For Wanarmares, their first votes are neither for Modi nor Rahul, but for a roof above their head

MARGAO: Alshi Pawar, 30, is illiterate, and earns a living doing menial jobs, working as a farm hand or a construction worker. The name of Narendra Modi holds no appeal for him nor does Rahul Gandhi’s name ring a bell. But vote on April 23 he surely will. After all, he knows it’s the first time in his life that he will vote in the polls that will elect the country’s prime minister. Alshi is among the 40 members of the Wanarmare tribe from their settlement in Nirankal, near Bethora, Ponda, who will vote in the simultaneous election of South Goa Lok Sabha seat and the Shiroda assembly constituency. They had voted for the first time in the 2017 state assembly elections after a spirited movement by social workers to get them enfranchised bore the desired result. They now look forward to be a part of the country’s largest festival of democracy as India goes to vote.

They have no preferences though about the choice of the candidates, neither are they aware about candidates in the fray. But they do know one thing for certain-—that their vote counts.

“Nobody has come to us so far asking for votes. But if and when anybody does turn up, we will ask them for just one thing—a roof over our heads, and an electricity connection to help our children study at night,” says Gopal Pawar, the leader of the tribal group.

The 20-odd families live in 17 thatched huts the roofs of which get blown away or destroyed during heavy rain.

‘Our children can’t study after dusk’

We are indebted for the help provided to us by several social workers and the government, in helping us get ration cards, election cards and aadhaar cards. This has enabled us enroll our children in schools,” says Gopal. “But in the absence of proper huts that will withstand heavy rain, we have to spend all our earnings on repairing the huts several times during monsoon. In the absence of electricity, our children are unable to study after dusk.”

Gopal says it will do them a world of good if they were provided with adequate material for erecting roof truss for 20 sheds and some asbestos cement sheets for roofing. “We can then build the walls by weaving together coconut leaves,” he says.

In October 2016, apparently driven by hate and prejudice against the Wanarmares, locals had razed their huts rendering them homeless during the chilly winter days.

Taking cognizance of a TOI report, Goa State Human Rights Commission had directed the state’s chief secretary and director general of police to submit a report on the incident. Following the intervention of the rights panel, the South Goa district administration and police machinery had provided them relief and security.

Nevertheless, in the absence of any valid document to establish their identity—birth certificate, domicile certificates et al—they are deprived of any of the government welfare schemes meant for the underprivileged class of society.

Meters away from the Wanarmare settlement, BJP’s door-to-door campaign is underway. “Namumkin ab mumkin hai,” reads a flier. Will their vote make their dreams possible for Gopal and his tribe? The irony is palpable.