THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, April 6: Garhwa DC Shekhar Jamuar and SP Deepak Pandey today reached Burha Pahar, Hesatu and Kuli ahead of the Lok sabha election, polling for which is due on May 13.
This is the first episode when DC and SP of Garhwa go to the Burha Pahar, Hesatu and Kuli weeks ahead of the polls.
Burha Pahar was freed from the CPI Maoists only in the second half of 2022.
In less than two years, the Burha Pahar and its surrounding localities are to vote, which was a forbidden thing for more than a decade.
Votes were cast but with fear of incurring the anger and havoc of the Maoists as Maoists were hell-bent on disintegrating the process of democracy the polling then.
Now, the atmosphere is of joy and contentment. Fear has been replaced by hope. There is a demand for development.
There can’t be any more promotional activity for more and more polling than this when DC and SP push off for Burha Pahar, Hesatu and Kuli.
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SVEEP programme can never envisage such a visit to the tops of the district visiting and urging people to cast votes when it was a risky business in the past.
SP Deepak Pandey said, “We understand there may be a dozen first time voters at the Burha Pahar. We asked them to vote. They have promised us to do so.”
The voters of the Burha Pahar are to come to the Turer polling booth to cast their votes.
SP Pandey said, “We believe there may be 50 first time voters at Hesatu. Voters of Hesatu are to vote at Kuli.”
Voters of Kuli will be voting at their exact place.
No news can be any more significant and vital than this. The people of Burha Pahar, who are like a mosaic following habitation of tribal, primarily vulnerable tribal groups, Hindus and Muslims, will be polling when the Maoists will not be around, but brave security forces will be there.
Polling day in the Burha Pahar used to be a day when the red eyes of the Maoists used to stare at and knock at the door in the dead of night by the Maoists was common.
The Maoists used to track down who had voted as those who were found to have cast votes were seen by the Maoists as defiant but the Maoists used to draw consolation when they found people abstaining from voting.
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The Maoists had a different playing field with people in the past, one who had voted and the other who had refrained from voting. People skipping polling were seen as ‘living under the yoke of the servitude of the Maoists.’
Garhwa administration will win laurels if Burha Pahar and its adjoining villages vote 50 per cent and above, as it will be put a score to voting in other plain areas.
