For the 134 electors of Kathirimalai, a remote hamlet in Bargur Hills that can be reached after a trek of 9 km in rough jungle terrain, exercising their democratic right will be possible for the upcoming local body polls thanks to five donkeys, who will ferry poll materials to the polling station in the hamlet.
The hamlet, which is under Bargur Panchayat in Anthiyur Taluk, is located in the forest area under the Chennampatti Forest Range of Erode Forest Division. Electors have to walk for five hours to reach Elakiyampatti in the foothills in Kolathur in Salem district, after which they have to travel 85 km to Anthiyur to excise their franchise.
In the 2016 elections to the State Assembly, a booth was established at the Government Tribal Residential Middle School at Kathirimalai and electors exercised their franchise without difficulty. Donkeys carried the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and other materials to the hilltop and people celebrated the occasion. The owner of each donkey was paid ₹250 per trip.
Currently, there are 68 men and 66 female electors in Ward 5 in the hamlet and election officials has decided to use five donkeys for transporting poll materials from the foothills to the hamlet, for the polls scheduled on December 30. Since wild elephants and bears are present in large numbers along the pathway, armed guards will be part of the team that will start by 1 p.m. to reach the hamlet by 6 p.m. on December 29. After polling, the team is expected to start by 7 p.m. on December 30 and reach the foothills 12 a.m. from where the polling materials will be transported in a vehicle to reach Anthiyur by 3 a.m. on December 31.
“It is an arduous task as we have to walk for 10 hours in the forest to reach the hamlet and return to the foothills after polling,” said an officer who is part of the team that conduced polling during the last elections. Only solar lights light up the village that has no mobile connectivity and team members carry torches and walking sticks during their journey.
