Two tribal villages in the Korba District of Chhattisgarh call for a boycott of the election, citing a lack of basic amenities
Due to a lack of essential services including access to potable water and electricity, the people of two tribal villages in Chhattisgarh’s Korba district have opted to boycott the state assembly elections scheduled for the next month. The Pahadi Korwa, popularly known as the President’s adopted sons, live in the villages of Sardih and Bagdharidand, which are part of the Kerakachhar village panchayat of the Rampur assembly constituency.
On November 17, voters in the second phase of the state’s two-phased elections will cast their ballots in the district now represented by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Nanki Ram Kanwar. On November 7, the state will hold the first round of voting.A banner with the same message has been placed on the edges of the villages, and pamphlets with pleas to boycott voting have been distributed across them.
Santosh, a resident of Sardih and a member of the Pahadi Korwa community, stated, “We have been demanding drinking water facility, power supply, mobile towers and other basic amenities for a long time, but public representatives have never paid heed to us.”He said that Pahadi Korwas in the surrounding villages of Sardih, Bagdharidand, Khurribhauna, and others are still compelled to drink water that they must dig trenches in the jungle to get. He claimed that there are no roads leading to these settlements.
“Politicians can no longer get away with making empty promises. Since they have no other choice, the villagers have opted to abstain from voting this time, Santosh and other village women informed reporters.About 150 Pahadi Korwa households live in the villages of Kerakachhar village panchayat, which are about 20 kilometers from Korba city in a forested region.
The threat of elephant-human conflict has also been a problem in the settlements.Residents of Sardih and Bagdharidand put up a poster outside their villages that says, “Sardih and Bagdharidand boycott poll as villages have not received electricity.” When questioned about it, CEO Vishwadeep of the Korba Zila Panchayat said that he had learned about it and that he and other authorities will go to the villages to learn more about the concerns made by the residents.
He said, “We will attempt to persuade the villagers to withdraw their call for a boycott and urge them to participate in the election process.”IAS official Vishwadeep serves as the district’s nodal officer for the voter education campaign.
The Abhujmaria, Kamar, Pahadi Korwa, Birhor, and Baiga PVTGs in the state had a vigorous voter registration push, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
