Elections 2019: Upset Over Government’s Apathy, Saharanpur Villagers to Boycott Polling

Saharanpur: A white coloured banner with a message saying “Boycott democracy, entry of political leaders prohibited” hangs outside Dudu Majra village, about 25 kilometres from the district headquarters in Saharanpur. The Saharanpur Lok Sabha constituency goes to polls on April 11.

When NewsClick approached the villagers to enquire the reason behind such a banner being put up at the village entry, they said that they are disappointed with the government’s apathy towards the village.

Sher Singh, 65, who is considered as a respected elder of the village, said, “We have pledged that we will not vote. We are not supporting any party and we will do it till the time our village is fully developed. We have been participating in the elections since the last 60 years but we still do not have roads, there are no healthcare or education facilities available. We are living in such condition in an age when people are planning to live on the moon. If we have to live like this then there is no use of voting.”

“Kaam to abhi bhi chal hi riya hai aur aage bhi chalega. Vote shot karne se koi faayda na hai, (We are managing even now and will do so in the future too. There is no use of voting),” Singh repeated.

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On being questioned more about the kind of problems the villagers are suffering, Singh said that the village falls under the Mirzapur development block and is surrounded by seasonal rivers from three sides. There are no proper roads so the government officers do not pay much heed towards the development of the village even after repeated complaints and requests. The village has a mixed population but the majority of them are Sainis.

“There is no burial ground in the village. If someone dies then the villagers have to travel a long distance to perform the last rites. There was a burial place earlier in the village but it also fell prey to the mining mafias. If any women of the village gets pregnant then we pray for her safe journey to the hospital as the roads are in very bad condition and we are scared of accidents occurring on the way to hospital,” he said, adding that a school for kids is a distant dream.

Ilam Singh, another elderly villager said that development is a serious concern in the village. “We have written several letters to the officers and ministers from Saharanpur to Lucknow. We have to wait for over 36 hours if we have to perform the last rites of anyone because there is no road and no place. The problem of burial ground has also resulted in violent protests against the system many times in the past. It is better to avoid the elections and tell the people in power that even a single vote counts,” Singh said in an angry tone.

The elderly villager further told this reporter that the officers of the district administration and election commission have been coming to the village and requesting them to vote but the villagers are adamant and have pledged to not vote.

On the other hand, the assistant district magistrate and even the district magistrate did not respond to the reporter’s query about the condition of this village and asked to call after two days as they are busy with the election work.

Meanwhile, the boycott calls in the state are becoming a serious cause of concern for the election commission as people in various places have announced their decision to avoid voting owing to different reasons.

Read More: Elections 2019: Modi's Chai Pe Charcha Failed, Villagers to Boycott LS Polls in Maharashtra