PITHORGARH: A polling crew‘s four-day journey to Kanar village, one of many remotest cubicles in Uttarakhand with 587 registered on the electoral rolls, resulted in dismay as solely 4 villagers – and 4 members of the polling celebration – forged their votes on Friday. The dejected crew returned to Pithoragarh on Saturday.
The rationale behind the villagers’ apathy? A protest in opposition to the neglect of their most simple want – a street.Notably, the village had additionally boycotted 2019 Lok Sabha elections with zero turnout to press for a similar demand.
The crew of 21 – together with polling officers, safety personnel, and a Justice of the Peace – launched into the journey from Pithoragarh city on Tuesday. Traversing the treacherous terrain, they reached Baram, the closest roadhead to Kanar, after an arduous 80km bus trip, looking for respite in a main faculty for the evening.
On the break of daybreak on Wednesday, the crew launched into a trek in direction of Kanar. 4 porters, laden with EVMs and different important election paraphernalia, accompanied them.
The crew trekked 16km, reaching Kanar round 7pm on Wednesday, and rested at a govt faculty earlier than establishing the polling sales space on Thursday. All through their journey, sustenance was supplied by Bhojan Matas (ladies deployed to prepare dinner in govt faculties).
Manoj Kumar, a instructor and the presiding officer of the polling sales space in Kanar village, lamented, “We spent 4 days traversing rugged paths, overlaying 80km by bus and 16km on foot, ascending 1,800 meters. It was disheartening to return with such a meagre turnout.”
In the meantime, the villagers stood agency, saying the ballot boycott was a testomony to their long-standing battle. “For govt, the turnout, or the dearth of it, ought to be a wake-up name for our primary rights. We endure hardships each day, eager for a street. Authorities will not be involved about our well-being, so there isn’t a cause for us to vote both,” stated Jeet Singh, a villager, talking about villagers’ collective frustration.
The rationale behind the villagers’ apathy? A protest in opposition to the neglect of their most simple want – a street.Notably, the village had additionally boycotted 2019 Lok Sabha elections with zero turnout to press for a similar demand.
The crew of 21 – together with polling officers, safety personnel, and a Justice of the Peace – launched into the journey from Pithoragarh city on Tuesday. Traversing the treacherous terrain, they reached Baram, the closest roadhead to Kanar, after an arduous 80km bus trip, looking for respite in a main faculty for the evening.
On the break of daybreak on Wednesday, the crew launched into a trek in direction of Kanar. 4 porters, laden with EVMs and different important election paraphernalia, accompanied them.
The crew trekked 16km, reaching Kanar round 7pm on Wednesday, and rested at a govt faculty earlier than establishing the polling sales space on Thursday. All through their journey, sustenance was supplied by Bhojan Matas (ladies deployed to prepare dinner in govt faculties).
Manoj Kumar, a instructor and the presiding officer of the polling sales space in Kanar village, lamented, “We spent 4 days traversing rugged paths, overlaying 80km by bus and 16km on foot, ascending 1,800 meters. It was disheartening to return with such a meagre turnout.”
In the meantime, the villagers stood agency, saying the ballot boycott was a testomony to their long-standing battle. “For govt, the turnout, or the dearth of it, ought to be a wake-up name for our primary rights. We endure hardships each day, eager for a street. Authorities will not be involved about our well-being, so there isn’t a cause for us to vote both,” stated Jeet Singh, a villager, talking about villagers’ collective frustration.
