SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024
Team Herald
As the nation gears up for the Lok Sabha elections, thousands of people who moved to Goa from neighboring states of Maharashtra and Karnataka face significant challenges in exercising their fundamental right to vote. Despite the critical importance of participation in the democratic process, these citizens find themselves grappling with a severe shortage of public transportation options. Leaving them to bear the financial burden of returning to their native places to cast their ballots.
One of the voters recounted the frustration, stating, "We've been here since 6 AM, yet we still haven't been able to find a bus. Normally, buses are readily available, but due to the elections, we're facing this issue with no one to help us." The lack of coordinated efforts by the government to ensure adequate transportation services has left these voters feeling neglected and exploited.
Meanwhile it came to light that, those who can afford to resort to private bus services have reported being overcharged, with no intervention from the authorities to regulate prices and ensure fair treatment. "The government should have made financial arrangements to support people who live away from their homes and need to travel for voting," said another citizen.
The problems faced by these voters shows the fundamental disconnect between the government's responsibility to facilitate democratic participation and the reality on the ground. As people take a journey to their hometowns, often at their expense, they express a deep sense of disappointment in the lack of government support for their basic right to vote.
"We are casting our vote because it is our right, and we want our party to win," one individual said. "But no one has provided us with any financial assistance; we are going at our own expense." This sentiment highlights the stark contrast between the lofty ideals of democracy and the practical challenges that citizens face in exercising their democratic rights.
The failure of the government to address the transportation needs of these interstate migrants casts a shadow over the integrity of the electoral process.
