20,000 from arid Maan migrate, don’t go back to vote

MAAN, SATARA: Locked homes greeted election officials in 20 villages of drought-hit Maan taluka in Satara district when voting for the third phase began on Tuesday.
These voters from the Dhangar and Lonari communities, who have moved out in summer, did not return to cast their votes. Pandurang Ananda Maharnor, sarpanch of Kalewadi, one of the villages, said about 40% of the 20,000 voting population from these 20 villages did not vote.
"There is no water and fodder in the tehsil. Shepherds from these 20 villages have migrated to Konkan and other water-rich areas where they get fodder. They will return in the monsoon. Their homes are shut. Only the senior citizens are around. The children are with relatives so that they can continue with their studies," he told TOI on Tuesday.
According to Maharnor, since no candidate bears the cost of transportation during the general elections, they could not be brought home for voting. "But if it is a zilla parishad or gram panchayat election, candidates arrange for their transportation and we record a good turnout," he added.
Till 3pm, election officials had recorded only 34.78% voting in the village. Merely 280 voters out of 932 had voted.
Vadjal village about 10 km from Kalewadi was no better. "Our village population comprises Lonari and Dhangar communities. They have migrated to other places and cities in search of fodder and jobs. Had the government started fodder camps this year, many would not have stayed back. Water is terribly short here and successive governments have done little to address it. People have lost faith in political leaders. They were more angry as many had to go to the Konkan in search of fodder and water," Baban Kale, sarpanch of the village, said.
Many are labourers in Mumbai and return to the village only for family functions.
Kaushlya Maharnor, who was herding sheep and goats on the dry Gulbelacha hills with her two sons, "Every year we face drought. There are several dams in Satara district. If the government constructs more canals, several villages here will benefit. Nobody wants to roam in this unbearable heat but we have with no option but to do this every year. If we boycott the polls, it will send a message to the authorities," she said.
The other villages of Virani, Chillarwadi, Bagalwadi, Pukalewadi, Palvan, Jambhori and Gangoti were also deserted.
Dadasaheb Kamble, sub-divisional officer of Maan tehsil, said migration was among the reasons for the low percentage of the voting in Maan.
"The nomadic tribes actively cast votes for local elections but not for Lok Sabha which shrinks the voting percentage of this assembly segment," Kamble said, adding that the district administration had conducted numerous campaigns to increase the turnout.