GARHWA: Lush green patch of forest on a hill at the tri-junction of three districts - Latehar and Garhwa of Jharkhand and Sarguja district of Chhattisgarh - commonly known as as Burha Pahar served as a haven to the ultra left-wing extremists for at least one decade. With the death of Maoist Central Committee member, Arwind in 2018, the Maoists started losing control over their strategic vantage point but this is the first time, that the electors are gearing up to participate in the electoral process with renewed vigour.
Though the number of electorates in the vast swathes of forest and hill is almost insignificant for any political party, a tug of war is evident with the political outfits all out to claim credit for ridding the area of LWE dominance. For the first time, chief electoral officer, K Ravi Kumar, visited the area soon after declaration of election dates and claimed that the electors would participate in the democratic process this time. He was accompanied by police and civil administration, who met with the locals and encouraged them to vote. Travelling on a two-wheeler for 3 km to reach the polling booth at Upgraded middle school Hesatu, Kumar said, "This time the voters are excited to exercise their franchise."
Dominated by scheduled caste and primitive tribe, the electors admit that this time no one has come to them calling for poll boycott instead security forces and local administration have approached them repeatedly to vote. "We were forced to feed Maoist cadres every now and then, but apart from that, their presence hardly mattered to us," said Robert Lakra who says that life has always been very tough for them with schools without teacher and no medical facility in the area. With a physically disabled wife and nephew at home, he is confused if he should appreciate or criticise the governments at the Centre and in the state.
Mukhiya of Tehri Panchayat, Binko Toppo, who has been visiting these remote settlements said that chief minister Hemant Soren's visit in January 2023 made a lot of difference. "At least, the administration was forced to visit these villages and listen to the problems. Drinking water facility through deep boring and solar pumps reached. Solar panels were also installed for power supply," she said.
However, Jagua Korwa, 75 believes nothing is going to change for them. "I am getting ration but my son works as a labourer in Kerala. Should we just be bothered about food or do we deserve better living opportunity? There is hardly any job here," he said.
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