Sixty-five-year-old Dasari Gangavva used to dread election time caught between the outlawed Maoists and the police over a decade-and-a-half ago. But, not any more, in fact, she is looking forward to cast her vote in this once naxal-dominated village, tucked away on the Nizamabad-Rajanna Sircilla district border, about 200 kms from Hyderabad.
Manala falls under Balkonda Assembly constituency of Nizamabad district though the village and its hamlets have been merged in Rajanna Sircilla district a few years ago after creation of new districts.
Gangavva has come a long way from the time over a decade ago when she had to rush to Kammarpally police station, about 50 kms from the village, then in Nizamabad district to get her two sons and other youth released. She had to show the indelible ink mark on her finger to the police as proof that she had voted to get her children released from detention. In the 80’s and 90’s, the village was under the virtual grip of the naxalites.
