Democracy on Shoulders, Villagers Carry Elderly Tribal Voter 13 Km
Villagers carried an 80-year-old tribal man in a makeshift doli for 13 km to a polling booth, while remote hamlet residents voted despite poor road connectivity.
Voting day in north Andhra offered a powerful reminder that for some citizens, exercising the franchise is still a test of endurance rather than convenience.
In the remote hamlets of Jeelugulova and Pashuvula Banda under Chimalapadu panchayat in Ravikamatham mandal of Anakapalli district, members of a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) travelled up to three kilometres in makeshift dolis to cast their votes in the local body elections. The two settlements lack road connectivity, forcing residents to depend on footpaths through difficult terrain.
For 20 of the tribal residents, the election marked a historic milestone, as they exercised their voting rights for the first time. While thanking election officials for enabling their participation, they used the occasion to renew their long-pending demand for a road connecting their villages to the outside world.
Among the voters casting their votes is 80-year-old Korra Gasanna, who could not walk to the polling station. Fellow villagers carried him in a doli for nearly 13 kilometres to the polling booth at Cheemalapadu, underscoring both the voter’s determination and hardships the community faces.
The spirit of democracy had been equally evident in Rambilli mandal's Dimili village, where 110-year-old freedom fighter Dabbiru Adilakshmi cast her vote at polling station No. 13/10. After carefully verifying her details on the voter slip before voting, she said she is happy to exercise her franchise once again.
Having participated in every election since becoming eligible, Adilakshmi said she never misses an opportunity to vote, demonstrating her lifelong commitment to the democratic process.