In line with the Election Commission of India’s (EC) motto of ‘No Voter to Be Left Behind’, officials are gearing up to brave the 9-km stretch of rugged terrain to deliver the electronic voting machines (EVMs) to the residents of Malliamman Durgham in Kadambur Hills in Erode district.
The settlement comprises 416 electors – 223 men and 193 women – and is nestled in the dense forests of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR). It comes under the Bhavanisagar Assembly constituency and The Nilgiris Parliamentary constituency. The settlement does not have a motorable road. The difficult terrain coupled with a steep gradient makes it difficult to use vehicles.
Only a pickup van from Kadambur is available to reach the hamlet, and the trip takes about two hours. “It is difficult to move on foot on the rugged terrain, so the election materials are transported in the van,” said M.K. Subramani, who is coordinating the transportation of these materials.
Recalling the challenge in transporting the materials in 2019, an election officer said: “The vehicle is mostly operated on the first and second gears throughout the 9-km journey, and it is extremely hard to drive on the stretch,” and added that both the ascent and descent were very risky, and the team felt safe only after reaching the foothills. “After the polling ends, the materials are sent to The Nilgiris, which will take about nine hours,” the official said.
An inscription found on a stone in the hamlet reveals the region was under the Vijayanagara Empire during the 14th Century. As per government records, the right of way for the hamlet was originally from the ghat road. The current road was formed by the people some time between 2011 and 2013.
Since there are no motorable roads or mobile connectivity and only solar lights light up a few houses, over half of the families from the village have moved to Kadambur or Sathyamangalam in search of employment and to educate their children.
“In 2011, the hamlet had 159 families, comprising 636 people. Now, less than 80 families live here,” said C. Kaliappan, a resident. However, even people who had moved away visit the hamlet during election time to exercise their democratic right without fail, he added. The Panchayat Union Middle School in the hamlet, which is solar-powered, serves as the polling station.
Villagers said no candidates, both for the Lok Sabha polls or Assembly elections, had ever visited their hamlet in all these years, and only the cadre of the main political parties visited for canvassing.
“I have not seen any election campaigns in my lifetime,” said 75-year-old Perumal Ammal, who adds that she has never failed to cast her vote.
