TIRUNELVELI: For the Kaani tribespeople residing in the Western Ghats settlements of the district, there were no second thoughts about exercising their franchise during the Assembly election as several of them covered as much as 20 kilometres on foot to reach the Karaiyar polling station to cast their vote. They then trekked back home – a journey taking another four hours – without complaints. A few staying away in places like Chennai also had come down to vote.
A total of 428 people from the Karaiyar, Chinna Mayilar, Periya Mayilar, Injikuzhi and Agasthiyar Kudiyiruppu settlements are enrolled as voters at the polling station, which is located in the hills around 15 km from the Papanasam forest check post. While Karaiyar, Chinna Mayilar and Agasthiyar Kudiyiruppu are comparatively nearby, Injikuzhi is around 20 km away from the polling station.
R Ayyappan, a Kaani tribesman from Injikuzhi, said, “A total of 23 voters reside in Injikuzhi. To cast my vote, I came down to Chinna Mayilar three days ago. [Resident] Kuttiammal, who crossed 100 a few years ago, her son and a few others, however, could not come.”
Kuttiammal’s daughter Sri Devi, who is now temporarily staying at her hut in Agasthiyar Kudiyiruppu, said the forest department could have arranged vehicles from Injikuzhi for the voters. “Kuttiammal has not voted for the past 10 years as she could not walk to Karaiyar. We did not know how to avail of the postal ballot for her,” she added.
Meanwhile, P Vijayammal, K Mariammal and I Pandiammal – all elderly women from Chinna Mayilar – expressed happiness after casting their vote. “As far as I remember, I have never missed voting,” one of them said. A Maheshkumar (22) travelled from Chennai to Karaiyar to fulfil his democratic duty. When TNIE visited the polling station at 12.15 pm, 308 of the 428 voters had cast vote. Of them 10 were Injikuzhi residents.
