CHENNAI: A lot of things fell short of meeting the expectations of the people who were relocated from various parts of the city to the resettlement site in Perumbakkam. Displacement disrupted their daily lives and now, with elections around the corner, it has also made them distant from the democratic exercise.
These people, forming the bedrock of the working-class population, who once belonged to constituencies within the city are now confused about where to cast their votes. Residents who were relocated from areas like Pallavan Nagar (Chintadripet), Kakkan Nagar (near Choolaimedu), Sathya Sai Nagar (near Koyambedu) and Sathyavani Muthu Nagar (Park Town) in the year 2019 still haven’t gotten over with the formalities surrounding address change. The Perumbakkam site is home to a whopping 20,000 families. “I will have to travel to Koyambedu to cast my vote,” says Shanthi (name changed), “I have not decided if I would cast my vote this time or not because I work as a housekeeper here and I have to get permission from my employers on the polling day.”
When contacted, an official, requesting anonymity, says several avenues to revise voter ID details were made available to the residents, both at the time of relocation and since relocation, through camps. “Several steps were taken by both Chengalpattu and Chennai district authorities. The participation in camps is low.”