The story of the special 69 booths of Himachal elections: If the polling parties went to Spain trolley in the difficult areas, then some climbed 14 km mountain

Democracy does not become strong just like that… a lot has to be done for this. 4 years after getting independence in 1947, the world’s largest democracy which was started by the first vote of Shyam Saran Negi of Kinnaur in 1951, today Himachalis from the mountains are going to vote again. .

Voting in Himachal is not easy due to the inaccessible hilly area. Here the polling parties leave for their respective booths 2 days in advance. After a tedious journey on bumpy roads and a walk of 8 to 14 kms, the polling staff reach their booths. Snowfall at many places along the way makes the journey more difficult.

In Himachal Pradesh, 7881 polling booths have been set up for voting in 68 assembly seats. Of these, 69 booths are in remote areas, to reach which one has to climb several kilometers on narrow paths and cross rivers and streams. 5 reporters of Dainik Bhaskar also accompanied the polling parties to 2 such polling booths built in extremely difficult areas. Let us take you on this journey of reaching the polling booth from strong room with ‘EVM’.

Of these, Magan polling booth is of Karsog assembly and Manjhangan polling booth is of Sundernagar assembly seat. Both these seats come in Mandi district.

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Venue: Campus of Karsog College
Time: 8:30 am
In the atmosphere of commotion, some government employees are carrying bags on their back and some are carrying bags in their hands. Officers are engrossed in papers on sofas and table-chairs placed on the stage built in the college premises. Some employees are also busy in small groups talking on the chairs inside the tent in front. In fact, preparations are going on for the process related to voting in Karsog assembly seat of Mandi district.

Karsog’s SDM Surendra Thakur along with his team is giving directions to the polling parties. Electronic Voting Machines, VVPAT machines and other polling related materials are being distributed to the teams going to different polling booths from the strong room set up in the college itself. Two members of each polling party are receiving EVMs from the strong room, while the rest of their colleagues are tallying the goods.

CRPF personnel are ready at various places in the campus. Amidst the commotion, the numbers of their vehicles are being told to the polling parties through Mike. Some employees are busy in putting booth number wise posters on the vehicles, while on the other side the members of the polling parties are having tea and snacks in the pandal.

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Location : Karsog College Campus
Time: 9:30 am
SDM Surendra Thakur instructed to start government buses and small vehicles parked on one side in the ground of Karsog College after allotting EVMs and other polling related material. In these vehicles, the polling parties will travel to their respective polling booths. As soon as the vehicles started, the polling parties picked up bags containing EVMs and personal belongings and started looking for vehicles with their respective booths and routes. The drivers sitting on the driving seat in the vehicles waited for their vehicles to be filled. During this, some polling staff, carrying bags on their backs and EVMs in their hands, were seen looking for vehicles with disturbed steps.

In about half an hour, all the polling parties gathered in their vehicles. The administration arranged an Innova vehicle for the very inaccessible polling booth of Karsog seat, because the road there is not bus worthy. Only small vehicles can reach there. There are total 6 members in the polling party of Magan booth. These include 4 polling staff and two policemen. Before leaving the polling party, the SDM himself repeated some things after reaching near the vehicle. After that the car started.

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Location: 85 km zigzag journey on dangerous mountain roads
The Innova train took 4 and a half hours to travel 85 km from Karsog to Tattapani, the end end of Mandi district and from there to Sunni to Jaishi after entering Shimla district. The 50-55 km road from Karsog College to Tattapani via Churag, Alasindi, Mahota is very narrow and dangerous. This journey was very difficult on zigzag hilly roads and it is common to have nervousness or vomiting etc.

High mountains on one side and a deep gorge on the other side and on the narrow road between them, while backing the car for several meters to pass the vehicles coming from the front, there were many occasions when it seemed that the life was stuck in the circle. .

Polling party crossing the Sutlej river with the help of Spain trolley

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Tattapani: Entry from Mandi to Shimla district
The hotbed of religious faith separates Tattapani Mandi and Shimla district. The Sutlej river coming from Tibet and the hot water sources on its banks make this place special. This hot water contains sulphur, and it is said that bathing in it cures skin diseases. Yes, bathing for a long time can also have the opposite effect.

After entering Shimla district from Tattapani, this journey along the Sutlej river on the spiral road from Sunni to Jaishi is tiring as well as intimidating. The noise and speed of the Sutlej river water flowing on one side of the road creates fear in the mind. By the time the polling party reached Jaishi, the day was setting in. As soon as they reached Jaishi, the members of the polling party immediately started unloading the goods from the vehicle.

There was still 3-4 hours of travel left. The team members got down from the car and started moving towards the bank of Sutlej river with fast steps. After descending the hilly trail for about 15 minutes, all the people reached the banks of the Sutlej river. There a thick iron wire tied on both sides of the river and a Spain trolley tied on it were seen waiting for them. The local people colloquially call it ‘Jhula’.

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Crossing the river sitting in a Spain trolley in Jaishi
Time : 3.30 hrs
The speed-flowing Sutlej river, whose depth is unknown, and the Spain trolley swinging on a wire tied at both ends, in which only two people can sit at a time. When a local man left the trolley from the other side of the river, it got stuck in the middle of the river. Seeing this, the young man standing on the other side pulled it towards him with a rope tied in Spain and pulled it out.

The members of polling parties, holding bags on their backs and EVM machines in their laps, crossed the river in groups of two each in Spain trolley. Oops… sitting in the Spain trolley which was oscillating badly on the wire, the liver came to the mouth. After sitting in the Spain trolley, there was a darkness of fear in front of the eyes. Even after reaching the shore and feeling that the feet were on the ground, it took several minutes for the bad breath to return to normal.

Polling party marching 5 kms to Magan booth of Karsog assembly seat.

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Climbing starts as soon as you cross the river
After crossing the Satluj river, the polling party once again reached the area falling from Shimla to Karsog assembly seat in Mandi district. The inaccessible polling station- Magaan is 6 kms away from here and this entire climb will have to be done on foot on narrow footpaths. Setting up polling booths in such remote areas in hilly areas and carrying election materials there and conducting voting is no less than a challenge in itself.

School teachers, employees of Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Department, police personnel/home guards and a few knowledgeable people of the area remain in the polling party. This was the first experience for all the members of the polling party going to the Magaan booth to reach such a booth.

The polling party climbs rocky paths to reach the booth in Karsog assembly.

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Rest after every half hour on the rocky trail
No one has made a rocky trail of 6 kilometers uphill. Just like this, due to the continuous coming and going of the local people, a path was made on the stones. Only after climbing for 15-20 minutes, when the members of the polling party started getting out of breath, everyone sat down so that the uprooted breath could be cured. When there was some relief, everyone picked up dry branches lying side by side, with the help of which the climbing could be a bit easier.

After about every half an hour, the polling party continued to climb, resting for 10-12 minutes. If he was more breathless, he would drink water, sit in the cold weather and wipe the sweat and then walk, encouraging each other. During the climb, the light did not dry, so in between, he would keep toffee etc. in his mouth.

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Lost the way, sprained the foot due to slipping on the mountain
Some members of the voting party went ahead and some remained behind during the climb of about 2 hours. In the meantime, some companions wandered and climbed on the other side. After climbing for about half an hour, it was found that they had come wrong. While descending from there, a fellow lost his balance and slipped and came down several meters. His leg twisted due to slipping and it seemed as if there was a sprain. Although the rest of the comrades handled him and shook his leg, everything turned out fine. After this, all the groups started walking back and forth after each other.

The mountains also appeared dry in this area of ​​Mandi district. There is no dense forest or tall trees. A few houses are seen somewhere on the deserted hills. Radish, coriander and greens are seen standing in some fields. Men and women work together in agriculture.

Karsog SDM Surendra Thakur with polling party.

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Magan village reached after 4 hours of hard tracking
At around 6 pm, the weather started deteriorating and the lightning started flashing. Fearing rain, the members of the polling party gathered courage and started moving fast. During this, the sound of his heartbeat is clearly heard. Meanwhile, seeing the light burning far away, there was a gleam in his eyes. This light twinkling from the lamp was of the bulbs burning in the houses of the village of Magan. By the time the polling party reached Magan village at 7 pm after nearly 4 hours of hard trekking, darkness was completely engulfed.

When the polling staff reached Magaan village, they were received by Sartayola panchayat head Tilak Raj and other villagers. After reaching the house of Tilakraj, the head of Sartayola Panchayat, wherever he got a place, he sat down exhausted. After some time, arrangements were made for tea and water for everyone. Arrangements for the stay and food of these people were made by the Panchayat at Tilak Raj’s house itself. At night, everyone quietly entered the beds after eating pulses, rice and roti. The tiredness of the day was so much that everyone immediately fell asleep.

The climb to the Magan booth is so tough that the polling party had to stop for rest after every half an hour of ascent.

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Polling booth decorated in the dilapidated school of Magan
As soon as the morning of November 11 dawned, the polling party started its work in Magaan village. A polling booth was made in the primary school, which was built at a height from the village and was closed for years. This dilapidated school was probably waiting for this day. The doors of the school are broken and the condition of the two inside rooms is also very bad. Despite this, the members of the polling party cleaned up and spread chairs and tables there. Posters of polling booths were pasted on the uprooted plaster walls. EVM and VVPAT machines were installed by making polling booths in the room.

97 voters in Magan
There are 97 voters at Magaan polling booth in Karsog assembly seat of Mandi district. Of these, 43 are women and 54 are men.

Inputs: Ravindra Panwar, Joginder Sharma, Rashmiraj Bhardwaj

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