is slowly gaining ground. Apart from not getting their rightful money, they also have to kowtow to leaders who they believe hoard huge sums illegally. And the new commissioner, Soumen Mitra, is determined to play boldly by the book.The writer is editor of The Little Magazine. "Please remember!" The warning is directed at her own police force, temporarily under the control of the Election China Auto Gas Springs Manufacturers Commission. For decades there have been efforts to remould the police from what was crafted by the British — as a tool to control an empire — into something that suits a free democracy. Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar, known to be friendly to the chief minister and her party, was replaced too. Unbelievable. But democracy is not only about casting your vote once in five years, it is about the way you live every day, what you are allowed to do, what you are not allowed to do. The less privileged in general get less rights, less freedoms and less justice. We will never have a true democracy unless we free the police from their political masters.The Queen B is enraged. Slap on a curfew in sensitive areas, prevent people from forming a mob. Apparently, shortly after her very dramatic and very public threats, cops looked on as TMC bike gangs went on a rampage, instilling terror in the hearts of voters in some parts of Kolkata. She promises retribution.

In a landmark judgment in 2006, the Supreme Court ordered detailed instructions for police reforms that would make it more professional and free. Being free of political masters, even for a short while like now, is liberating. Besides, there is a problem with their pay. She remembers everything, she snarls, and is keeping a record of all this. She also calls the police "cowards" and "lowly brokers of Delhi" and blames the Opposition parties and the EC for all this. The cops have turned! The Election Commission seems to have alienated the affections of her police force — right in the middle of the elections. "From the chief minister’s threats it would seem that we are not public servants but employed by a private company, and can be sacked at whim!" said an angry cop.Police reforms have been on the cards for ages. "There is a limit to subservience," a top cop was quoted as saying, "we have stooped very low, but can’t any more. Only when the police is free of political control can we reclaim our democracy. Unless the common person is safe to exercise his democratic rights, unless our democratic freedoms as guaranteed by the Constitution are protected, we cannot claim to be a true democracy. The cops now seem particularly keen on stopping Trinamul Congress workers from dominating the polling process, from guiding voters in their own special way, from keeping the polling booths buzzing with their youthful energy.Naturally, Mamata Banerjee would not take this lying down.

Though the situation is changing slowly, state governments still use the police as their private army. Violence has been a part of our electoral process for too long. The poor, dalits, Muslims, other minorities, women and the underprivileged will never have equal rights or a level-playing field unless we have a neutral police force that can freely enforce the law of the land.And the method is simple. And justice will remain the privilege of the powerful. From the third phase of the polls, the police have ensured proper and peaceful voting in some districts and in parts of Kolkata.com. Unless the police are free, we can’t be free.All this has suddenly earned the police what they never got earlier — respect. Amazingly, after a lot of dilly-dallying, some states have implemented some parts of the Supreme Court’s order, but not in totality, and certainly not in spirit. Keep an eye on known goons of all parties.As the Queen B’s rants in West Bengal reveal, the democratic process is hugely dependant on the police. Apparently their daily allowance has not been coming for a while. The police headquarters had to step in to control the situation. Election violence has piped down in many states, including in West Bengal this time. The EC’s order has come like a breath of fresh air — they feel free, they are allowed to be just the police.How dare the EC listen to complaints by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party and transfer her handpicked officers Apparently, 67 police officers were shunted out in mid-April to make at least the later phases of the West Bengal Assembly elections free and fair. Check out all likely places for arms, ammunition and bombs." The police have been known to not only bow and pray to the TMC leaders, they are also known to serve tea and refreshments to the chief minister and her colleagues in public meetings, like they did in January in West Midnapore where SP Bharati Ghosh read paeans to the chief minister and called her the "Mother of Jangalmahal".Ms Banerjee’s threats have made most cops bristle. And we need a free and professional police force to protect our everyday democracy as well.

This is unforgivable. "If anybody tries to take me on, they get demolished," she warns. Now they refuse to bow to Queen Banerjee’s wishes in spite of five years of rigorous training. Especially since she is supposed to be the minister in charge of home affairs — the police, in short. Our democracy stands on wobbly legs of money and muscle. Temporarily shut down local clubs where party workers plan their moves, often with the aid of bombs and guns. And then the regular stuff — keep the streets safe, follow-up on complaints and help voters in a party-neutral way. These were supposed to be implemented by 2007. The common Indian cannot have the democratic freedoms and rights that she is supposed to have. If necessary, pick them up right before polling day and keep them safely away till the voting is over. As the police and the paramilitary forces plan and strategise together, poll violence has come down. We are coming back to power, she thunders, and there will be consequences.But the threats of the chief minister have found their target in the lower rungs of the police force.

Trump is also calling out members of the media to stop calling IS fighters "masterminds" because, in reality, they are thugs and terrible people.". He says he doesn’t understand why the crowd would object to infiltrating terrorists’ conversations.He tells the crowd "these are people that want to kill us folks. Las Vegas: Boos from the crowd inside the presidential debate hall are befuddling Donald Trump, who has said he wants to kill the families of terrorists and close parts of the Internet in places such as Iraq and Syria where the Islamic State exists.Trump replies with a rhetorical question: "So they can kill us, but we can’t kill them "Donald Trump says he wants to keep members of the Islamic State from using the Internet to recruit American fighters." Trump’s reaction comes after Kentucky Senator, Rand Paul reminded debate watchers that closing the Internet would require getting rid of the First Amendment and killing the families of terrorists would defy the Geneva Conventions.He says, "We should China Auto Control Cables Manufacturers be able to penetrate the Internet and find out exactly where ISIS is.Killing the families of terrorists would defy the Geneva Conventions.He says the government must work with "brilliant people" in Silicon Valley to keep IS fighters offline, even if it means shutting down parts of the Internet.