Dejected tribals of the state keep away from the ballot box

Though polling to the 26 Lok Sabha seats in the state was largely peaceful, voters from the minority community in Panchmahals district, the worst-hit in the communal violence two years back, were hardly seen exercising their franchise.

Tribals, who constitute a major chunk of the population in Panchmahals, Vadodara and Godhra districts, opted not to cast votes in large numbers unlike in the elections in 1999.

Limkheda, which comes under the Dahod constituency, was once known as a Congress stronghold. Things have changed drastically during the last assembly elections in Gujarat in December. BJP had effectively played its Hindutva card and chief minister Narendra Modi's leadership to garner votes.

This small town, 171 kms from Ahmedabad, was a witness to the massacre of 16 minority community members.

The allegations of gang rape and murder against some local BJP leaders are now being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following a Supreme Court order.

A day before the elections, on Monday, CBI filed a detailed charge sheet against 20 persons including two doctors employed with the state government and four policemen.

This is the home town of Bilkis Banu, the 22-year-old woman who was allegedly gangraped by a mob on March 2. A mob allegedly murdered 14 of her family members.

Muslims were not seen casting their votes on Tuesday. They did not boycott polls, but they had left the village two years back and have not to come back again. Only a few are back and they are scared.

"What is the point of casting vote? Neither the state government nor the Centre cares for us. If there is any institution which really cares for us, it is the Supreme Court which has ordered the CBI probe in the Bilkis case," said Shaikh Gulam Mohammed, a medical practitioner from this town, now living in Vadodara with his relatives.

"In Vadodara also, BJP cadres or leaders have not visited us before the elections. Unfortunately, even Congress leaders preferred to stay away from us and my relatives here did not come out to cast votes," said he.

Take the case of Rameshbhai Parthibhai Parmar. He has studied up to the 12th standard and holds a certificate from the Industrial Training Institute (ITI). But he is yet to get an employment.

"During the riots, BJP used us for attacking the Muslims, but after that those BJP leaders are never seen. Now I have been working for Madhusudan Mistry, a Congress leader from Sabarkantha district, far away from here," he said.

On Tuesday, Parmar came back to his village, Jekot, to cast vote. "I did not vote for BJP or Congress. I still came here spending Rs 140 for bus tickets so that the BJP workers do not cast bogus votes taking advantage of my absence," he said.

Tribals of Chhota Udepur, Vyara and Mandvi were also reluctant to cast votes this time. They believe that BJP ditched them following riots and Congress did no better.