Kerala local body polls: Jumbo fear leaves Sinkukandam with a diminished electorate
IDUKKI: As the hills of Chinnakkanal went to the polls on Tuesday, an unusual silence marked ward 10, Sinkukandam -- a silence shaped not by apathy but by absence. Once home to over 1,000 voters, the ward now has only 430 on the electoral rolls, the steep drop reflecting years of wild elephant raids that forced dozens of families to abandon the 301 Colony and its surrounding hamlets. In the previous local body elections, the 301 Colony alone contributed around 100 voters; this year, barely 25 remain. According to the local residents, the decline began soon after the tribal families were allotted land there in 2002. The first death happened in 2004, when Palanisami was trampled by a wild elephant, said Sivamani, a resident. Three more people died in the years that followed. Houses were destroyed repeatedly, people simply couldnt stay here any longer. Many families relocated to Marayur, Perinchamkutti and Venkayappara, returning only occasionally to check on the land for which they still hold title deeds. Those who chose to remain learnt to live with threat. Elephant attacks became an almost daily reality, and damaged homes were repaired only to be torn down again. For safety, families began spending nights on rooftops and set up cables lined with glass bottles around their compounds, the rattling sound acting as an alarm whenever elephants approached. Residents say the elephants target houses only when they sense nobody is inside, prompting many to linger late into the evening or rely on neighbours to jointly chase the animals away. The demographic shift is now visible in the polls. Earlier, wards 9 and 10 together had more than 1,000 voters. After delimitation, this became ward 10 with only 430 voters, said Santhakumari, an independent candidate in the ward. Of the 25 voters left in 301 Colony, most have cast their votes. The settlement, meant to rehabilitate the landless, turned out to be an elephant corridor, and that has completely altered peoples lives. A total of five candidates are in the fray in Singukandam: Santhakumari, Chinju P V of BJP, Muthumari of DMK, Sini Baby of INC, and Suma Poulose of CPM.
22 C
