New bridge, old roads on mind, Thiruvananthapuram's tribal belt casts votes
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Tribespeople of Thodumala ward in Thiruvananthapuram's Amboori grama panchayat are grateful to the government for the Kumbichal bridge. The newly-opened, but yet-to-be-inaugurated bridge has significantly cut down the travel time of the residents of the ward's 11 tribal settlements and also reduced their dependency on boats their lone mode of transport until now. However, as the capital's tribal belts cast their votes in the local body elections on Tuesday, one question lingered: Will the bridge sway voters' sentiments? Neither do we favour a party, nor do we vote based on it. However, nothing has helped us in recent times like the bridge. Earlier, we depended on boats, whose availability was always uncertain, said 20-year-old Raman, who cast his first vote on Tuesday. We have been seeing remarkable developments in our area, one of which is this bridge. However, I don't know how it will reflect in the results, said the film aspirant. Generally, tribal belts see active participation in elections. I never miss an election, said Sarasu, after casting her vote at the Government Tribal LP School in Puravimala. Initially confused upon seeing three EVMs kept together, she exercised her franchise eventually with the help of a polling officer. Election officer applying ink to tribal voter Sarasu before voting at the Government Tribal LP School, Puravimala on Wednesday. Over 50% polling at the booth was completed by afternoon, thanks to the jeeps arranged by various political parties to ferry voters. Voters who could not spot a jeep walked a few kilometres to their booth and cast their votes. Meanwhile, though people are happy with the bridge, many highlight the poor condition of roads leading to their settlements, which they say makes their journeys dreadful. Some roads were repaired recently. However, there remain places like Thenmala, located deeper in the forest, inaccessible to vehicles. If a person there falls ill, he/she will have to be carried some distance, before getting a vehicle to any hospital, said a resident. Oorumooppan Chandran Kani expressed hope that the government that built the bridge will also build good interior roads. Funds have already been allocated for this, he said. Some tribal residents are upset about losing touch with their culture. Today, our people are not aware of our old rituals or songs. We need a representative who will help us retain our identity and be available, regardless of the voter's political affiliation, said Reena, another resident. Damage caused by wild animals is another concern. We voted early in the morning and returned to work. Look at the destruction caused by the animals, an elderly farmer said as he and his wife tried to salvage what they could after wild elephants and boars damaged their crops in Amboori.
16 C
