Subrahmanya: During the elections, in some places, people take a decision to boycott voting demanding their long-pending problems be rectified. But, in the final stage, political parties and officials persuade them to vote by promising. However, the people of a village in Dakshina Kannada District continued their boycott without succumbing to any such temptations. In addition, they themselves gor engaged in the construction of a bridge, which was an important demand of village through mass Shramadana.
For many years, people have been protesting for the construction of a bridge in Ainekidu Village of Kuzumbaru under Subrahmanya Gram Panchayat of Kadaba Taluk. But, their demand was not fulfilled despite pressure on elected representatives. Enraged by this, the villagers did not participate in the voting process and built a wooden bridge across the stream themselves.
It has been alleged that despite many years of demands and requests for the construction of a bridge at Kuzumbaru in Kadaba Taluk, the concerned parties have been negligent. Recently, the people here had put up a banner with the decision to boycott voting in the background of non-construction of the bridge. At this time the local officials arrived and convinced the people to cast votes but villagers stuck to their demand as their demand was not met this time too.
However, more than 80 people of about 30 houses of Kuzumbaru area did not vote in protest against negligence of officials and elected representatives, who failed to construct bridge. The villagers thus vented their anger.
A villager Narayana Gowda said that, “We have been demanding footbridge for many years. However the concerned are not responding, and washed their hands. Today we boycotted the Legislative Assembly elections. The villagers had announced that they will boycott the forth coming Lok Sabha elections if the bridge is not built. People are outraged that politicians are so full of ego that they think they don’t need our votes.