Voters face extreme hardships to cast ballot in a remote mountainous district

POKHARA, March 5: A lone settlement at an altitude of 3,800 meters above sea level. Just 13 houses. A total of 39 registered voters. Estimated temperature minus 5 degrees Celsius. The nearest settlement is 25 kilometers away.

This is Sangta village of Ward No. 5 in Waragung Muktikshetra Rural Municipality, one of the most remote areas of the Himalayan district of Mustang. Only 31 voters will cast their ballots at the village’s sole polling station, located at Himalaya Basic School. Although 39 voters are listed in the voter roll, three have already passed away.

Some elderly voters who had descended to lower areas to escape the cold have not been able to return. As a result, only 31 people will vote in the village. A total of 14 personnel, including security and election staff, have been deployed. Of the 31 voters, four are currently at cattle sheds. After the first round of voting, some locals will head to relieve the herders, and those stationed there will descend to cast their votes.

Located 39 kilometers from the district headquarters Jomsom, the village can be reached after a three-hour drive by vehicle. After enduring that journey, the election team reached Himalaya Basic School to conduct voting.

1772624066_Sangta Mustang (4).jpeg “The thick snow had been cleared by a bulldozer. Nearly 10 kilometers of the journey was extremely difficult,” said election officer Rajesh Gupta. “Nevertheless, we reached the village and completed preparations. Voters who had gone down to escape the cold have also returned.”

According to him, a bulldozer had cleared snow from the road only a few days earlier, making the drive far from easy. Snow up to 10 feet deep had hardened like rock. “Even after clearing the snow, the road was slippery and risky. But villagers returned to vote, and so did we,” he said. “The vehicle managed somehow. We didn’t have to walk since the vehicle reached the polling station, but it was not easy.”

Within the same ward lies Janamukti Basic School in Phalyak. The distance between Sangta and Phalyak alone is at least 25 kilometers. “Only after crossing 25 kilometers from Phalyak did we finally reach Sangta,” he said. “It is hard to even see people in the village. Children and elderly residents are mostly in towns. Voters returned solely to cast ballots.”

He said that when the election team arrived, only one person was in the village. The team unlocked the community building and stayed there overnight. Only afterward did voters begin returning. “We arrived first; voters followed,” he said.

“Right now, villagers have returned only to vote. After casting ballots, they will descend again,” Gupta said. “In fact, this is not the usual time for them to return. In previous years, villagers would come back only in April. But because of the election, they have returned earlier than scheduled.” When they reached home, all houses were locked. After traveling about 18 kilometers from Sangta, one reaches Dolpa. This is a trekking route linking Dolpa and Mustang.

“We will be ready for voting from 7 a.m. Due to the cold, villagers say voters will arrive after 8 a.m.,” he said after an all-party meeting. “With few voters, it could finish quickly. But those at the cattle sheds will vote only after getting their turn. So it will take some time.”

Local leader Thukten Gurung said villagers returned solely to vote. “This time we came back a bit earlier to cast our votes. Some will go down again after voting, but I will stay,” he said. “Children and the elderly could not return.” He added that there is currently no work to do in the village.

“Only after three weeks will potato planting begin. There is nothing to do now. We just stay idle,” he said. “Snow surrounds the village, and the cold is severe. There is no work.”

Ward Chair Surendra Gurung of Waragung–5 said accessibility issues prevented all voters from returning. Of the 39 registered voters, only 31 are present. “Villagers had gone down to escape the cold. The road was somehow opened, and 31 confirmed they would vote. The others remain in towns. Not all voters could return,” he said. “The bulldozer cleared the road specifically so voters could come back. Otherwise, it would not have been possible.”

District Election Officer Lokendra Bahadur Gyawali also said that despite difficulties, staff reached all polling stations. “We were concerned some voters might not be able to return. But even in the most difficult areas, roads were opened and voters returned. Villagers have climbed back to vote,” Gyawali said. “There were no problems elsewhere. Sangta was the challenge. But it became possible.”