Click to play videoKangra (Himachal Pradesh): Kanchan Thakur knows the value of her vote. She is the Sarpanch of Bara Banghal village in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. Even after 60 years of independence the villagers are not connected to mainstream India.
But they are camping 20 days in advance to cast their vote on December 19. Three hundred and thirty nine villagers have made the long journey to the Baijnath Assembly constituency on foot.
“Our village is 72 kms away and 339 of us have come here to vote since our village has no voting facility,” says Thakur.
The long trek to the polling booth is difficult. Getting to Bir village takes two nights and three days. Seventy-year-old Lohari Devi has come with her husband to cast her vote.
“The route is so difficult that children have to be tied up with ropes and brought here. Elders have to face even greater difficulties,” says Lohari Devi.
Thirty seven aged villagers have stayed back at Bara Banghal. The administration has sent a report to the Election Commission seeking a way for these 37 to vote. But officials say it's a formidable task.
“We have sent a report about the people who have stayed back in the village and sent the report to the Election Commission,” says Returning Officer, Kangra, Ashwani Kumar.
The 37 who stayed back may not be able to exercise their franchise, but these villagers want to make sure that the maximum possible number gets to stamp their choice even if the road to democracy is long and winding.
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