Stripped of her dignity publicly here in Beltola two years ago while participating in a rally for adivasi rights, Laxmi Orang contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Tezpur, is a determined young woman.
Not putting the humiliation of being publicly stripped on November7, 2007 behind her, Laxmim, contesting on an Assam United Democratic Front(AUDF) ticket, says she is determined to fight for justice and recognition for marginalised sections of the society, including her adivasi community.
Undeterred at having taken on Congress heavyweight and sitting MP Mani Kumar Subba and AGP's Joseph Toppo, she hits the campaign trail at daybreak with her supporters.
She takes her message to fight for scheduled tribe status for adivasis and promises to draw national attention to their problems in tea gardens.
The young adivasi woman believes that the four lakh strong community of the 12.5 lakh electorate is her strong point.
Appealing for votes, Laxmi says that her suffering was not personnel, but was representative of the way her community has been suffering for generations.
Laxmi points out that nothing has changed since her ancestors were brought here by the British to work in the tea industry.
"Nothing has really changed. We remain just a vote bank," she says.
She narrates that when adivasis went to Guwahati to demand ST status for themselves two years ago they were attacked.
She decided to join politics and work for the welfare of downtrodden peoples as her community has been ignored by political parties.
The support of the people, including non-adivasis and the minority community, was her strength and inspiration to work for them, she says.
