MAHOTTARI, April 22: Even as election fever has gripped district headquarters Jaleshwar and other urban areas, the marginalized communities are unaware about upcoming elections.
Although various political parties and leaders have been conducting their election campaigns, the marginalized communities like Dom, Musahar, Bantar and Halkhor have been untouched by the election fever. The communities are totally unaware of the upcoming elections as the poor families are preoccupied with making their ends meet rather than rally for the campaigns.
They spend whole day in search of food and money. Most of the families in the areas have been involved in pig farming, making handicrafts using bamboo, working in others' farms for their livelihood.
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Satrudhan Sada, a local from Musahar community, informed that leaders from various political parties came to their area soliciting votes.
"The leaders always come to our community when the election happens. In other days, they don't look back at us," he said. "We are illiterate and also we don't know about politics. But the leaders do not remain committed to their promises to address our grievances after winning the election."
Sada said that only a leader from their own community would listen their grievances. "But the major parties as well as small parties have always treated us like we are born just to vote for them," he added.
He stressed that they need a leader from their own community to raise their voices.
Sada also said neither anyone from the Election Commission nor from the government offices were there to teach them about the voting process.
"The last time we participated in the election and voted for the leaders. They had promised to address our demands but they never came back to our places," he said. "This time, we will vote for the person who would raise our voices."
