IDUKKI: Defying illness and terrain, a 74-year-old tribal woman from Kozhimala turned up to vote in the assembly elections, reaffirming both personal resolve and a community’s enduring faith in democracy.
Santhamma, who has been undergoing cancer treatment for the past six years, reached the Government LP School polling booth with the support of her daughter-in-law.
A member of the Mannan tribal community, Santhamma said elections hold special importance for her people, who continue to follow a traditional system of self-governance under the Raja Mannan in Kozhimala.
Despite her health woes, she said she felt “fortunate to vote once again”. “I voted in the 2021 election too,” she proudly added. A mother of five — three sons and two daughters — she had lost one of her sons years ago. Her determination to vote reflected a deep sense of civic duty.
Participating in elections, she added, is vital “as it connects the community to the wider democratic process”. “Voting is the right of every citizen and it should be exercised,” she said with a smile.