Vanarmare
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2017: Voting in elections
On February 4, when Goa queues up to vote, for the first time in history , 42 members of Vanarmare tribe from the hilly terrain of Nirankal in Ponda taluka will trek 4km to the nearest polling booth to stand in a line to get inked.
It took seven decades after Independence for the election commission to reach this hamlet of 16 hutments on an inclined slope of a plateau. These huts, without any flooring or walls, stand on land provided by the government after years of struggle. “There are 90 of us who live here and 42 of them have received their voting cards. Our primary demand is better housing. During monsoon, water gushes down the hill and we have nowhere to go,“ says Gopal Pawar.
The only solace they have for now is that they aren't faced with eviction threats. “No politician has visited us so far.Whoever promises to help will get our votes,“ says Pawar. The two tanks, their only reservoir for drinking water, is at the foot of the slope. A few months ago, they were hounded by locals and their houses were burnt down. The government has now deployed police for their protection.
