Lok Sabha polls: 3 brothers plan hill trek to vote

BENGALURU: Three brothers who live on a hilltop in Dakshina Kannada will trek through a dense forest for two hours on April 18 so they can vote. Mahalingeshwara Bhat, 62, Narayana Bhat, 53, and Ganesh Bhat, 50, said neither the difficult terrain of the Western Ghats nor their age can deter them.


The siblings are the only residents on

Kumaraparvatha hill

, about 8 km from Kukke Subramanya. They earn a living by rearing cattle and selling milk in the town. They have spent their entire life till now in the forest and their only demand from politicians is that they protect the ecologically sensitive region. “We don’t depend on netas for anything. We just want them to protect forests,” Narayana said.

Mahalingeshwara said they had no party favourites: “We are going to vote for a good candidate and our selection will not be based on any party affiliation.”

The Bhats will begin their 5-km journey early on April 18. Regular trekkers not used to the conditions would require nearly four hours to cover the distance. “We have never skipped voting,” Mahalingeshwar said.

Mahalingeshwar and Narayana have remained bachelors as they love the solitary life on the hill. The siblings have installed solar panels and a hydro inverter for electricity in their home. “Often, people ask us: ‘Why don’t you move to a city or a town?’ But we are happy here in the forest,” said Ganesh.

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