hidden image

What Will You Give Me For My Vote?

F. M. Britto F. M. Britto
29 Apr 2024

"Whom are you going to vote for?" I asked Savitri as she was refining her mud floor with cow dung.

"The agent came here to canvass," the Dalit woman responded, "I asked him, 'What will you give me for my vote?'"

"If I have to go to the school to vote, stand in the queue under the hot sun, let them pay me," continued the widow.

I walked to another villager and repeated my enquiry.

Shyamlal signalled the symbol of the party for which he would vote.

"Why?" I was curious.

"I received Rs 100 from the agent."

"For a hundred rupees you are going to sell your vote?" I began preaching to that villager. "Accept the money; but vote for the party or candidate you want," I advised that tribal.

"Oh, how can we do that, Saheb?"

His sincerity ashamed me.

Within the last three months, Rupees 18.86 crores in cash, 92,014 litres of liquor (worth Rs 3.25 crores), 15,683 kg of drugs (worth Rs 31.26 crores), jewels worth Rs 18.12 crores, and other freebies like sarees, blankets, mobiles, and even vehicles worth 38.84 crores were reportedly confiscated in Chhattisgarh. These are allegedly ten times more than the last election and are expected to increase.

Banjare, whose TV is on 24 hours a day in his house, began to tell me of Modi's guarantees. "Modi is our annadada. He would provide free rations for the next five years, build three crore houses for the homeless, and give five lakhs worth of free medical treatment under the Ayushman scheme. He has already increased the subsidy of Rs 200 for gas cylinders (under the Ujjwala scheme) and gives Rs 6000 annually for farmers under the Kishan Nidhi," said this semi-literate villager.

The villager, who works in a private shop in nearby Akaltara town, continued, "As promised, the BJP that has come into power in Chhattisgarh, has already started giving one thousand rupees to women under the Matari Vandana Yojna and gave two months' ration just before the election."

For these Dalits, who are looked down on as "untouchables" by the Hindus, Ram and Ayodhya make no meaning.

But the elderly Ramcharan is disappointed that the BJP won the last State election in December 2023. "Congress had promised that if it comes to power, it will waive all farmer's loans," said the poor farmer.

A government high school teacher, Deepak, said, "The teachers were angry at (the former Congress) Bhupesh Bagel government for not giving the Dearness Allowance (DA) from long back. But the BJP had promised to do it."

"Lok Sabha election doesn't have much meaning like the Assembly election," said another villager, Kannayalal.

Our Congress candidate, Dr Shiv Kumar Dahariya, and the BJP candidate, Kamlesh Jangade, both Dalits, have never visited our villages. This parliamentary seat in Janjgir is reserved for SC.

Preeti was, however, enthusiastic. "I have just filled out the form. Rahul Gandhi has promised Rs. 8500 every month to women, yearly one lakh rupees," narrated the wife of a government primary school teacher, whose father-in-law owns eight acres of fertile fields. When will our Indians look beyond Revadi schemes and vote for the nation's future?

F. M. Britto serves the marginalised in a remote Chhattisgarh village

Recent Posts

In a world scarred by war, hatred, and inhuman leadership, education must humanise, not merely inform. Sanjeevani Vidyapeeth shows how empowering the marginalised with values, character, and competenc
apicture Jacob Peenikaparambil
07 Jul 2025
The sinking of MSC ELSA 3 off Kerala's coast exposes a toxic mix of corporate impunity, political complicity, and environmental neglect. As hazardous cargo threatens lives and livelihoods, the silence
apicture Joseph Maliakan
07 Jul 2025
In a world slipping into chaos, where leaders trade threats and valorise violence, India mirrors this decay, silencing dissent, weaponising identity, and pushing the marginalised to the margins. The c
apicture Thomas Menamparampil
07 Jul 2025
When Fr. Stan Swamy died on July 5, 2021, the world of truth and justice was shocked and saddened. Those who belonged to this group were convinced that his death was not a natural one, but a premedita
apicture Cedric Prakash
07 Jul 2025
The strength of India is in her democracy; the unity of India is in her diversity; the heritage of India is in her hospitality, the breath of India is in her principle of Ahimsa/non-violence, and the
apicture Fr. L. Michael Collins
07 Jul 2025
Marking June 25 as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas' is a calculated distortion of history, designed to vilify Indira Gandhi while deflecting from the ongoing, undeclared Emergency under Modi.
apicture G Ramachandram
07 Jul 2025
When a nation stops examining itself, it stops evolving. When a people stop questioning, they stop progressing. And when truth is replaced by lies, it takes only a few years for credibility to erode —
apicture Robert Clements
07 Jul 2025
The Emergency must be remembered, not as a tool to target a political party but as a lesson against authoritarian excess. Yet, we cannot ignore that worse violations of democratic norms and human righ
apicture A. J. Philip
30 Jun 2025
Fifty years later, India faces a chilling déjà vu with an 'undeclared' Emergency. Freedom of speech is stifled, dissent is suppressed, and institutions are compromised. True democracy demands resistan
apicture Cedric Prakash
30 Jun 2025
Amit Shah's claim that those who speak English will be ashamed evidences that the BJP-RSS is trying to bring down the populace and push India into another Vedic dark age where ignorance and superstiti
apicture Jacob Peenikaparambil
30 Jun 2025