Voters in Swabhiman Anchal no longer fear election
The Hindu
After a decade’s gap, the region is gearing up for panchayat polls in mid-February
For the first time, Ramdas Sisa may not need to carry a shaving blade to cast his vote. Or pretend to be drunk while walking back from the polling booth. The sexagenarian tribesman is looking forward to casting his vote without any fear in the upcoming rural polls in the Swabhiman Anchal.
The tactics Mr. Sisa resorted to for years was apparently to avoid the wrath of the Left Wing Extremists (LWEs). He lives in Jodambo village, in the Swabhiman Anchal, also known as the Cut-Off Area in Malkangiri district that has witnessed several bloody attacks on the security forces by the outlawed CPI(Maoist).
“After casting my vote I would earlier scrape off the indelible ink mark with a shaving blade to erase proof of my voting. Or, I would totter back home to escape the attention of the extremists,” Mr. Sisa said.